PRIEST RIVER — The Bonners Ferry cross country team will compete in the 3A District 1 championships at 1 p.m. Thursday at Priest River High.

“We didn't have a formal meet last week, we were mainly preparing for districts,” said head coach Tyler Warner.

At districts, the Badgers could qualify as a team or as individuals. To qualify as a team, the Badgers must finish in the top half of the meet. For example, if there are five full teams in the boys race, then the top three schools will qualify for state, Warner said.

He said that Priest River has struggled to field five boys all season, so there will likely be four full teams at districts, meaning only the top two would qualify for state.

On the girls side, there have only been three full teams in the district, so it's likely that only the top two squads will earn state berths, Warner said.

“We'll find out exactly how many qualifiers we'll have on race day,” he said.

Based on the fastest times this season on Athletic.net, the Badger boys team is slated to finish third at districts, Warner said. However, when race day comes all that is thrown out the window.

“As a coach, all I can hope for is that everyone on our team is healthy, uninjured, and that I have managed their workload so that their physical fitness peaks on the day of districts,” Warner said.

The whole girls squad is back to practice after a variety of injuries and illnesses have kept them from being at their best the last few weeks, Warner said. Based on the fastest times on Athletic.net, the girls are currently projected to finish second, but Coeur d’Alene Charter is “within shouting distance,” Warner said. He anticipates the Badgers will give the Panthers a run for their money.

“If the girls finish first, it will be their first district championship since 2007,” Warner said.

To qualify as an individual, an individual runner must finish in the top one third of total competitors in the district meet, rounded up. Each team can only contribute a maximum of seven runners toward that number, though more runners may compete in the district race per district bylaws, Warner said.

Bonners Ferry will have nine boys running, but only seven count toward the number to qualify as individuals.

The maximum runners at the meet with five teams is 35, making the maximum number of state qualifiers 12, Warner said. He anticipates not all teams will have at least seven runners, so chances are athletes will have to finish in the top 10 or better to qualify as an individual if their team doesn't make it.

Last year, Connor Alexander, Ceci Roemer and Camille Ussher all qualified as individuals for state.