Bulldog XC ends season with strong performance at state

LEWISTON — It was a strong end to a great season for the Sandpoint High School cross country team with the Bulldog girls claiming a sixth-place finish at state and the boys claiming tenth.

"We got sixth as a team out of 15 full teams and individuals whose teams didn't make it, SHS girls coach Angie Brass said.

Of the 112 athletes in race, Brass said the Bulldogs were ranked 10th coming in. As a goal, the team aimed to finish eighth or above and to have a re-do with Moscow after last week's one-point loss, Brass said.

"Goals attained there: Moscow was 13th," she said.

Brass said the Bulldogs said great races from the entire varsity Team and the ending of a strong season.

"Senior Maren Davidson led our team in finishes … with medalist honors at 16th place, a coveted honor in the biggest races of the day," Brass said.

While it was Davidson's first in cross country, she is a varsity track 800m veteran.

Brass said the 4A division is the biggest as far as teams and competitors for cross country in the state.

"Maren's goals going in were a state medal and to better her older sister, Hannah's time of 18:56 for the 5K," she added. Hannah Brass also was a four-year cross country and track athlete at Sandpoint High School.

"Maren ran 18:53, a new PR, earning No. 6 on our all time 5K list in school history with her race," Brass said.

Next in for Sandpoint was senior captain and four-year varsity contributor and state competitor, Ara Clark at 34th in 19:43.

"Ara has been our most dependable and devoted athletes throughout her high school career," Brass said. "[She is] a leader, smart, tough competitor and incredible teammate, closing out a successful high school cross country career."

Close behind Clark, and part of the trio that has led the Bulldogs all season with fire and focus, was junior Lily Richardson at 19:47 and 40th place in her first year on the cross country squad.

Junior Grace Rookey and senior and captain Payton Betz were the next in for the Bulldogs in a gritty 20:11 for 53rd and 20:15 for 55th, respectively.

Sandpoint's ninth grade duo in their first state race - Izzy Davidson and Makiyah Hagstrom — finished a strong freshman season running 21:33 and 21:40 to round out the Bulldogs. 

"Our team was happy with the day and I was very proud of our team's effort, execution and gritty final 1Ks in the last race of the season," Brass said. "They truly embodied our girls' team motto of 'for each other,' contributing great races to their team."

The 4A boys division continues to be extremely competitive and fun to compete in, SHS boys coach Matt Brass said.

The Bulldogs entered the state meet ranked 12th in the state and finished 10th.

"It was good to perform above the rankings but they were hoping for a few more spots up," Brass said, noting the Bulldogs were only four points out of ninth and 22 out of eighth place.

"The boys ran well as a team," Brass said.

Nathan Roche continued to lead for the boys and took 21st overall with a 16:03 PR and moved up to fifth on the all-time school 5K list.

"Twenty-first is a tough position," Brass said. "It is one out of state medalist, but Nate ran a gutsy, tough race and is already focused on medaling next year."

Dan Ricks ran well but Brass said the Bulldog was a bit off his time from districts, running a 16:36 for 40th place. Slate Fragoso had a season record 16:31 to step up and run for 36th place.  Michael Hall ran a 17:28 personal record in the fourth slot, and Jimmy Cornelius was 17:33 in the fifth to round out the scoring numbers.

Anders Eastley was 18:02 and Kasten Grimm got a cold mid-week and was able to push through with a 17:13, Brass said.

"It was great to see the other athletes step up and run hard with Kasten struggling," he added.

Brass said the state meet was "a solid end to a great season" by the boys.

"At the beginning of the year the biggest goal was the 10th district title, and they achieved that," he said. "At state, the goal was to get into the top 10 above our ranking with a shot at 8th, which was the only goal they missed all year. They are a hard working, dedicated crew that we were honored to have been able to coach."

BOYS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Bishop Kelly 53. 2, Idaho Falls 63. 3, Skyline 118. 4, Pocatello 130. 5, Twin Falls 146. 6, Burley 147. 7, Blackfoot 176. 8, Preston 218. 9, Vallivue 236. 10, Sandpoint 240. 11, Skyview 294. 12, Jerome 325. 13, Moscow 361. 14, Canyon Ridge 369.

TOP THREE, LOCALS — 1, Matthew Thomas, Blackfoot, 14:47.61. 2, Stockton Stevens, Twin Falls, 14:54.07. 3, Austin Clough, Bishop Kelly, 14:58.19. 21, Nathan Roche, Sandpoint, 16:03.56. 36, Slate Fragoso, Sandpoint, 16:31.01. 40, Daniel Ricks, Sandpoint, 16:36.83. 68, Owen Elizondo-Bachiero, Lakeland, 17:08.78. 74, Michael Hall, Sandpoint, 17:28.04. 77, Jimmy Cornelius, Sandpoint, 17:33.78. 89, Anders Eastley, Sandpoint, 18:02.18. 94, Kasten Grimm, Sandpoint, 18:13.60.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Preston 61. 2, Skyline 97. 3, Idaho Falls 118. 4, Pocatello 120. 5, Twin Falls 141. 6, Sandpoint 186. 7, Skyview 207. 8, Burley 220. 9, Bishop Kelly 221. 10, Bonneville 238. 11, Jerome 245. 12, Mountain Home 257. 13, Moscow 267. 14, Vallivue 411. 15, Columbia 473,

TOP THREE, LOCALS — 1, Nelah Roberts, Skyline, 17:31.72. 2, Bailey Bird, Pocatello, 17:44.97. 3, Marina Renna, Skyline, 18:24.11. 16, Maren Davidson, Sandpoint, 18:53.49. 34, Ara Clark, Sandpoint, 19:43.42. 40, Lily Richardson, Sandpoint, 19:47.70. 53, Grace Rookey, Sandpoint, 20:11.16. 55, Payton Betz, Sandpoint, 20:15.81. 85, Izzy Davidson, Sandpoint, 21:33.86. 86, Makiyah Hagstrom, Sandpoint, 21:40.79.