Great things expected from Cross Country
—Photo by GWEN ALBERS Bonners Ferry High School Cross Country team members are, from left in front, Molly McClintock and Ami Dittman; second row, Reid Boorman, Katrina Svec and Katie Hiatt; third row, Jacob Beazer, Robert Lundgren, Jimmy Matthews, Dylan Sweeney and Erin Hiatt; fourth row, Zach Hammond, Nathan Grow, Micah Krmpotich, Amy Elliott, Katie Winebark and Coach Paul Bonnell.
Bonners Ferry High School Cross Country Coach Paul Bonnell expects good things from his runners this fall.
Junior Dylan Sweeney, who has spent his summer running 8 to 15 miles daily, is expected to lead the Badger boys when they open their season at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, for the Bonners Ferry Invitational at Stampede Lake south of Naples.
“We got some great talent coming in this year and good returnees,” Bonnell said.
Returnees also include senior Greg Taggart and sophomore Reid Boorman.
Newcomers include freshmen Zach Hammond, Micah Krmpotich and Jim Matthews. Hammond and Krmpotich took first and second in the 800- and 1600-meter runs during last year’s Eighth-Grade District Track Meet. Matthews clocked a 5:11 mile as an eighth-grader.
Running alongside the boys will be the Lady Badgers, who were last year’s 3A state cross country runner-ups.
They will see the return of veteran runners junior Erin Hiatt, and seniors Molly McClintock and Riley Boorman. The Lady Badgers will be without last year’s seniors Camille Robertson, Sue Hiatt, Rayanne McLeish, Devri Solomon and standout Melody Braden. Braden placed third at the state meet.
“It was a significant graduating class, but I’m excited about the girls team,” Bonnell said. “They are developing good team spirit — esprit de corps, which means spirit of the body.”
Promising young runners include freshmen Katrina Svec, Katie Hiatt and Brooklyn Wilson.
“Katie and Katrina did middle school cross country and track,” Bonnell said.
The team has been doing a variety of workouts, including 4- to 5-mile runs and 12- to 13-mile runs.
Other runners are seniors Ami Dittman, Cassie Stephens and Katie Winebark, juniors Jacob Beazer and Eli Bard; and sophomores Robert Lundgren, Nathan Grow, Amy Elliott and Alicia Burnham.
Cross Country Schedule
Aug. 28 — Bonners Ferry Invitational 10 a.m.
Sept. 4 — Kellogg Invitational TBA
Sept. 6 — Post Falls Invite TBA
Sept. 13 — Silverwood Invite TBA
Sept. 20 — Farragut Invite TBA
Sept. 27 — Mountain West Classic in Missoula, Mont. TBA
Oct. 4 — Sandpoint Invite TBA
Oct. 11 — Finch Arboretum Gonzaga TBA
Oct. 24 — District Meet at Mirror Lake Golf Course TBA
Nov. 1 — State Meet TBA