Cross country preview: These are the top runners to watch in the Boise area this fall
State champion cross country runners littered the Treasure Valley last fall.
The Boise girls won their fifth straight team title. The Rocky Mountain boys went back-to-back. And the Bishop Kelly boys and Victory Charter boys had team championships.
Can the region do it again? It may not enter the season with as many household names, but the talent remains as deep as ever, setting up another potential banner year.
These are the top runners we have our eye on this fall.
TOP GIRLS TO WATCH
Allie Bruce, Boise
The 2021 state champ was knocked off her pedestal last fall, finishing second to Post Falls’ Annastasia Peters. But Peters graduated, leaving the Boise senior as the favorite to reclaim her crown. She’s never finished lower than third at state, and she took 26th at the CHAMPS national meet last winter.
Rilyn Stevens, Mountain View
The defending district champ enters the season with offers from Boise State and New Mexico. She’s yet to finish higher than fifth at the state meet, and her best state finish on the track oval was a silver medal. Look for her to contend for that elusive championship.
Paisley Taylor, Meridian
She recorded first-place finishes last fall as a sophomore at the Middleton Twilight and Gary Ward Invite. But her true coming-out party was at the state meet, where she finished third. The junior won’t sneak up on anyone this fall, instead starting the year as one of the favorites.
Faith Johnson, Owyhee
A breakout sophomore season saw Johnson finish third at district and eighth at state. She followed that up with a 10th-place finish in the 3,200 at state track and her best offseason thus far, Owyhee coach Alan Perry said.
Abby Krzemien, Skyview
The reigning 4A district champ pairs with her sister, Sophia, to form a potent duo for the Hawks. Abby added a district title in the 800 in the spring, and Sophia finished eighth in the steeplechase at the USA Track & Field Junior Olympics for All-American honors.
Zoey Stauffer, Bishop Kelly
The junior finished second at the 4A district meet to Abby Krzemien, but she stood as the region’s top finisher at state in 17th place. She spent the offseason pushing her limits and will battle with the Krzemien sisters for local supremacy all season.
Claire Matthews, Weiser
She took the 3A classification by storm as a freshman, taking second at district and fourth at state. She added to the breakout season with a silver medal in the 3,200 and a fourth-place finish in the 1,600 at state track. She started the season cruising to a win at the Parma Invite, the first of many to come.
Anna Dixon, Greenleaf
The junior has a second- and fifth-place state finish already under her belt. She added state titles in the 800 and 1,600 in the spring. But she has her work cut out for her at the 1A level — all four of the runners who finished ahead of her at last year’s state meet return.
TOP BOYS TO WATCH
Landon Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain
His junior season stood as one for the record books. He won the 5A individual state championship, but even more impressive was a first-place finish at the Bob Firman Invite, where he set an Eagle Island Park course record. He added a 3,200 state title in the spring and a ninth-place finish at the CHAMPs national meet last winter, leaving him as the state’s most decorated runner entering his senior year.
Nate Stadtlander, Meridian
A state track runner-up in three events last spring, the junior wasted little time racking up victories this fall. He took first at the Bogus Basin Invite, then cruised to a win at the Caldwell Invite while flirting with the 15-minute mark (15:08). That’s the best time in Idaho so far this season.
Noe Kemper, Boise
The senior showcased what a dedicated offseason could do over the summer, capturing the national 2,000-meter steeplechase title at the Nike Outdoor Nationals. Now he enters his final season looking to improve upon his 10th-place finish at state last year.
Kaden Helder, Boise
He broke out at last year’s state meet, taking fifth. He backed up that performance with four medals at state track, then added a runner-up finish at the prestigious Cardinal Classic Invite last week. “He is a fierce competitor,” Boise coach Aaron Olswanger said.
Bryson Blaser, Centennial
The senior enters the season with plenty of medals to his name, including a sixth-place finish at state last year and a pair of top 5 finishes at state track. He opened the season atop the podium at the Jimmy Driscoll Invite, the first of many potential victories to come.
Andrew Ringert, Eagle
He’s twice finished inside the top 10 at state, he owns the school records in the 1,600 and 3,200, and he added a bronze medal in the 3,200 at state track last spring. Now he enters his senior year looking for that first championship.
George Spiers, McCall-Donnelly
He earned silver medals last year in the 1,600 and 3,200, and finished seventh at state cross country while splitting his time between running and mountain biking. But he focused solely on running for his senior year, making him a threat for his first gold medals at the 3A level.
Luke Stockett, Victory Charter
He long had to run in the shadow of his older brother, Ian Stockett, a two-time, 1A state cross country champion. The senior already has three top-five state finishes under his belt. But he enters as the favorite for his own crown, and he’ll test himself all fall against 5A and 4A competition.
KEY DATES
- Sept. 23: Bob Firman Invite, Eagle Island State Park
- Sept. 28: Gary Ward Invite, Lakeview Park (Nampa)
- Oct. 5: Boise City Meet, Ann Morrison Park
- Oct. 11: Winston Tilzey Invite, West Park (Nampa)
- Oct. 19: 4A District Three Championship, Eagle Island State Park
- Oct. 20: 5A District Three Championship, Eagle Island State Park
- Oct. 28: 5A to 1A State Championships, Pocatello
TEAM PREVIEWS
The top runners to watch from each team around Southwest Idaho. Teams not listed did not respond to the Idaho Statesman’s survey.
Bishop Kelly: Charlie Goss, sr.; Natasha D’Souza, jr.; Isaac Edwards, jr.; Zoey Stauffer, jr.
Boise: Allie Bruce, sr.; Noe Kemper, sr.; Kaden Helder, sr.
Capital: Isaac Anttonen, sr.; Lily Sullivan, jr.; Cadence Mitchell, jr.
Eagle: Andrew Ringert, sr.; Maxwell Taggart, so.; Elizabeth Baruch, jr.
Fruitland: Ethan Starr, sr.; Bennet Smith, jr.; Ella Smith, fr.
Kuna: Zach Richards, jr.; Ashton Pace, sr.; Bella Bunnell, so.; Morgan Reisenauer, sr.
McCall-Donnelly: George Spiers, sr.; Jacob Mascheroni, so.; Taylor Nalder, so.; Olivia Cline, jr.
Mountain View: Rilyn Stevens, sr.; Audrey Chitwood, sr.; Ben Jensen, jr.; Noah Orton, sr.
Nampa: Haley Hasl, sr.; Alexis Thrall, sr.; Sylvia Huckins, so.; Alejandro Cary, sr.
Nampa Christian: Noah Howerzyl, jr.; Finnley Olson, jr.; Annie Edmonds, sr.; Marley Smith, so.
Owyhee: Faith Johnson, jr.; Carter Burdick, jr.
Parma: Megan Atkinson, jr.
Ridgevue: Braydon Wade, sr.; Addison Bouyear, jr.
Skyview: Cache Peterson, so.; Camilla Freeman, so.; Abby Krzemien, sr.
Tri-Valley: Wyatt Stiff, so.; Addelyn Barton, so.; Emma Barton, jr.
Vallivue: Brian Pelayo, sr.; Braxton Hofhines, jr.; November Oxier-Moir, sr.; Abigail Mills, sr.
Victory Charter: Luke Stockett, sr.; Benton Bernard, sr.; Brody Hunt, jr.; Allie Hacking, sr.
Weiser: Josh Kelley, jr.; Claire Matthews, so.; Kendall Rynearson, sr.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 10:10 AM.
