Cross country preview
State: All state meets will be held Oct. 30 at Kelly Park in Soda Springs.
5A
Impact runners: Boys–Michael Armon, sophomore, Coeur d’Alene (second at state last year); John Hopper, junior, CdA (34th); Robert Glasson, sr., Lake City; Lucas Bryan, jr., LC; Collin Livingston, soph., LC; Bryan Porter, sr., Lewiston (55th); Dustin Dickerson, jr., Lewiston. Girls–Breanna Sande, sr., LC (2nd at state last year); Kristin Palmer, jr., CdA (9th); Hailey Meyer, soph., LC (23rd); Erin Lionberger, jr., CdA (27th); Tara Lionberger, jr., CdA (31st); Sadie Lee, sr., CdA; Bri Gordon, soph., LC (41st); Georgia Burke, jr., LC (43rd); Whitney Pfeifer, sr., CdA; Anna Stone, soph., CdA.
Noteworthy: The Region I meet will be held Oct. 20 at Kiwanis Park in Post Falls. CdA’s boys and girls are the defending regional champs. Lewiston’s boys and LC’s girls also qualified for state. The top two boys and girls teams and top one-third individuals earn state berths. Armon and Sande are the defending regional champs. Armon was ranked first in the preseason 5A rankings and Sande was ranked second behind defending champ Karleigh Gempler, a sophomore from Borah. CdA’s Palmer is ranked sixth and her team is rated fifth.
4A
Impact runners: Boys–Cody Kritzeck, sr., Sandpoint (32nd at state last year); Steven Potratz, sr., Moscow (33rd); Andrew Law, soph., Moscow (35th); Jesse Affeldt, sr., Post Falls (37th); Seth Hyde, jr., Post Falls; Ben Behrends, jr., Post Falls; Ryan Soper, soph., Sandpoint; Adrian Mitchell, soph.; Ben Robinson, sr., Sandpoint; Steven Farr, soph., Moscow. Girls–Allix Lee-Painter, sr., Moscow (2nd at state last year); Molli Lee-Painter, jr., Moscow (30th); Maria Foreman, sr., Moscow (34th); Michelle Baldwin, sr., Post Falls (35th); Melissa McFadden, jr., Post Falls.
Noteworthy: The Region I meet will be held Oct. 20 at Kiwanis Park in Post Falls. Moscow’s boys and girls are the defending regional champs. Sandpoint’s boys and girls also qualified for state. The top two boys and girls teams and top one-third individuals earn state berths. Allix Lee-Painter (second) and Kritzeck (fourth) are the top returning regional placers. Lee-Painter, state runner-up last year, is the top returning placer. She’s ranked first in the preseason state poll. The Moscow and Sandpoint girls are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
3A
Impact runners: Boys–Tyler Powers, sr., Kellogg (13th at state last year); Travis Johnson, sr., Bonners Ferry (17th); Tyler Zwiers, jr., Timberlake (20th); Jake Fulwiler, sr., Timberlake; Bryan Cossairt, sr., Bonners Ferry. Girls–Alyssa Mattison, sr., Timberlake (11th at state last year); Chelsea Cazier, soph., Timberlake (17th); Casey Hampton, soph., BF (18th); Melody Braden, freshman, BF; Erika Dornfeld, sr., BF; Kelly Kincella, jr., Timberlake.
Noteworthy: Date and site for district is still to be decided. It will most likely return to Bonners Ferry. Kellogg’s boys and Bonners Ferry’s girls are the defending district champs. Timberlake’s girls also qualified for state. The top two boys and girls teams and top one-third individuals qualify for state. Powers is the defending boys district champ and Mattison (fourth) is the top returning girls district placer. Kellogg junior Lynsie Seltenreich, who won a district title and placed fifth at state, did not turn out this year. Cazier and Hampton are ranked 13th and 14th, respectively, in the preseason state poll. Bonners Ferry’s girls are rated third. In the boys, Powers is ranked eighth and Johnson and Zwiers are rated 11th and 12th.
2A
Impact runners: Boys–Cameron Lockard, jr., Kootenai; Michael Gleixner, soph., Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy; T.J. Kastning, soph., CdA Charter. Girls–Jessica Iiott, jr., CdA Charter; Kaitlyn Valerio, soph., Mullan.
Noteworthy: Site and date for district have yet to be determined. Kootenai, CdA Charter and Mullan are the lone North Star League schools to offer the sport. CdA Charter fielded complete teams at the district meet in its first year. Lockard finished eighth at district and 46th at state last year.