Hailey
runners
blaze a new trail
Girls win first
district title in 18 years
Peaking
at the right time, the Wood River High School girls’ cross country
team surprised everyone by winning the Fourth District 3A cross country
meet Wednesday at Gooding.
Many of
the Wood River runners weren’t even born when a Hailey team last
captured a district crown.
Clocking
personal bests and saving some of their best efforts for the state
qualifying meet, Wood River won the district girls’ title for the
first time since 1984 with a 32-36 victory over defending champion
Gooding.
"We
are excited to break the 18-year drought and finish first in the
district," said Wood River cross country coach James Foster.
The 2-3-4
punch for Wood River featured seniors Eva Bach and Molly Meyers, and
sophomore Rachael Richards, a letter winner on Hailey’s district
championship volleyball team.
Bach
(20:57) was second to Gooding’s individual medalist April Homan
(19:20), also a senior. In third was Meyers (21:34) just ahead of
fourth-place Richards (21:43).
The
eighth-place runner at Gooding Golf Course was Aleah Weisen (22:32) and
Lindsay Niedrich finished 14th (23:35).
Those
five Wolverines, plus 18th-place Courtney Perry (24:35) and 20th-place
Jenni Borda (24:43), qualified for the State 3A meet Saturday, Nov. 2 at
Farragut State Park north of Coeur d’Alene.
One other
Wolverine runner qualified for state as an individual. He is junior Alex
Hamlin (17:52), 10th in the district boys’ race behind 3A winner Trae
Jones of Declo (16:47).
Gooding
won the district boys’ meet 20-58 over Declo with Wood River third, 82
points.
Foster
said of the 24 Wolverines who participated in the 3.1-mile race,
"The team has grown this year. We feel the successes of this season
are just a preview of the years to come."
The last
Wood River girls’ team to win a district championship was the 1984
squad coached by Bob Shay that beat Jerome 23-50 at Jerome Golf Course
and then won the state championship 45-57 over Weiser on a cold day at
Freeman Park in Idaho Falls.
Maureen
McGinnis finished second in both the district and state races. Other
state runners were Michelle Jaques, Julie Gardner, Kim Kreitler, Sandy
Buhler and Rhonda Christensen. Other district runners were Angie Rayborn,
Heidi Richmond, Liz Pendl and Chelsea Marr.
2002 district
times and results:
· 3A
girls’ varsity: 1—April Homan (Gooding) 19:20. 2—Eva Bach
20:57. 3—Molly Meyers 21:34. 4—Rachael Richards 21:43. 8—Aleah
Weisen 22:32. 14—Lindsay Niedrich 23:35. 18—Courtney Perry 24:35. 20—Jenni
Borda 24:43. 21—Ashley Baker 25:01. 23—Hayley Stommel 25:27. 29—Dawn
Bird 28:05.
· 3A
boys’ varsity: 1—Trae Jones (Declo) 16:47. 10—Alex Hamlin
17:52.
14—David
Vanderpool 18:14. 17—Dawson Paschall 18:38. 20—Matt DeCarufel 18:46.
25—Chris Leblanc 19:31. 27—Brian Ward 19:35. 28—Lucas Pletcher
19:49. 29—Dale Reese 19:59. 38—Robbie Hamlin 20:45. 39—Cooper Lee
20:47. 41—Kyle Niedrich 20:53. 45—Brad Bradford 22:06. 46—Artie
Livingston 22:12. 49—Will Rumblee 23:38.