Idaho cross country: 5A races feature pair of three-peat winners, near-perfect score
As the No. 3 high school girls cross country team in the nation this season, a third consecutive 5A state team championship was an expected outcome at Boise High.
But the Brave still found a way to make the expected exciting.
All seven of Boise’s runners finished within the top 16 — highlighted by a 1-2-3-5-7 finish for its scoring runners — to earn a near-perfect score of 18 on the 5-kilometer course Friday at Portneuf Wellness Complex in Pocatello. Post Falls came in second with 104 points, Eagle was third (120), Idaho Falls was fourth (125) and Timberline was fifth (146).
“Conservatively, I thought we’d run 23 to 25 points, around where we did at districts,” Boise coach Aaron Olswanger said in a phone interview. “The fact that we got 18 just shows the kind of day we had and the kind of competitors we have. Whenever it counts, they step up to big occasions. It’s fun to watch.”
Boise freshman Sammy Smith won the girls individual title in a time of 17 minutes, 45.34 seconds, followed by teammates Rosina Machu (2nd, 18:17.83), Allie Bruce (3rd, 18:22.46), Logan Smith (5th, 18:55.40), Annika Zuschlag (7th, 18:59.20), Lydia Nance (11th, 19:23.54) and Jamie Hamlin (16th, 19:41.42). All but Machu, a senior, will be back next season.
Defending state champion and reigning 5A District Three meet winner Lizzie Dildine, an Eagle senior, was fourth in 18:49.41.
The Brave ran only five total races this season, including the district and state meets, and only had three meets where all of their top runners were present. Sisters Sammy and Logan Smith also play on Boise’s varsity soccer team, so they missed last week’s district cross country meet while playing in the state soccer tournament in Coeur d’Alene.
But snow in North Idaho forced the remainder of the state soccer tournament to be played in the Boise area, and the Brave lost the title match 2-1 to Rocky Mountain on Tuesday night. Then it was off to Pocatello for the state cross country meet on just two days of rest.
Sammy wasn’t fazed.
“It’s just super fun,” Sammy said. “We had a disappointing result in our state final in soccer on Tuesday, so it was fun to rebound and come back and actually get the title in cross country.”
Machu said she got boxed in at the start of the race and had to fight her way to the lead pack. Olswanger instructed his runners to be patient on the windy course, and the team planned to make its move at the 1-mile mark. The strategy worked well, allowing Smith, Machu and Bruce to dictate the pace. The faster they went, the more distance they put between themselves and the rest of the field.
“It’s incredible to win a third title,” Machu said. “We worked really hard during the season with everything that we’ve been through, so it’s really special getting that third state title.”
Boise can add to its trophy haul when it competes in the Nike Cross Virtual meet next month.
In the 5A boys race, Borah senior Nathan Green captured his third title in a row in 15:26.53. Although the coronavirus wiped out his junior track season, the University of Washington commit is also a two-time state champion in the 1,600 meters and has a gold medal in the 3,200.
“There aren’t very many words to describe how it feels to come across the finish line. It’s just ecstasy,” Green said. “You’re done. You don’t have to do anymore hard running. You’re just done for the day. It felt really good.
“It just felt so relieving to know that I came across with a win today. And with all the things that were going on, like the wind and the stiff competition and all those good racers, it just felt really good to know that I’m still on top of Idaho.”
Green is only the eighth boys cross country runner to win at least three consecutive state titles, joining Lewiston’s Jason Uhlman (1989-91), Centennial’s Billy Herman (1993-95), Highland’s Matt Knoff (2000-02), Boise’s Eric Fitzpatrick (2007-09), Pocatello’s Elijah Armstrong (4A, 2011-14), Bishop Kelly’s Nicholas Russell (4A, 2016-18) and Shelley’s Austin Stewart (3A, 2013-15).
Green said he tucked in behind second-place finisher Mitchell Athay of Idaho Falls for the majority of the race. Then Green flashed his signature kick, picking up the pace with about 800 meters to go to cross the finish line more than 12 seconds ahead of Athay.
Idaho Falls won the 5A boys team championship with 23 points. Rocky Mountain was second (78), Madison was third (91), Kuna was fourth (124) and Timberline was fifth (133).
McCall-Donnelly senior wins 3A title
McCall-Donnelly senior Sophie McManus was the only runner to break the 19-minute barrier in the 3A girls race.
McManus crossed the finish line in 18:47.66, finishing more than 50 seconds ahead of second-place Jaresa Jackson of Sugar-Salem (19:38.58) for her second straight individual title after winning the 2A race in 2019.
The Diggers won their fourth girls team title in a row, and McCall-Donnelly was the top team from District Three in fifth.
Sugar-Salem also dominated the 3A boys race with its sixth straight team championship, while Owen Rogers of Gooding was the individual winner in 16:21.50.
4A: Skyline won the girls team championship behind individual champion Nelah Roberts (17:52.06). In the boys race, Pocatello senior Shane Gard claimed first in 15:42.29, and Preston was the team champion.
2A: On Saturday, Bear Lake ended Soda Springs’ impressive run of 14 consecutive state titles (2006-19) in the girls competition. Wendell sophomore Jessica Duran won the individual title in 18:55.20. Salmon swept the boys team and individual titles thanks to the 1-2 finish of Johnathon Simmons (15:38.04) and Daniel Simmons (15:50.93). It was Salmon’s third team title in a row.
1A: Senior Connor Gardner assured Liberty Charter its third straight individual champion with his victory in the boys race in 16:00.01. Victory Charter collected the boys team win, placing its five scoring runners in the top 17. Kaybree Christensen (18:11.21), Karlee Christensen and Allie Black finished 1-2-3 to lead Raft River to the girls championship.
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 6:48 PM.
