FALL SPORTS PREVIEW: Kent, Storms look to lead Sandpoint cross country to two more district titles

LAST SEASON: BOYS — 4A District 1-2 Regional Champions; seventh place at 4A State Championships. GIRLS — 4A District 1-2 Regional Champions; ninth place at 4A State Championships.

RUNNERS TO WATCH: BOYS — Paul Kent, jr.; Westin Caven (Clark Fork), jr.; Jack Lovin, so.; Wyatt Lemon, fr.; Hobbes Conley, fr.; Kai Budensiek, fr. GIRLS — Elizabeth Storms, so.; Sienna Todd-Murray, so.; Hannah Ricks, jr.; Delaney Barron, fr.; Sienna Szabo, fr.; Ruthie Laughridge, fr.

BOYS

The Bulldogs have won the district title for the past 11 years in a row, but this year’s squad will certainly have their work cut out for them. Paul Kent, a standout junior, will lead Sandpoint this season. He has made great strides in the offseason, increasing his base mileage to 60 miles per week. In the team's mile time trial at Travers Park on Aug. 13, Kent clocked a 4:37.

“I expect him to be top five in the state this year,” head coach Mike Ehredt said. “He’s motivated and ready to take it to the next level.”

Last year, Kent showed signs of a breakout season after finishing 10th in 16:28 at the Inland Empire Challenge held at Lewis-Clark State College, which Sandpoint won by over 60 points. He placed fourth at the 2023 4A District 1-2 Championship, but is certainly slated to be the 2024 favorite. This past spring, Kent had a phenomenal season on the oval. In the 3200, he was crowned the 4A District 1-2 Champion, finished fourth at the 4A State Championship, and posted a personal best of 9:34 at the Legends Invite in Walla Walla. In the 1600, he was the 4A District 1-2 Runner-up and sixth at the 4A State Championship, where he ran a personal best time of 4:26.82.

“Coming off of two state medals, I'm hoping to win state this year as an individual,” Kent said. "It should be a fun year, I have been thinking about that state cross country title since last season."

Behind Kent, it is likely to be all underclassmen in the Bulldogs' top five. Jack Lovin, a sophomore, seems to be next in line. He posted times of 10:32 (3200) and 4:56 (1600) in his freshman year of track and field. In cross country last year, he was able to give the Bulldogs a boost at the state championship, finishing 76th with a personal best time of 18:02. Coach Ehredt said a trio of freshman, Wyatt Lemon, Hobbes Conley, and Kai Budensiek, who just transferred to Sandpoint from Greely, Colo. last year, will also certainly be contributors for the boys this season. Senior Torin Haesle could also be in the mix for the Bulldogs’ top five this year.

“The fifth spot on our team is really going to be a toss-up,” Ehredt said. “It could be a number of different guys.”

Westin Caven, a junior at Clark Fork High, who practices and competes with the Bulldogs during the regular season, is another runner to keep an eye on. Caven ran a personal best 5k time of 17:32 at the Battle for the 509 in Airway Heights, Wash. last year, which Sandpoint will be attending again this season. For the Wampus Cats, he was the 1A District 1-2 Runner-up and was 19th at the 1A State Championship last season.

GIRLS

Elizabeth Storms will lead the Lady Bulldogs this season, who also have a young team, but a bit more firepower than the boys’ side. Storms, a sophomore, posted a solid freshman campaign. She was fourth at districts and 26th at the state championship, where she ran a personal best time of 20:07. This past track season, she excelled in the 800, winning a district title in 2:27.37.

The Lady Bulldogs might not have a lot of numbers this season, but their freshman class is one of strongest Sandpoint has seen in recent years. A standout in middle school, Ruthie Laughridge will be a big contributor. Coach Ehredt said he expects Laughridge, who recently recovered from compartment syndrome surgery (shin), to be strong at the end of the season. Coach Ehredt said Sienna Szabo and Delany Barron, also freshman who happen to be uniquely talented, will be amongst this year’s scorers. 

Sophomore Sienna Todd-Murray, who finished ninth at last year’s district championship, and junior Hannah Ricks, who placed 13th, will also certainly be factors in whether or not the Lady Bulldogs can bring home their 11th district championship in the last 12 years.

“The girls are probably a bit better positioned this year compared to the boys,” coach Ehredt said. “The beauty of it is, they are young, so there is going to be tons of long-term development, and that’s what we focus on.”

In 2023, the Lady Bulldogs, short-handed and not confident in their hopes of bringing home a title, got the job done with a 31-33 upset of Moscow. It appears that this year will be another battle with the two teams both boasting some of the district’s top runners once again.

OVERALL

Sandpoint has three different meets on schedule this year when compared to last year. The Bulldogs will head to the Libby Invitational in late August, the Can-Am Invitational hosted by Kettle Falls High in mid-September, and the 51st annual Sunfair Invitational in Yakima at the end of September.

“That one, they split everyone up differently,” coach Ehredt said of the Sunfair Invitational. “It allows the varsity guys and girls to cheer for each other, which they don’t normally get to do.”

The Sunfair Invitational has eight different varsity races, four boys and four girls. In each respective boys and girls race, the No. 6 and 7 runners on every team will run against each other, then the No. 4 and 5’s, then the No. 2 and 3’s, and then the finale, the No. 1 elite race.

SHS CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE

8/24 — @ Post Falls River Run

8/30 — @ Libby Invitational

9/7 — @ Farragut Invitational (Timberlake)

9/21 — @ Can-Am Invitational (Kettle Falls)

9/28 — @ Mountain West Classic (Missoula)

10/5 — @ Battle for the 509 (Spokane)

10/12 — @ Sunfair Invitational (Yakima)

    Sandpoint High junior Paul Kent competes at the Timberlake Farragut Invitational on Sept. 9, 2023.