IDAHO STATE MEET

Coeur d'Alene Boys Repeat, Rocky Mountain Girls Make History In Class 6A Finals; Meridian Duo Sweeps 6A Races

By Marlowe Hereford for DyeStat

Will Nelson PHOTOS

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

EAGLE ISLAND STATE PARK, Idaho -- The classifications may have changed, but the competition for team and individual titles was as fierce as ever Saturday at the Idaho high school cross country state championships.

For the first time in program history, Meridian High swept individual state titles as seniors Paisley Taylor and Nate Stadtlander captured the 6A girls and boys races with times of 17:42.2 and 14:55.5, respectively.

Stadtlander won last year's 5A boys individual state title while Taylor is Meridian's first girls individual cross country state champion.

Saturday's title was not only historic for Taylor but provided redemption from last year's state championships in Pocatello, which had snowy conditions and slick footing during the 5A girls race.

"Last year I was leading and I collapsed," Taylor said. "I've been waiting for this race for a year. I finally did it."

The title sweep was something the duo had discussed prior to state.

"She's amazing," Stadtlander said. "We've been talking about this, both winning, for a long time. We did it this year. I'm so proud of her."

Stadtlander, whose kick gave him a come-from-behind win in the Idaho 5A boys state 1,600 finals in May, won Saturday's 6A race in similar fashion as he passed Coeur d'Alene senior Max Cervi-Skinner and Boise senior Jack Sheesley down the final stretch.

"Against all these amazing competitors like Jack (Sheesley) and Max (Cervi-Skinner), all the Coeur d'Alene guys, (Rocky Mountain senior) Cody Lucas, they're all just dogs and I'm just happy that I had a great race today and they all had another great race, too," Stadtlander said. 

Coeur d'Alene, last year's 5A boys state champion and the defending Nike Cross Northwest Regional champion, won another team title Saturday at 6A by a nine-point margin over Rocky Mountain.

Coeur d'Alene had six medalists: Max Cervi-Skinner (third in 14:57.9), Zack Cervi-Skinner (fourth in 15:08.6), Wyatt Carr (sixth in 15:24.8), Gabe Heule (13th in 15:57.6), Rowan Henry (14th in 15:57.79) and Mitchell Rietze (16th in 15:59.1).

Rocky Mountain had five in Lucas (fifth in 15:19.7), Hyrum Tuft (eighth in 15:43.1), Parker Goggins (10th in 15:43.6), Jacob Thomas (11th in 15:52.5) and Thomas Kurtz (17th in 15:59.4).

The 6A boys races produced the fastest times of the day, as Stadtlander, Sheesley and Max Cervi-Skinner all broke the 15-minute barrier and Taylor and Boise's Audrey Orme (second place in 17:53.0) were the only girls to break 18 minutes.

Aside from the Woodbridge Classic, Coeur d'Alene has won every meet on its schedule this season, including repeating as champions at the Battle for the 509 and Nike Hole in the Wall.

While Rocky Mountain has dominated boys cross country with six 5A state titles from 2012 to 2022, the girls had never before won a state championship until Saturday.

Jack Tobin from Bishop Kelly won the Class 5A boys race in 15:48.1 and Caleb Boyle from Idaho Falls was second in 15:58.5.

The Grizzlies claimed their program first girls cross country state title in commanding fashion, winning by a 42-point margin over Timberline and getting medals from Hallie Heemeyer (third in 18:05.5), Brooklyln Horn (fourth in 18:17.4), Emme Hamm (eighth in 18:22.3), Brooke Thompson (11th in 18:32.6) and Makelle Carlson (16th in 18:47.2).

A week earlier, the Grizzlies had won the 6A District 3 championships by 35 points over Capital. All four 6A trophies Saturday went to District 3 teams, with Capital (105 points) and Boise (106 points) placing third and fourth, and all four teams have been acknowledged in Northwest Regional rankings this season.

In 5A, Twin Falls sophomore Raelee Richardson became the Bruins' first individual girls state champion since Mattalyn Geddes in 2019 with her win in 18:15.12, one minute and four seconds ahead of second place. Richardson, last year's 4A individual state runner-up, propelled Twin Falls to its first girls state championship in eight years.

Nolan Dickerson (eighth place in 19:40.8), Lauren Garling (13th in 19:53.3) and Lydia Lee (20th in 20:09.5) joined Richardson as medalists. 

"I really wanted to earn it and I feel like I did," Richardson said of her victory.

