Farragut Expected To Be Bigger, Better Than Before
The biggest high school cross country meet in North Idaho has apparently grown since last year.
The Farragut Invitational, which features two prep meets the size of some state-qualifying races and a pair of races for non-high school runners, will be held Saturday at Farragut State Park.
The park is about 25 miles north of Coeur d’Alene, just east of U.S. Highway 95, near Athol. The meet’s hosts are Lake City and Coeur d’Alene high schools.
Some of the top teams from Eastern Washington, the Boise area and North Idaho will collide at Farragut.
The meet is divided into two divisions: A (for schools generally with enrollment of 800 or more) and B (for schools with less than 800). Some of the state-caliber small schools usually opt to race in the A division.
An 11-race schedule begins at 9 a.m. The varsity races begin with the B girls at 12:30 p.m., followed by the B boys at 1:10, the A girls at 1:40 and the A boys at 2:20.
The defending team champs are Chewelah (A boys), Ferris (A girls), Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, Wash. (B boys) and Riverside (B girls).
Two North Idaho boys teams - Bonners Ferry and Lake City - hope to contend for titles.
The 3.1-mile course, which overlooks picturesque Lake Pend Oreille, offers several viewing points. The course’s signature - the 150-meter “goat hill” - grabs runners’ attention at the 2-mile mark, often forcing them to crawl up the hill.
One subtle change to the course is that the path to the marina is now paved.
“We should have several outstanding, competitive races,” LC coach Donna Messenger said.
A $3 fee will be charged to each vehicle entering the state park. That’s an increase of $1 from previous years.
The extended forecast calls for the recent warm weather to leave and rainy, cooler weather for Saturday. Spectators are warned to prepare for the worst.
, DataTimes