Next up is state as Highland, Skyline, Idaho Falls all celebrate district titles

IDAHO FALLS – It was a good day for Rams, Grizzlies, Tigers and even a Bird at Wednesday’s district cross country championships.

Highland claimed the boys and girls 6A District 4-5-6 team titles in impressive fashion, scoring 31 and 36 points, respectively.

Skyline won the boys 5A District 6 title, while Idaho Falls captured the girls trophy, holding off Skyline by four points.

Rigby’s Payton Bird was as dominant as ever, winning his third straight district title in a personal-best time of 15:48.94. Teammate Jonas Porter was right behind in 15:51.29, but it was a group of Highland runners following in a pack that earned the Rams the team title as five runners finished in the top 10, led by Cody Christensen’s third-place finish.

In the 6A girls race, Madison’s Brynlee Gwilliam had the top time entering the meet, but finished 15th and was on the ground near the finish line being attended to after the race.

Teammate Millie Drake won the race in 18:59.73. The junior set a personal best by nearly 20 seconds to win her first race of the year, holding off Thunder Ridge’s Klarisa Earl by nine seconds.

“When we hit the 400-meter mark I knew I had to pick it up or (Earl) would pass me,” Drake said of her finish.

In 6A, the top three teams and top 12 individuals qualified for next week’s state meet at Eagle Island State Park in Eagle. In 5A, the top three teams and top 14 runners advance.

The 5A boys race came down to a sprint at the end between Skyline’s Alexander Renna and Bonneville’s Giryan Jones, with Renna winning 15:46.39 to 15:46.88.

Skyline scored 27 points to outdistance Idaho Falls with 56 points.

“You just shut everything out, you saw the finish line in sight and it’s kind of will power at that point,” Renna said. “I do whatever I can to run the best race I can.”

Two of the area’s top girl runners squared off in the 5A race with Idaho Falls’ Jaycee Jensen winning the district title in 19:03.56, and Blackfoot freshman Sailor Tomazin clocking 19:25.03 to take second.

The race for the team title between the Grizzlies and Tigers was close. Idaho Falls’ Rachel Hales was third and Tess Eddington was sixth. Skyline’s Ellen Harrison was fifth and teammate Analee Ricks was seventh, with Raygen Chambers placing night.

Idaho Falls had five runners in the top 20, while Skyline had five runners place in the top 18.

The difference came at the top of the race with Jensen and Hales finishing 1-3.

Highland and Thunder Ridge will send both boys and girls teams to the 6A state meet, while Skyline and Idaho Falls send both their runners to the 5A competition.

6A
Boys
1. Highland 31 2. Rigby 42 3. Thunder Ridge 93 4. Canyon Ridge 99 5. Madison 114.
Individuals
1. 12 Payton Bird 15:48.9 Rigby
2. 10 Jonas Porter 15:51.3 Rigby
3. 11 Cody Christensen 15:52.4 Highland
4. 12 Kash Jensen 16:01.5 Highland
5. 10 Spencer Smith 16:11.7 Highland
6. 11 Daxin Holtzen 16:23.5 Canyon Ridge
7. 12 Kyler Moss 16:33.1 Thunder Ridge
8. 11 Vincent Kisner 16:33.9 Rigby
9. 12 Trevor Lintvedt 16:38.3 Highland
10. 10 Cole Morris 16:39.7 Highland
11. 11 Reed Olsen 16:47.1 Highland
12. 9 Weston Thueson 16:48.8 Thunder Ridge

Girls
1. Highland 36 2. Thunder Ridge 53 3. Madison 81 4. Rigby 95 5. Canyon Ridge 110.
Individuals
1. 11 Millie Drake 18:59.7 Madison
2. 10 Klarisa Earl 19:08.1 Thunder Ridge
3. 10 Brynli Knudsen 19:22.9 Highland
4. 11 Brilee Galbraith 19:42.1 Thunder Ridge
5. 10 Makenzie Tucker 19:53.5 Highland
6. 12 Bailee Dean 19:59.0 Canyon Ridge
7. 10 Paige Sanford 20:05.7 Highland
8. 11 Leigh Ellis 20:08.2 Highland
8. 11 Halle Boggess 20:08.2 Canyon Ridge
10. 10 Tessa Hoffman 20:13.4 Thunder Ridge
11. 10 Miriam Moldenhauer 20:25.9 Madison
12. 12 Emma McCormick 20:40.0 Highland

5A
Boys
1. Skyline 27 2. Idaho Falls 56 3. Bonneville 79 4. Blackfoot 108 5. Shelley 121 6. Hillcrest 156.
Individuals
1. 11 Alexander Renna 15:46.4 Skyline
2. 11 Giryan Jones 15:46.9 Bonneville
3. 12 Caleb Boyle 15:54.5 Idaho Falls
4. 10 Davis Roberts 16:09.8 Skyline
5. 10 Austin McCord 16:22.5 Idaho Falls
6. 11 Desmond Swaner 16:26.4 Skyline
7. 12 Yuki Calderoni 16:38.4 Skyline
8. 9 Owen Gregory 16:43.1 Blackfoot
9. 11 Kaleb Mickelsen 16:48.0 Skyline
10. 10 Luke Frandsen 16:48.2 Hillcrest
11. 10 Jackson Bushman 16:55.7 Idaho Falls
12. 12 Porter Orchard 17:00.9 Skyline
13. 11 Bryce Hammond 17:03.0 Bonneville
14. 11 Tanner Despain 17:14.1 Blackfoot

Girls
1. Idaho Falls 46 2. Skyline 50 3. Shelley 66 4. Hillcrest 112 5. Blackfoot 117 6. Bonneville 132.
Individuals
1. 11 Jaycee Jensen 19:03.6 Idaho Falls
2. 9 Sailor Tomazin 19:25.0 Blackfoot
3. 12 Rachel Hales 19:47.2 Idaho Falls
4. 11 Haven Ivins 19:59.2 Shelley
5. 12 Ellen Harrison 20:06.2 Skyline
6. 11 Tess Eddington 20:09.1 Idaho Falls
7. 12 Analee Ricks 20:11.4 Skyline
8. 9 Sienna M Lott 20:11.5 Shelley
9. 12 Raygen Chambers 20:12.8 Skyline
10. 12 Ava Daniel 20:16.6 Bonneville
11. 11 Reagan Rhodes 20:18.0 Skyline
12. 11 Addison Coon 20:20.7 Hillcrest
13. 10 Miranda Cadavieco 20:38.6 Shelley
14. 9 Cara Zirker 20:42.4 Hillcrest