Freeman Park in Idaho Falls is the location of the 2013 Idaho High School Activities Association state cross country runs on Saturday, Nov. 2. This past Friday, 1,504 prep runners from 59 schools took a trial run on the state course at the Tiger-Grizz Invitational.
Last year’s State 4A boys’ individual champion Elijah Armstrong of Pocatello, now a junior, clocked Friday’s only finishing time below 16 minutes on the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course that started near the state Vietnam War Memorial.
Armstrong won by nearly 22 seconds in 15:47. He captured the state title in 15:34 last October at Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston.
Fastest female in Friday’s Tiger-Grizz was Mountain View senior Sam McKinnon in 18:49. Interestingly, McKinnon (17th at State 5A last year) finished 55 seconds ahead of last year’s State 5A girls’ champion Emily Hamlin of Boise (19:44), now a junior. Hamlin was fifth of 183 girls Friday as girls from Bozeman (Mt.) finished 2-3-4.
Thirty-three Wood River High School and six Community School runners joined Friday’s field led by Wolverine seniors Haley Montgomery (58th among Varsity A girls in 21:56) and Ty Reinemann (137th in Varsity A boys in 19:17).
Wood River coach Monte Brothwell said, “We had a great meet in Idaho Falls with 80-degree temperatures. Our boys were still short two runners, but our girls placed well with mainly 5A girls running in our races.”
Community School junior Tara Burchmore (23:56) led the Cutthroats in the Varsity B girls race, finishing 44th out of 94.
Runners from both Blaine County schools join another huge field of footracers from seven states for the Bob Firman Invitational at Eagle Island State Park west of Boise Saturday, Sept. 21. The event has been held since 1975. Division 2 and Division 1 varsity boys’ races are from 10:20-11:20 a.m., followed by Elite girls and boys, and Division 2 and Division 1 varsity girls from 12:20-1:20 p.m.
Results from the Tiger-Grizz:
High school (5k)
Boys’ Varsity A (schools with enrollments of 640 and over): 1—Elijah Armstrong (Pocatello) 15:47. 137—Ty Reinemann (WR) 19:17. 146—Nathan Stouffer (WR) 19:20. 158—River Vorse (WR) 19:54.3 and Nelson Cantrell (WR) 19:54.3. 180—Connor Hayes (WR) 20:32. 193—Sam Burns (WR) 21:17 (203 runners). Team: 1—Bozeman (Mt.) 106. 2—Pocatello 107. 27—Wood River 780.
Girls’ Varsity A: 1—Sam McKinnon (Mountain View, Id.) 18:49. 58—Haley Montgomery (WR) 21:56. 83—Janel Passey (WR) 22:29. 89—Mariah Stout (WR) 22:39. 128—Amy Cantrell (WR) 23:54. 140—Amanda Passey (WR) 24:15. 156—Loni Unser (WR) 25:17. 162—Hallie MacPherson (WR) 25:39 (183 runners). Team: 1—Bozeman 43. 2—Idaho Falls 131. 18—Wood River 475.
Boys’ Varsity B (schools with 639 or fewer students): 1—Austin Stewart (Shelley) 16:53 (125 runners). Team: 1—Soda Springs 80. 2—Sugar-Salem 86.
Girls’ Varsity B: 1—Olivia Redd (Sugar-Salem) 19:41. 44—Tara Burchmore (CS) 23:56. 66—Annika Landis (CS) 25:28 (94 runners). Team: 1—Soda Springs 47. 2—Sugar-Salem 63.
Boys’ No. 1 junior varsity: 1—Graf Kirk (Boise) 18:23. 232—Kiran Merchant (CS) 27:55 (248 runners). Team: 1—Boise 37. 2—Bozeman 45.
Girls’ No. 1 junior varsity: 1—Caroline Hardin (Bozeman) 20:35. 118—Sophia DeKlotz (CS) 27:56. 128—Luma Randolph (CS) 28:18. 209—Tess Burchmore (CS) 35:56. 215—Isabelle Kirk (CS) 39:27 (216 runners). Team: 1—Bozeman 18. 2—Hillcrest of Idaho Falls 55.
Boys’ No. 2 junior varsity: 1—Joe Giese (Boise) 17:53. 64—Cameron Bingham (WR) 20:28. 90—Irvin Gonzalez (WR) 21:04. 109—Wyatt Smith (WR) 21:35. 153—Asher Loomis (WR) 22:34. 164—Jacob Halopoff (WR) 22:56. 179—Kenny Pratt (WR) 23:34. 181—Cooper Dean (WR) 23:38.3. 182—Joseph Anderson (WR) 23:38.4. 191—Colby Castle (WR) 23:49. 205—Xavier Haemmerle (WR) 24:42. 223—Cormac Heneghan (WR) 25:37. 233—Beckett Dykhouse (WR) 26:34. 241—Ryan Halopoff (WR) 30:33 (244 runners). Team: 1—Preston 40. 15—Wood River 418.
Girls’ No. 2 junior varsity: 1—Chalyce Hirschi (South Fremont) 21:44. 79—Shelby Barnes (WR) 26:07. 80—Avery Closser (WR) 26:08. 91—Alyson Cavallo (WR) 26:45. 123—Brooke Sundholm (WR) 28:23. 142—Alexandra Begley (WR) 29:45. 157—Chloe Lichtenberg (WR) 31:02. 160—Yisel Reigle (WR) 31:12 (191 runners). Team: 1—Rocky Mountain 47. 15—Wood River 399.