Race organizer and Community School cross country coach Rick Kapala wasn't just whistling Dixie when he spoke through the microphone during the running of Wednesday's Wood River Invitational 3.1-mile prep footraces at Sagewillow Farms in Elkhorn.
With the runners huffing and puffing, and the spectators listening, Kapala said, "This is a tough course, that's for darn sure, with climbs and altitude. It's meant to build fitness and stamina early in the season that can be used later on."
The 169 runners from eight schools can fully attest to Kapala's assessment of the hilly course. Since very few had tackled the new course before, they were glad it was a two-lap distance. They could learn from the first lap and save a kick for the second.
It was Mikesell Clegg's plan for winning the girls' race.
Coming off a strong second-place finish just five seconds behind Century's Hannah McInturff in Saturday's Cardinal Classic at Soda Springs, Clegg played the frontrunner.
"I like the course," said the slight but very speedy Jerome sophomore at Wednesday's finish line on The Community School girls' soccer field. "I tried to stay ahead on the first lap and see how it was. The idea was to push harder on the second lap."
That's what Clegg (21:24) did, pushing hard and winning by 65 seconds over junior Amanda Ward of Twin Falls (22:29). The two runners are currently ranked 3-4 in the Idahoxc.com poll of top Idaho 4A runners.
Fastest Wood River girl was sophomore Tristin Bowers (24:22) in eighth place, with freshman Maranda Stopol (25:07) running well in 10th.
Wednesday's boys' varsity race featured a dandy match-up of the top two Idaho 4A runners in the Sept. 10 Idahoxc.com poll. They are top-ranked Wood River High School senior Chase Caulkins and #2-ranked Twin Falls sophomore Erik Harris.
They couldn't be closer, if you compare times from last year's state cross country meets. Harris, competing in 5A, was 11th in 16:24. Caulkins in the separate 4A race was sixth with an identical time of 16:24.
In their first meeting of the 2009 season, they were shoulder to shoulder for much of the second lap on a beautiful and warm, 80-ish afternoon.
But Harris had a little more get-up-and-go at the finish and led all 52 boys' varsity runners in 17:56. Caulkins was second in 18:11. Not far behind were fellow Wolverines James Paris (6th place in 18:59) and Andrew Pfeiffer (7th place in 19:09).
The boys' junior varsity winner was Jerome sophomore Terran Tolman (20:46) while Mountain Home's Tiana Svetkovich (29:38) out-legged all other junior varsity girls.
Wood River cross country coach Shari Kunz said, "The kids did great. This was a difficult course. With so many new on the team this year, many had to dig deeper than they knew possible. Big congratulations are due to them for a powerful accomplishment!"
Schools competing were almost all 4A—Wood River, Twin Falls, Jerome, Minico of Rupert, Canyon Ridge of Twin Falls, and Mountain Home. There were also 3A Kimberly and 2A Community School. Twin Falls won the boys' and girls' varsity team divisions.
Top results and locals:
Boys' varsity (52 runners): 1—Erik Harris (TF) 17:56. 2—Chase Caulkins (WR) 18:11. 3—Tyson Warth (TF) 18:21. 4—Alex Schenk (TF) 18:22. 5—Karl Lundgren (TF) 18:31. 6—James Paris (WR) 18:59. 7—Andrew Pfeiffer (WR) 19:09.
18—Torin Tucker (CommSchool) 20:43. 19—Rusty Williams (WR) 20:44. 24—Brendan Freund (WR) 21:27. 38—Gray Reidinger (CommSchool) 23:25. 40—Josh Arters (WR) 23:32. 42—Eric Griffith (CommSchool) 24:15. 43—Andreas Morales (WR) 24:26.
Girls' varsity (66 runners): 1—Mikesell Clegg (Jerome) 21:24. 2—Amanda Ward (TF) 22:29. 3—Jasmine Nesbitt (Jerome) 22:32. 4—Abby Biedenbach (TF) 23:06. 5—Stephanie Filas (TF) 23:23.
8—Tristin Bowers (WR) 24:22. 10—Maranda Stopol (WR) 25:07. 17—Corrine Smith (WR) 26:17. 25—Alison Town (WR) 28:04. 27—Zana Davey (CommSchool) 28:31. 31—Brooke Bowers (WR). 34—Dani McLaughlin (WR). 39—Katie Dumke (CommSchool). 47—Kaitlyn Landis (WR). 50—Zoey Olbum (CommSchool).
Boys' junior varsity (51 runners): 1—Terran Tolman (Jerome) 20:46. 2—Mark Russelle (TF) 21:32. 3—Brad Craig (Jerome) 22:17. 4—Ethan Wheatley (Jerome) 22:35. 5—Tyler Withers (TF) 22:43.
9—Miles Hendrix (WR) 23:04. 16—Connor Hesselbacher (WR) 24:47. 19—Drew Deffe (WR) 24:58. 21—Nick Howard (WR) 25:11. 23—Lewis Fischer (WR) 25:23. 24—Zeb Glenn (WR) 25:24. 26—Nolan Arters (WR) 26:11. 29—Brandon Beall (WR) 28:01. 31—Jake Adicoff (WR) 28:36.
Girls' junior varsity: 1—Tiana Svetkovich (MtHome) 29:38. 8—Brooke Lawrence (WR). 10—Christina Leyba (WR). 11—Kennedie Howard (WR). 12—Ashton Lupton (WR). 13—Amelia Fugate (WR).