The 5A boys race proved to be the closest of the entire meet, as Skyline edged district rival Idaho Falls by one point for its first boys state championship in eight years and first title at the 5A level since 1997. Skyline and Idaho Falls each had four medalists, and it came down to No. 5 runner, junior Kaleb Mickelsen, beating I.F.'s No. 5 runner, junior Carter Boyle, at the line (17:01.07 to 17:01.26).

"I thank God we won," longtime Skyline head coach Sean Schmidt said. "I.F. ran a really great race. I just give them all the credit in the world. And I'm thankful that we pulled it off." 

Schmidt later instructed his boys team to shake the hand of every Idaho Falls runner during the awards ceremony.

Mickelsen, who placed 30th, and two of Skyline's medalists, junior Alexander Renna (sixth in 16:05.1) and sophomore Davis Roberts (16:07.9), all have older siblings who were members of Skyline state championship cross country teams.

Mickelsen's older sister Anni, Renna's older sister Marina (now at Nevada) and Roberts' older sister Nelah (now at BYU) were members of Skyline's 2020 4A girls state championship team, while Roberts' older brother Harrison was on Skyline's 2016 4A boys state championship team and his other sister Adria was on Skyline's 2017 4A girls state championship team.

Roberts' grandfather Deloy was also head coach of the 1997 Skyline boys state championship team.

"I watched them up on the medal stand and remember being so envious," Roberts said of his older siblings. "I can't wait to talk to (Nelah). My parents FaceTimed her earlier."

Roberts, Renna and Mickelsen all expressed surprise that the difference between the first and second place trophies was so close.

They credited summer mileage for coming away with the win Saturday.

"We wanted it," Mickelsen said. "I think we had the best offseason."

Renna concurred: "A lot of time and a lot of training helped get us to where we are." 

A lightning delay pushed back the start of the Class 4A boys race and created technical difficulties as the timing equipment and its backup went down halfway through the race, prompting manual confirmation by camera of each finisher.

When the dust settled and the rain and hail evaporated, Sugar-Salem came through with its first state title sweep at the 4A level. The Diggers last swept at the 3A level in 2020, their fourth consecutive sweep.

Saturday's titles bring head coach Brett Hill's career state title total to 54 combined between track and cross country in coaching stops at Firth and Sugar-Salem, and the Diggers came prepared Saturday with a blue broom for team photos.

Sophomore Janyja Jackson (fourth place in 19:31.2), freshman Hannah Dalling (ninth in 20:08.8) and freshman Sarah Galbraith (20:23.3) medaled for the Sugar-Salem girls.

Jackson said last year's second-place finish in 3A to Snake River by five points provided motivation for this season.

"We came ready to win," Jackson said. "Last season was really rough. It gave us a fire."

Right behind Sugar-Salem and collecting the second place trophies for both the 4A girls and boys races was District 6 rival Teton, which Hill and senior Dylan Ball said was no surprise considering the season both programs have had.

At least one 3A cross country state team title went to a District 6 team from 2008 to 2023, and the trend is carrying over into 4A.

"My kids ran really well," Hill said. "Teton, they brought it. This district has always been the toughest."

Ball, who placed 13th in 17:04.2, said competing against Teton so often has only made both programs better, and he and his teammates have become friends with Teton's runners. 

"I've run with Zane (Lindquist) forever," Ball said. "We go snowboarding together. When you compete against someone like that almost every week, it makes you better. Everyone knows each other so well. We've become friends with their runners. It's like being competitive with your brothers."

Hill credited Sugar-Salem's junior high program for introducing kids to the sport and ultimately building up the high school program. Last season provided a glimpse of what was ahead for the Diggers, particularly the incoming freshmen boys.

"(Junior high coach) Rich Gardner has done a great job," Hill said. "(The boys) came here last year and won Bob Firman in junior high, beating club teams from Utah. We had some freshmen step in immediately."

Coeur d'Alene Charter junior Annabelle Carr, who ran 2:13.78 to win Idaho's 3A girls 800 state final in May and did not race at all this season before placing second at the 4A District 1-2 championships on Oct. 24 to qualify for state, won Saturday's 4A state title in 18:50.8.

Lindquist won the 4A boys title in 15:57.2 to become Teton's first boys individual state champion since Caleb Moosman in 2012 (3A).

Caleb's first name was written on Lindquist's hand Saturday, as was the first name of Mindy Kaufman. Moosman and Kaufman are both Teton cross country and track and field alumnus and are now head coaches at the school. Moosman and Kaufman each gave Lindquist a long congratulatory embrace when he exited the finish area.

"Coach Caleb, he coached one year at middle school and I was in sixth grade," Lindquist said. "Just bringing it full circle with him being a state champion and now I'm a state champion, it's super awesome." 

