Once More With Flair Maloney, Miller Repeat In Region I
A year ago, Charlie Miller of Lake City and Nicole Maloney of Sandpoint were just tickled to capture A-1 Region I cross country championships.
So it’s no surprise that the runners, both juniors, defended their titles in rather easy fashion Friday at Hidden Lakes Country Club near Sandpoint.
They ran with more determination this time, though, using the regional final as a tune-up for the state meet.
Miller pulled away from senior teammate Mike Keith in the final 400 yards to post a time of 16 minutes, 58.56 seconds on the mildly hilly 3.1-mile course.
Keith finished in 17:10.59 and he and Miller were joined by three other teammates in the top 10 as LC finished with 24 points. Post Falls was a distant second at 69, just edging Lewiston by a point. The top three teams advance to state, which will be held Nov. 1 at Clear Lakes Golf Course in Buhl, near Twin Falls.
As Maloney reached the top of the last hill with a mile remaining, she knew she was by herself. So she relaxed the throttle and enjoyed nothing more than an accelerated walk on the golf course.
Maloney finished in 19:53.5, about 150 yards ahead of promising Post Falls freshman Nicolle Clutter (20:35.25).
Coeur d’Alene’s girls knocked off four-time champion Sandpoint. The Viks’ Eva Unruh, Kira Thompson, Liza Covington and Kelsi Luhnow finished fourth through seventh. CdA’s fifth runner, Holly Grant, secured the win by placing 11th as the Viks posted 33 points.
Libby Gerber led runner-up Lake City (52) by placing third.
Maloney was disappointed for her team. Sandpoint finished third, but just the top two teams advance to state because Lewiston, the biggest school in the Panhandle, had just four runners, one short of a complete team.
“I’m extremely upset,” Sandpoint coach Cheryl Klein said.
Klein’s team was on the bubble and felt assured of at least finishing third. Lewiston assured Klein and other schools early in the week it would field a complete team. It’s the second time in four years a short-handed Lewiston team cost the region one berth to state.
Miller thought the T-Wolves ran just about as well as they could.
“We ran the smartest race possible,” he said. “We were really on pace. I felt excellent.”
A-2 District I and II
The Bonners Ferry boys captured the top five spots and ran away with the championship at the Mirror Lake Country Club in Bonners Ferry.
Jarred Ekstrom took first with a time of 17:24.27. Josh Sherven (17:31) and Winter Braden (17:53) finished second and third, respectively.
Bonners Ferry easily outdistanced runner-up Moscow 15-71.
Moscow, led by Jenny Liou’s winning time of 20:46, edged Bonners Ferry 35-41 to take the girls title.
Lany Dowell (21:52) of Bonners Ferry finished second.
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