Kuna’s Gilbert Wins Title, With Time To Spare

A2/A3 cross country

Anita Gilbert of Kuna wasn’t just running to capture a state cross country championship Saturday.

She wanted to post the top time in all divisions. Mission accomplished.

Gilbert capped a brief but golden career by taking the State A-2 girls title by more than a minute. She toured the 3.1-mile course at scenic Farragut State Park in 19 minutes, 0.4 seconds.

That time beat the top A-1 mark by 16 seconds.

What’s even more amazing is Gilbert didn’t turn out for the sport until her senior year.

“At the beginning of the race I felt so good that I concentrated on trying to beat the A-1 time,” Gilbert said.

While Gilbert strolled to the individual crown, the Jerome girls nearly lapped the field.

Jerome, state champion from 1986-90, returned to the top of the state heap with 55 points, well ahead of Kuna (103) and Sugar-Salem (127).

The Tigers placed five runners in the top 26, led by Liz Jackson, who took third (20:11.86). Finishing between Gilbert and Jackson was Leah Moore of Buhl (20:05.92).

Moscow’s Yvonne Shea led North Idaho girls as she finished seventh (20:36.08). Bonners Ferry was the highest-placing area team at ninth.

In the closest team race of the six division races, the A-2 boys was a photo finish.

Vallivue and longtime power Jerome tied with 88 points. Vallivue was declared champion because its sixth runner finished 14 spots ahead of Jerome’s sixth finisher.

Breathing down the necks of Vallivue and Jerome was Preston, which posted 93 points. Bonners Ferry led area teams in seventh and Moscow was eighth.

Emmett junior Alan Archuleta pulled away in the final mile to capture the boys championship in 16:58.18. Preston’s Tyson Campbell (17:06.36) finished second followed by Moscow’s Kenny Benjamin (17:09.38).

Vallivue coach Gary Ward thought his team had the race won at the 2-mile mark.

“I was real happy at the 2-mile mark, but we faded in the last mile,” Ward said. “We looked great, let’s just put it that way. At the end I knew it was going to be close. But that’s why you preach to every runner that you have to run your best. This was a total team state championship.”

St. Maries’ Jeremy Badgett improved three spots from a year ago, finishing 14th (17:53.6).

In the State A-3 races, McCall-Donnelly’s girls proved they’re in a class by themselves.

McCall-Donnelly placed five runners in the top 20 to finish with 26 points. In a fight for second, North Fremont posted 111 to trip Gooding by a point.

In the boys, Ririe also had an easy time, taking gold with 52 points. Malad finished runner-up with 96 and McCall-Donnelly took home another trophy, third, with 121.

In an upset, Steve Prescott of Firth slipped past last year’s champion, Russ McCrea of Nampa Christian, for a state title. Prescott finished in 16:42.45, 2 seconds ahead of McCrea.

Plagued most of the season by a hip injury, Greta Johnson of Potlatch showed no signs of the injury as she captured gold going away.

The sophomore posted a time of 20:16.25, 16 seconds faster than Brooke Murphy of McCall-Donnelly.

It was just Johnson’s fifth race of the season. She finished fourth at state last year.

“I ran kind of scared,” she said. “I stayed behind some people for a while until I felt they were slowing me down and then I decided to move out. I figured I’d just try to run as hard as I could and hope they didn’t catch me.”

, DataTimes