A historic sweep took place in 3A, where seven of eight trophies went to eastern Idaho teams. After back-to-back second place finishes by single-digit margins to Idaho powerhouse Soda Springs the last two seasons in 2A, Ririe beat Soda Springs by seven points for the girls title and completed the classification sweep later in the afternoon as the boys won by 17 points over pre-race favorite Malad.

Ririe had never swept state cross country before. The girls title was Ririe's first since 1994 and the boys title was the first since 1996. 

"It's unbelievable," Ririe head coach Pat Bragassa, a former University of Wyoming runner and U.S. Biathlon team member, said. "(The boys) were a long shot. They had such a positive vibe that I just couldn't doubt them." 

Lucy Boone (second place in 19:07.7), Liza Boone (fourth in 19:46.3),  Lauren Robson (12th in 20:11.6), Jayci Baxter (18th in 20:42.4) and Hailey Robson (20th in 21:15.0) all medaled for Ririe to conclude a storybook season. The Bulldogs won every meet on their schedule except one, including claiming the varsity Division II girls title at the Bob Firman Invitational for the second year in a row. The only loss came to Wyoming powerhouse Jackson on Oct. 10 at the Century Blake Stephens Invitational.

The Boone sisters, one of two sets on Ririe's lineup at state, said they were extremely nervous before the race, so much so that Lucy couldn't walk Saturday morning. Those nerves were long gone by the time they received official word of their first state championship in 30 years, and the tears spilled out as they huddled with their teammates and hugged parents and siblings.

"We knew it had a been a long time," said Lucy Boone of Ririe's title drought. "We all wanted it this season. I think this season we understood what it took to win."

"We dedicated ourselves to cross country," said Liza Boone, who is a multi-sport athlete like her sister and older siblings who competed for Ririe. "We met all our goals (this season)."

Liza Boone dug deep in the final kilometer for the team. She was five places behind Soda Springs' No. 1 runner, Lizzie Beutler, and made up ground to finish fourth, one place ahead of Buetler.

The boys victory was a bit more stunning as Malad had been favored to win. Upon learning the official final score, the boys team ran over to celebrate with the girls team, their coaches, athletic director and parents.

Thomas Henderson (sixth place in 16:54.4), Cody Baxter (10th in 17:24.6), Spencer Barney (11th in 17:25.2) and Jack Jones (19th in 17:38.8) all medaled for the Ririe boys.

"We couldn't have done it without the rest of these guys," said Henderson, a junior, motioning to his teammates behind him. 

Parma senior Megan Atkinson won the 3A girls title in 19:00.17, while North Fremont senior Corbin Johnston won the 3A boys title in 15:47.4.

Atkinson's individual state title was her first in cross country, and it gave her six total wins this season. Atkinson said she grew up on a farm, enjoys putting in the work toward running and trains often with the boys team. 

"There's a boy on our team that runs pretty close to the same times I do, so that was really nice," Atkinson said. "A built-in training buddy."

Johnston's was his third consecutive title, having won the 2A boys individual titles the previous two seasons. Saturday's victory was by almost 26 seconds as he built a decisive lead early.

"I wanted to come through as a three-time state champ, get first and got it done," Johnston said. "I wanted to get a little faster but I just had to push myself and it is a little harder to go fast if you're all alone."

In 2A, Rockland senior Hayden Smith won the boys race in 16:24.7 to become the first boys individual champion for his school. He also led the Bulldogs to a team state title for the second consecutive season, having won 1A last year.

Xavier Parrish (eighth place in 17:15.5) and Woodrow Lowder (12th in 17:41.2) joined him as medalists.

Victory Charter posted the lowest winning score of the day, 29 points, to claim the school's first girls title after winning three 1A boys titles from 2020 to 2022. The Vipers got medals from Taliah Rogers (second in 19:23.2), Libby Stockett (fifth in 19:51.6), Alyssa Hust (seventh in 20:01.3), Lydia Brewer (11th in 20:32.4), Leah Ray (13th in 20:46.1) and Alyssa Lee (16th in 20:51.3) in the historic win.

Grace senior Cally Coleman won the individual state title in 18:47.1 to lead her team to second place.

Team Champions

6A: Coeur d'Alene boys 40 points, Rocky Mountain girls 36 points - RESULTS

5A: Skyline boys 66 points, Twin Falls girls 63 points -  RESULTS

4A: Sugar-Salem boys 41 points, Sugar-Salem girls 65 points -  RESULTS

3A: Ririe boys 73 points, Ririe girls 48 points -  RESULTS

2A: Rockland boys 68 points, Victory Charter girls 29 points - RESULTS