Opportunity Is Knocking More State Berths Available This Year
More North Idaho high school cross country teams and athletes will qualify for state meets this fall.
Accordingly, more Panhandle teams and athletes should bring home trophies and medals for their accomplishments.
Here’s a look at the top contenders and returners in each of the region’s classifications:
A-1 Division I
The region’s six A-1 teams are now divided into two divisions. That means four of the six teams will earn state berths, along with the top one-third of the individual finishers.
The biggest schools - Lake City, Coeur d’Alene and Lewiston - square off in Division I. Among the boys, all three teams should stage a sprint to the regional finish line. CdA, which beat Post Falls and Lake City by one and two points, respectively, and Lewiston by six last year, is favored based on returning its top five finishers.
Viks senior Travis Newby captured the regional title. Also returning for CdA are seniors Chris Vails and Chris Sears and juniors Mike Kauffman and Phil Gardner.
Newby finished 12th at state and Vails was 17th. The top 20 at state earn medals.
The Vikings should contend for a state title.
“If we keep them all healthy and keep their heads on straight, we’ll do fine,” said first-year head coach Cathy Compton, an assistant last year. “I’d like to think we can challenge for a state title.”
LC should challenge the Viks - at least on a regional level. The Timberwolves return four of their top five runners: Mike Busby, Nick Rau, Ian Houghton and Matt Butcher, all seniors.
The T-Wolves are deep. LC coach Donna Messenger expects seniors Brett Baragia and Sam Thilo and sophomores Mason Frederickson and Dana Sanford to push the returners.
Lewiston wrestling coach Jeff Karlin takes on the duties as head cross country coach. He has quality returners in junior Nick Bradley and sophomore Josh Corder. But the Bengals probably don’t have enough depth to knock off CdA and LC.
The chase for individual and team honors in the girls, meanwhile, should mirror the boys. LC edged CdA by four points for the regional championship last year.
LC returns five of its top seven. Rachael Bates, third at regionals last year, leads a talented junior core of Lindsey Barber, Jessica Daugharty-Sterner and Jesi Metz. Seniors Sarah Detienne and Lindsay Van Hoose round out a tight pack.
“We can compete at the state level if we can develop a front runner,” Messenger said.
The Viks should be tight on the T-Wolves’ paws. Senior Holly Grant appears to be the early leader for the individual title, and she’s being pushed by junior Brenna Giesen. Junior Mindy Newby and sophomore Erica Unruh give CdA a solid returning foursome. Junior Cathleen Young and freshmen Piper Newby and Sara Bates are pushing the veterans.
Junior Katie Carpenter and German foreign exchange student Amalie Dick lead inexperienced Lewiston.
A-1 Division II
The smallest of the biggest schools - Post Falls, Sandpoint and Moscow - are in Division II.
Post Falls and Sandpoint will challenge for the boys and girls team titles. They should also claim the two state berths.
In the boys, Sandpoint has the early edge over Post Falls. Senior Isaac Zentner is joined by juniors Marcus Kendrot and Derek Morrison and sophomores Chad Honsinger and Ashley Stoneham.
Post Falls is led by junior Ethan Anyan, who was second at regionals last year. Anyan and Zentner will tangle for individual honors.
The Trojans return just one other runner, senior Tim Goeckner. Senior James Arries, junior Erik Bishop and freshman Paul Hyde are battling for spots.
In the girls, take note of this name: Ali Brosch.
The Sandpoint freshman is in her first year of competitive running. She looks as if she were born to run.
“She’s amazing,” Post Falls coach Sue Lauer said. “Everybody is in awe of her.”
And most will be chasing her, it appears. Brosch broke the freshman division record at the All-Valley meet last weekend, winning in 20 minutes flat. That was 50 seconds faster than any other girl.
Sandpoint’s first-year coach, Teresa Schow, declined to talk about Brosch’s potential.
“She’s a freshman. I just want her to stay excited about running,” Schow said. “I don’t want her to feel any pressure.”
Sandpoint senior Michelle Reina, who is vastly improved over last year, is running about 50 seconds behind Brosch. Reina is in the group of runners who will likely be pushing for the runner-up spot in the region.
Brosch and Reina are joined by junior Abbie Kreoger and sophomore Megan Kendrot.
Post Falls will be led by talented seniors Nicolle Clutter and Carrie Paulitz.
Clutter, eighth at state as a sophomore, didn’t finish in the top 20 last year. She’s determined to return to the level she’s capable of this fall.
Depth could be what gives Post Falls an edge over Sandpoint. Junior Holly Hammond, sophomore Heather Grant and freshmen Candace McEnespy and Sarah Schoenborn provide a solid core for Lauer.
“The key factor is depth,” Lauer said.
A-2
Bonners Ferry coach Harry O’Dell returns six of his top seven boys and perhaps the best runner in the state.
No wonder optimism is running high at the northernmost school in the state.
Junior Forest Braden, second at state a year ago, is the favorite to take gold. He probably would have won last year had it not been for a freak knee injury he suffered a week before state.
Teammate Aaron Hanson, 18th at state last year, is running a solid second. Senior John Stonehocker, first-time runner Martin White, a sophomore, and sophomores Jamie Cox and Tyler Staples give the Badgers depth.
“Our goal is to sweep the top five at district - a perfect team score,” O’Dell said.
The Intermountain League could lose one of its two team berths to state in the girls if no more than two teams run at district. At the moment, Bonners Ferry and St. Maries are the only schools fielding full teams. Lakeland, Timberlake, Kellogg and Priest River have partial teams.
Lakeland’s boys are led by senior Kirk Thompson and sophomore Richard Lane.
At Kellogg, sophomore Alex New has been the pacesetter for three seniors, Josh Smith, Joe Joy and Jesse Johnson. The Wildcats have two girls and they’re led by returning state qualifier Alycia Frank, a sophomore.
Four of five of Priest River’s boys are new to the sport, and the Spartans have just one girl.
It appears it’ll be a tug of war between the St. Maries and Bonners Ferry girls. At the Kellogg Invitational last week, St. Maries topped Bonners Ferry by four points.
At the same meet, St. Maries sophomore Stephanie Thurston broke a meet record set two years ago by talented Jenny Liou of Moscow. Thurston, who took fourth at district last year, leads a pack of runners from both schools who are unproven.
Lakeland is led by juniors Ellen Crecelius and Kim Janhsen.
A-3
The strength of Kootenai’s girls track team last spring was its distance runners.
Juniors Tana Dooney and Tess Collins will contend for state berths.
This sidebar appeared with the story: Cross country: The road to state A-1 DIVISION I
Teams involved: Lake City, Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston
State-qualifying regional meet: Moscow, Elks Golf Course, Oct. 21
Who qualifies: Top two of three teams and top one-third finishers advance to state, Oct. 28 at Eagle Island, Boise
A-1 DIVISION II
Teams involved: Sandpoint, Post Falls, Moscow
State-qualifying regional meet: Moscow, Elks Golf Course, Oct. 21
Who qualifies: Top two of three teams and top one-third finishers advance to state, which will be held Oct. 28 at Eagle Island, Boise
A-2
State-qualifying regional meet: Coeur d’Alene, Oct. 21, site to be determined
Who qualifies: Top two boys and girls teams (if there are at least three teams) and top one-third finishers advance to state, which will be held Oct. 28 at Eagle Island, Boise
A-3
State-qualifying regional meet: At Moscow, Elks Golf Course, Oct. 21
Who qualifies: Three Kootenai girls can qualify for state by finishing in the top one-third.