A tight pack of Wolverines clawed their way to state victory Saturday with the boys' team placing five runners in the top 25 to win the Class 4A Idaho championship. The Wood River team was too tight to topple despite the fact that Twin Falls' Eric Harris won the race at the 3.1-mile Kelly Park course in 16 minutes, 30 seconds followed closely by teammates in third and fourth position.
"I didn't think we'd won it when the boys came across the line," said coach Monte Brothwell. "I knew they could do it if we could get them all together."
Five Wood River boys finished in a mere 14-second window that they tore open less than a minute behind Harris with Andrew Pfeiffer in eighth place at 17:20.77. In hot pursuit were Chase England (13th), James Paris (15th), Alec England (17th) and Ben Stout (17th). Ketchum Wilt finished 65th, running with Sage Sauerbrey, who arrived at the finish a second behind in 66th place. Teamwork clinched the state title, a first since Brothwell helped the school capture it 38 years ago as the state champion and a member of the class of 1972.
With the return of James Paris, who has suffered from a broken foot most of the season, "the boys were able to pull off an upset victory over the other teams," Brothwell said.
State victory last went to Wood River boys during Brothwell's teenage years in 1968, 1971 and 1972.
"Soda Springs is at 5,700 feet and these were fast times," Brothwell said, adding that the course was smooth and the weather cooperative. "They are running at elevation, so it hurts. These guys worked hard for it this year. All members ran great races."
The girls' team, wrestling with a number of injuries, placed 14th at the meet with Corrine Smith finishing 16th with a time of 21:36.32, fast enough to earn a top-20 medal.
Brothwell said he expects even more from the girls' team in 2011, when all members but Laura Kunz are set to return.
"They're in pretty good shape for next year and they should be quite a bit stronger with alternates filling in slots," he said.
Alternates are Nate Thomas and Ty Reinemann for the boys and Janel Passey and Jade Atkinson for the girls.
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2010 Idaho State Championship
Boys' Team-First Place
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Andrew Pfeiffer
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17:20.8
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8th
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Chase England
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17:28.1
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13th
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James Paris
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17:29.8
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15th
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Alec England
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17:33.2
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17th
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Ben Stout
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17:42.2
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22nd
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Ketchum Wilt
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18:45.9
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65th
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Sage Sauerbrey
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18:46.5
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66th
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Girls' Team-14th Place
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Corrine Smith
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21:36.3
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16th (top 20 medal)
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Montana tucker
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23:41.1
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88th
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Alison Town
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24:56.4
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99th
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Dani McLaughlin
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25:03.8
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101st
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Marcia Smith
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25:48.1
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105th
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Brooke Laurence
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25:54.7
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106th
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Laura Kunz
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25:54.8
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107th
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Wood River High School boys captured a historic state cross-country running victory Saturday under the tutelage of the school’s last state champion, Monte Brothwell, who led the team at state as the first runner across the finish in 1972. From left, Ketchum Wilt, coach Monte Brothwell, James Paris, Ben Stout, Andrew Pfeiffer, Ty Reinemann(alternate), Chase England, Nate Thomas (alternate), Alec England and Sage Sauerbrey.
Courtesy photo
