Panhandle Teams Have Sights Set On Gold

State cross country

Odds are against a North Idaho high school cross country team capturing a championship at the state meets Saturday.

But don’t tell that to the Bonners Ferry and Lake City boys teams.

They have the best opportunities of placing high among Panhandle teams. And they’ve prepared as if they’re going to claim state titles.

This much is assured: Bonners Ferry and Lake City will improve dramatically on their respective seventh-place finishes last year.

The state meets will be held at Clear Lakes Golf Course in Buhl, about 100 miles south of Boise. Racing begins at 11 a.m., with the following order: A-3 girls, A-3 boys, A-2 girls, A-2 boys, A-1 girls and A-1 boys.

A-1: It will take LC’s best performance of the season to earn gold. Timberwolves coach Donna Messenger and top runner Charlie Miller think it’s possible.

In a recent state poll, LC was ranked fourth. Defending champ Idaho Falls was ranked first, followed by Boise and Skyline.

Idaho Falls was a runaway repeat champion last year. But the field has tightened, largely because Idaho Falls hasn’t dominated during the season like it did last year.

Still, Idaho Falls enters as the strong favorite. Messenger expects Skyline, Boise, Borah, Centennial, Highland and her team trying to squeeze into the top three.

“It’s going to be a fast race because of the course,” Messenger said, “but it’s going to be a lot faster because of the competition.”

LC’s Miller, a junior, repeated as regional champ last week. He’ll be gunning for a big leap from 17th, the highest finish of all area A-1 runners last year.

“(Regionals) was my best race ever,” Miller said. “There isn’t anything holding us back (for state). We’re going to try to take it. We think top two is realistic, and I want to place in the top five.”

LC senior Mike Keith should be well within eyesight of Miller.

There was a 40-second gap between Miller and LC’s fifth and sixth runners at regional, down from 90 seconds earlier in the season. If the T-Wolves can cut that span to 30 seconds then Messenger expects to be celebrating.

Sandpoint junior Nicole Maloney repeated as regional champ, and she’ll be out to jump into the top 10 after finishing 22nd last year.

“I put down on my goal sheet top 5, but I’m thinking top 10,” said Maloney, who should have a good shot at breaking the school record of 19 minutes, 11 seconds.

Maloney’s strategy Saturday will be simple.

“I have to run my own race and not go out too fast,” she said. “I have to race myself before I can race anybody else. I’m going to pace myself and keep in contact with the leaders.”

Coeur d’Alene’s girls, the regional champs, hope to move up a few notches from ninth last year. Two-time state champ Pocatello, which possesses a deep team, is expected to repeat.

A-2: To achieve their goal, the Bonners Ferry boys will have to break through tradition and a handful of talented teams.

Vallivue and perennial state champ Jerome tied with 88 points at state last year, but Vallivue was declared champ because it’s sixth runner finished 14 spots ahead of Jerome’s sixth finisher.

Preston is the other team Bonners Ferry will be chasing.

“We should be in the top three, but we’re shooting higher,” Bonners Ferry coach Harry O’Dell said.

Although the Badgers don’t have a runner to challenge for an individual title, they have a solid pack. Senior Winter Braden and juniors Josh Sherven and Jarred Ekstrom carry the front half of the team while the other four runners have had a pack of their own.

“We’re going to turn the three guns loose, and the other four will try to stay within sight,” O’Dell said. “If we get five runners in the top 23 or 24, there’s no reason why we can’t be near the top.”

, DataTimes