The early-October running meet called the Dani Bates Invitational attracted 746 boys and girls from southern Idaho and northern Nevada high schools Wednesday.
Brilliant fall weather greeted cross country runners from 35 schools including Hailey’s Wood River High School and the Community School of Sun Valley who tackled the Canyon Springs Golf Course.
Junior Ashlyn Dyer of Idaho Falls (19:19) and senior D’Artagnan Kilgore from Highland of Pocatello (16:37) were the varsity winners on the 3.1-mile course.
Wood River freshman Kirsys Campbell (20:55) finished 12th of 144 girls in the varsity 5-kilometer event. Wolverine senior Sara Lichtenberg (21:51) improved her season-best time by 45 seconds to finish in 31st place.
Community School freshman Henry Raff was the fastest valley boy in the varsity race at 18:01, his season best by 16 seconds. He placed 32nd of 163. Next best in 53rd was Wood River junior Nelson Cantrell with a season-best 18:31.
Junior Kristin Helland-Hansen of the Community School placed second of 183 girls in the junior varsity event at 21:33. And Wood River junior Wyatt Smith clocked a best-of-career result of 18:58 in junior varsity running for ninth place overall.
There were 41 Wood River runners and 12 from the Community School Wednesday.
Varsity team winners were Idaho Falls (girls) and Highland (boys).
Wood River’s girls finished eighth and the Community School 13th of 20 teams in the girls’ varsity event.
In middle school results, Wood River competed Sept. 25 at the O’Leary Middle School Invitational in Twin Falls on the College of Southern Idaho campus. The Hailey boys moved up to a second-place team finish, their best of the year. O’Leary placings:
Boys: 5—Christian Bothell. 14—Aiden Burchmore. 17—Liam McGonigal. 18—Jose Gonzalez. 30—Anthony Corrales. 39—Daniel Pearson. 54—Colby Nance.
Girls: 7—Lauren Roberts. 21—Paige Deshields. 23—Malaunie Gerard. 49—Sofia Kinney. 62—Juliette Rollins. 66—Sammie Soares. 67—Alexandra Brooks.
Wood River competes next at the Canyon Ridge Invitational on Wednesday, Oct. 8 in Twin Falls. Results from the Dani Bates:
Varsity boys, 5k: 1—D’Artagnan Kilgore (Highland) 16:37. 32—Henry Raff (CS) 18:01. 53—Nelson Cantrell (WRHS) 18:31. 66—Irvin Gonzalez (WRHS) 18:43. 67—Sam Burns (WRHS) 18:44. 78—Landon Nurge (WRHS) 18:55. 84—Ryan Anderson (WRHS) 19:01. 87—Cameron Bingham (WRHS) 19:10.1. 88—Alexis Gonzalez (WRHS) 19:10.4. 118—Peter Wolter (CS) 20:40. 119—Landon Schley (CS) 20:42 (163 runners).
Team: 1—Highland of Pocatello 71. 12—WRHS 338 (24 teams).
Varsity girls, 5k: 1—Ashlyn Dyer (Idaho Falls) 19:19. 12—Kirsys Campbell (WRHS) 20:55. 31—Sara Lichtenberg (WRHS) 21:51. 53-Grace Gorham (WRHS) 22:39. 65—Tara Burchmore (CS) 23:01. 67—Amy Cantrell (WRHS) 23:11. 74—Ava Mazzoni (CS) 23:29. 78—Alyssa Diamond (CS) 23:44. 81—Amanda Passey (WRHS) 23:55. 83—Loni Unser (WRHS) 24:01. 92—Annika Landis (CS) 24:25. 97—Brooke Sundholm (WRHS) 24:33. 103—Sienna Polk (CS) 24:50 (144 runners).
Team: 1—Idaho Falls 44. 8—WRHS 231. 13—Community School 391 (20 teams).
Boys’ junior varsity, 5k: 1—John Tokle (Century) 17:56. 9—Wyatt Smith (WRHS) 18:58. 17—Nathan Stouffer (WRHS) 19:24. 103—Kenny Pratt (WRHS) 21:33.0. 106—Joseph Anderson (WRHS) 21:33.9. 117—Jacob Truxal (WRHS) 21:43. 118—Kegan Lupton (WRHS) 21:47. 119—Beckett Dykhouse (WRHS) 21:48. 131—Sam McGonigal (WRHS) 22:05. 135—Victor Saldivia (WRHS) 22:10. 137—Easton Beck (WRHS) 22:11. 141—Cooper Dean (WRHS) 22:16. 142—Carter Gerringa (WRHS) 22:20. 145—Leo Corrales (WRHS) 22:29. 153—Jorgen Lawrence (WRHS) 22:43. 157—Colby Castle (WRHS) 22:50. 171—Kiran Merchant (CS) 23:19. 195—Cormac Heneghan (WRHS) 24:06. 201—Asher Loomis (WRHS) 24:20. 221—Ryan Halopoff (WRHS) 25:07. 239—Zack Olenick (WRHS) 26:13.1. 240—Sam Fauth (WRHS) 26:13.9 (256 runners).
Team: 1—Highland of Pocatello 65. 11—WRHS 277 (19 teams).
Girls’ junior varsity, 5k: 1—Burkleigh Yost (Century) 20:43. 2—Kristin Helland-Hansen (CS) 21:33. 71—Avery Closser (WRHS) 25:48. 95—Hallie MacPherson (WRHS) 26:52. 114—Benedetta Fontanarosa (WRHS) 27:37. 119—Ali Barney (WRHS) 28:01. 126—Yisel Reigle (WRHS) 28:11. 164—Lena DeKlotz (CS) 31:11. 167—Hanna Leinonnen (WRHS) 31:19. 173—Tess Burchmore (CS) 33:02. 183—Josie Koeplin (WRHS) 36:40 (183 runners).
Team: 1—Century of Pocatello 72. 12—WRHS 384 (14 teams).