Champions crowned: Grizzlies, Bulldogs and Diggers, oh my
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EAGLE – Ririe’s Liza Boone said they’re ready to dust off a spot in the school’s trophy case to add Saturday’s shiny blue trophy.
It’s been 30 years since the Bulldogs won a state cross country title, so there’s bound to be some dust.
“Every single practice we go into it with the mentality we wanted to win state,” said Liza Boone, who finished fourth in Saturday’s 3A race at the state championships at Eagle Island State Park. “That was our mentality the whole season. We wanted to win state.”
Standing in the way was nemesis Soda Springs, which eked out the past two championships over the Bulldogs.
There were nerves.
“This morning I couldn’t even stand up,” said Lucy Boone.
There was motivation.
“We heard that some of our competition hadn’t been running in the summer and they said they were not going to run in the summer and just beat us at state,” Liza Boone said. “So that’s what we thought about during the race. Don’t let them beat us at state. They don’t deserve it like we do.”
Lucy Boone, the junior, finished second and Liza Boone, the senior, finished fourth.
In order for the Bulldogs to knock off Soda Springs, they needed every point they could muster and they got it with Lauren Robson finishing 12th, Jayci Baxter 18th and Hailey Robson 20th.
That was enough to edge Soda Springs 48-55. North Fremont earned a third-place trophy and Malad was fourth.
Firth’s Kynzie Nielson was third.
Speaking of more trophy space …
The Ririe boys also won the state team title, holding off Malad 73-90. West Side finished third with 100 points.
Thomas Henderson was the top Ririe finisher in sixth place.
Can’t get much closer
The team race of the day was 5A boys, where Skyline beat cross-town and conference foe Idaho Falls by a point, 66-67.
Bishop Kelly’s Jack Tobin won the race, but 14 of the next 19 finishers were all from east Idaho, with Idaho Falls’ Caleb Boyle crossing in second place, and Bonneville’s Giryan Jones taking third. Century had the next two placers in Ethan Hansen and Ammon Bitton.
Alexander Renna of Skyline, who held off Jones at last week’s district race, was the first Grizzlies finisher in sixth.
“Overall we came into this race knowing there would be pressure, knowing that we had a target on our back,” Renna said. “We knew there would be great competition and there was. We’re really proud of how it played out … It’s definitely a race to remember.”
What pressure?
North Fremont’s Corbin Johnston won the past two state championships and added a third on Saturday, clocking 15:47.46 in the 3A race.
West Side’s Ethan Willis was second in 16:12.90 and Malad’s Boston Burbidge clocked 16:15.95.
“I’m super happy how it ended up,” Johnston said. “I wanted to get first and I was able to do that … It felt good and I got it done.”
Malad finished second with 90 points and West Side placed third with 100 points.
“There definitely was pressure, but I felt good and was ready to go,” Johnston said, noting there was some sadness after the race realizing it was his last high school state meet.
More conference battles
The Sugar-Salem girls held off Teton 65-82 in the 4A race. The Sugar-Salem boys held off Teton 41-51 in the boys race.
Add another double winner to the list.
The Digger boys had five runners finish in the top 17, led by Adam Willis in ninth. Janyja Jackson was the top Sugar-Salem girls finisher placing fourth.
Teton senior Zane Lindquist won the 4A boys title in 15:57.21.
Snake River’s Paetyn Polatis finished third, and the Panthers claimed the fourth-place trophy.
More notes from a drizzly, hail-y and thunder-y championship meet
In the 5A girls race, Jaycee Jensen of Idaho Falls was fourth, and Blackfoot freshman Sailor Tomazin was fifth. Shelley’s Haven Ivins was eighth.
Preston finished third with 93 points, followed by Idaho Falls with 95.
In the 6A girls race, Madison’s Brynlee Gwilliam was the top area finisher, placing ninth.
In the 6A boys race, Rigby’s three-time district champion Payton Bird placed ninth.
Highland just missed out on a team trophy, placing fifth, just three points behind Mountain View.
In 2A, Cally Coleman of Grace won the girls race and Rockland’s Hayden Smith captured the boys title and helped lead the Bulldogs to the team title.
Leadore’s Azelynn Jones placed third.