POCATELLO — Just two years ago, the Sandpoint boys and girls finished 12th at the state cross country championship. This year, they both stood on the podium on Saturday in Pocatello.

The boys' team placed second to Skyline, the team's best finish in school history, while the girls finished fourth. Sandpoint head coach Mike Ehredt said the boys did what they've done all season, executing their plan and stepping up for each other. 

"The boys had an A race. We wanted four in the top 20 all-state, and we got that," Ehredt said. "It's a fantastic group of kids who believe they can win everything. When you have that, there's an incredible commitment and dedication to that." 

Sandpoint's boys were once again led by junior star Kai Budensiek, who ran a 16:20 to finish 10th overall at the state championships. Budensiek was quickly backed up by two more Sandpoint runners, Hobbes Conley (16:32) and Jack Lovin (16:37), while Landon Connor (16:46) and Cy Marshall (16:55) rounded out the scoring for the Bulldogs. 

Ehredt said the boys' performance speaks to the team's commitment and training, not just physically, but mentally. 

"When it comes together, you just hope it's enough," Ehredt said. "Couldn't be more proud of them, representing the school and for the boys, to have the highest finish, that means a lot to all of them." 

After taking home the Region 1 title last week, Sandpoint freshman Olivia Betz was once again the team's top finisher with a seventh-place finish and a 20:10 final time. Delaney Barron (20:37) and Elizabeth Storms (20:52) followed Betz for quality points.  

Ehredt said he was worried the team would narrowly miss the podium, like last year, but Charli Hall (21:09.38) and Theresa Hurt (21:09.44) came through to put the team into fourth. Sandpoint's head coach said he was extremely proud of his girls for their performance. 

"For the girls, you know, to last year finish fifth, they were like, 'Oh, damn, we were really close.' And then that became their fuel for this year to be on the podium," Ehredt said. "For a while there during the season, I thought maybe on a special day, you know, better things might happen. But just to see how far they've come in two years is pretty special." 

With the rise in finishes, Ehredt said the Bulldogs, especially the boys, are already looking forward to next year as a redemption year. Ehredt said he tries to instill in his team a desire for more each season and credited the whole team for reaching for more on Saturday. 

"It's a complete team effort," Ehredt said. "I'm just happy there's two more trophies in Sandpoint High School." 

5A BOYS 

TEAM SCORES – 1, Skyline 59. 2, Sandpoint 71. 3, Bishop Kelly 108. 4, Blackfoot 116. 5, Century 120. 6, Idaho Falls 135. 7, Burley 177. 8, Moscow 213. 9, Twin Falls 264. 10, Vallivue 268. 11, Mountain Home 289. 12, Skyview 318. 13, Minico 366.  

TOP THREE, LOCALS – 1, Ethan Hansen, Century, 15:11.90. 2, Davis Roberts, Skyline, 15:34.40. 3, Ammon Bitton, Century, 15:41.40. 10, Kai Budensiek, Sandpoint, 16:20.60. 12, Hobbes Conley, Sandpoint, 16:32.70. 14, Jack Lovin, Sandpoint, 16:37.60. 19, Landon (Thor) Connor, Sandpoint, 16:46.90. 28, Cy Marshall, Sandpoint, 16:55.30. 36, Wyatt Lemon, Sandpoint, 17:07.80. 40, Frank McCarthy, Lakeland, 17:12.40. 45, Parker Sterling, Lakeland, 17:21.60. 61, Riley Shadel, Sandpoint, 17:59.20.  

5A GIRLS 

TEAM SCORES – 1, Bishop Kelly 68. 2, Twin Falls 90. 3, Century 91. 4, Sandpoint 105. 5, Skyline 142. 6, Jerome 149. 7, Shelley 168. 8, Blackfoot 179. 9, Vallivue 216. 10, Lakeland 219. 11, Nampa 282. 

TOP THREE, LOCALS – 1, Raelee Richardson, Twin Falls, 18:35.50. 2, Clare Murphy, Bishop Kelly, 18:58.80. 3, Adyson DeClark, Century, 19:22.30. 7, Olivia Betz, Sandpoint, 20:10.20. 16, Delaney Barron, Sandpoint, 20:37.30. 20, Olivia Meredith, Lakeland, 20:40. 24, Elizabeth Storms, Sandpoint, 20:52. 36, Maddison Chapple, Lakeland, 21:07.20. 37, Charli Hall, Sandpoint, 21:09.38, Theresa Hurt, Sandpoint, 21:09. 44, Ruthie Laughridge, Sandpoint, 21:21. 58, Sophie Brubaker, Sandpoint, 21:51.70. 61, Galena Dyk, Lakeland, 21:57.60. 68, Bristol Burnside, Lakeland, 22:20.80, 69, Piper Peterson, Lakeland, 22:25.70. 75, Annie Mattila, Lakeland, 23:02. 83, Savannah O’Hara, Lakeland, 25:27.90.