POCATELLO – A total of five local runners – two from Sandpoint, two from Priest River, and one from Clark Fork – finished among the top 20 in their respective races to take home medals from the IHSAA State Cross Country Championships held at the Portneuf Wellness Complex on Saturday.

SANDPOINT: Senior Nathan Roche led the boys to a seventh-place team finish after placing 18th out of 115 runners with a time of 16:44.22. Also breaking 17 minutes on Saturday was Daniel Ricks who took 24th place. With the absence of Paul Kent, stepping up were Kasten Grimm (44th), Jimmy Cornelius (59th), and Michael Hall (66th) to round out the Bulldogs’ top five. The teams’ seventh-place finish is three spots higher than last year when Sandpoint finished in 10th place.

    Sandpoint senior Daniel Ricks competes at the district championship meet earlier this season. At the state championship meet, Ricks finished in 24th place out of 115 runners with a time of 16:52.71 to help the Bulldogs to a seventh-place team finish.
  

For the girls, senior Grace Rookey was the only Bulldog to break 20 minutes on Friday en route to a 19th place finish out of 115 runners. Rookey’s time of 19:50.22 also happened to be a new personal best. Freshman Elizabeth Storms also ran to a new personal best time of 20:07.23 to finish in 26th. Lily Richardson (27th) finished directly behind Storms with a time of 20:12.08. Sienna Todd-Murray (76th) and Hannah Ricks (88th) rounded out the Bulldogs’ top five. The girls finished ninth overall on Saturday. 

Left to right, Nathan Roche, Westin Caven, and Grace Rookey pose with their medals from the IHSAA State Cross Country Championships.

PRIEST RIVER: Juniors Brayden Lamanna (14th) and Colm McLaimtaig (18th) led the Spartans to an eighth-place team finish on Saturday after both breaking 18 minutes. Lamanna finished with a time of 17:40.89, Mclaimtaig finished in 17:47.18. Caeden McLaimtag and Jacob Sateren both finished back-to-back in 53rd and 54th, respectively, out of 91 runners. Devon Banning (83rd) rounded out the Spartans’ top five.

CLARK FORK: Sophomore Westin Caven, the only runner who competes for the Wampus Cats, finished in 19th place out of 104 runners with a time of 17:54.90. Although it is officially unknown when the last person was to medal for Clark Fork at the state cross country championship, he is believed to be one of the top runners in school history and has a couple more years to add to his already impressive resume.

    Clark Fork’s Westin Caven competes at the IHSAA State Cross Country Championships As he passes by, Sandpoint head coach Mike Ehredt yells words of encouragement.
  4A BOYS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Idaho Falls 67. 2, Burley 72. 3, Bishop Kelly 83. 4, Preston 134. 5, Skyline 143. 6, Twin Falls 172. 7, Sandpoint 197. 8, Pocatello 225. 9, Bonneville 256. 10, Jerome 256. 11, Skyview 291. 12, Moscow 302. 13, Canyon Ridge 328. 14, Vallivue 343. 15, Caldwell 361.

WINNER, Sandpoint Top 5 — 1, Luke Athay, Idaho Falls, 15:38.02. 18, Nathan Roche, Sandpoint, 16:44.22. 24, Daniel Ricks, Sandpoint, 16:52.71. 44, Kasten Grimm, Sandpoint, 17:25.33. 59, Jimmy Cornelius, Sandpoint, 17:43.75. 66, Michael Hall, Sandpoint, 17:48.17. 

4A GIRLS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Preston 47. 2, Twin Falls 64. 3, Skyline 111. 4, Jerome 121. 5, Idaho Falls 134. 6, Skyview 181. 7, Moscow 187. 8, Bishop Kelly 191. 9, Sandpoint 218. 10, Pocatello 266. 11, Bonneville 272. 12, Burley 299. 13, Mountain Home 355. 14, Ridgevue 420. 15, Emmett 426.

WINNER, Sandpoint Top 5 — 1, Nelah Roberts, Skyline, 17:18.06. 19, Grace Rookey, Sandpoint, 19:50.22. 26, Elizabeth Storms, Sandpoint, 20:07.23. 27, Lily Richardson, Sandpoint, 20:12.08. 76, Siena Todd-Murray, Sandpoint, 21:46.76. 88, Hannah Ricks, Sandpoint, 22:37.42. 

2A BOYS

TEAM SCORES — 1, North Fremont 79. 2, North Star Charter 87. 3, Cole Valley Christian 109. 4, Malad 112. 5, Soda Springs 128. 6, Nampa Christian 138. 7, Grangeville 170. 8, Priest River 184. 9, Melba 186. 10, Ririe 215. 11, Declo 256. 12, Salmon 306.

WINNER, Priest River Top 5 — 1, Corbin Johnston, North Fremont, 15:52.74. 14, Brayden Lamanna, Priest River, 17:40.89. 18, Colm McLaimtaig, Priest River, 17:47.18. 53, Caeden McLaimtaig, Priest River, 18:38.72. 54, Jacob Sateren, Priest River, 18:41.76. 84, Devon Banning, Priest River, 20:43:89. 

1A BOYS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Rockland 56. 2, Victory Charter 58. 3, Grace 104. 4, Challis 112. 5, Rimrock 147. 6, Logos 152. 7, Valley 162. 8, Garden Valley 189. 9, Raft River 219. 10, Oakley 279. 11, Timberline 281. 12, Camas County 285.

WINNER, Clark Fork — 1, Luke Stockett, Victory Charter, 15:41.18. 19, Westin Caven, Clark Fork, 17:54.90.