Bonners Ferry x country finishes season at state

Eleven weeks of training, teamwork, dedication, and determination paid dividends for eight representatives of Bonners Ferry High School cross country.

Behind Senior Jacob Perkins’ championship finish at Districts, the Badger boys qualified for a berth at state by taking second place.

Sophomore Nicole Donn punched her ticket by finishing in sixth place to qualify as an individual.

The course took place at Eagle Island in Boise on Saturday, Nov. 1, with the 3A girls racing at 1 p.m. and the boys at 2 p.m. Inclement weather threatened to drench all the races, but 3A racers enjoyed a rare window of good weather during their races.

Nicole Donn started the day for the Badgers, finishing in 22:02 for a 24th place finish, just four positions short of a state medal.

At a large hill in the middle of the course, Nicole made big moves to position herself in the top 20, but ultimately experienced runners and a wall of Shelley runners held her back. Nicole, a first year runner, began discussing her plans with coaches for next season immediately after her race. She has already set a goal of making the top 20 next year and hopes to bring a full team with her.

“She’s extremely talented,” said Coach Warner. “It has been great having Nicole with us this year and it’s great to see her looking ahead to next year. We wish her the best of luck in basketball this winter.”

In the 3A girls race, Shelley proved dominant, finishing with 23 points

for a first place team finish. IML champion Timberlake took second place with 60 points. Timberlake sophomore Kassidy Hammond ran 19:36 for a second place finish.

Jacob Perkins came in 27th place with an 18:15. Hampered by a head cold, Perkins ran his high school cross country finale at the highest level in the state. He was grateful for the opportunity to run with his teammates and against strong competition.

“There’s always track,” said Perkins with a wry smile.

Not far behind Perkins was fellow senior Tucker Cavender. Tucker ran in 18:48, missing his personal record by just 7 seconds. Tucker also looks forward to competing in spring track. Junior Nolan Stidham, in his second trip to state in as many years, finished in 19:17. First year runner Jack Wade came in at 20:17, followed closely by sophomore Eric Ellis at 20:26. Freshman Neil Martin finished in 20:50 while Dawson Thomas rounded out the Badgers team at 21:39.

Shelley boys completed the championship podium sweep, claiming first place with 42 points. Timberlake took fourth place with 110 points. Bonners Ferry finished eighth out of 10 teams with a score of 213. The most impressive IML finish belonged to Priest River senior Josh Marks, who ran a 17:12 en route to a seventh place finish. Marks finished third at Districts.

“We had a great season and to end it here speaks volumes about our work,” said assistant Mike Tymrak. “Having these freshmen and other young runners with state experience puts us in a great place as a team. We have a good chance to come back next year too.”

Bonners Ferry has recently established a strong presence at the state tournament.

By former head coach Paul Bonnell’s estimate, the last time a full boys team did not go to state was the fall of 2007 (current head coach Tyler Warner’s senior year). The girls have had a presence in three consecutive years, with Aimee Sayers qualifying as an individual in her 2012 senior campaign, a full girls’ team in 2013, and this year with Donn as an individual.

Head coach Tyler Warner would like to thank the community for their support this season. He also wants to acknowledge parents, many of whom who made long-distance trips to watch their children run in a schedule without a home meet. Additional thanks go to Paul Bonnell and Erin Delude for their support and advice. Special thanks go to volunteer-assistants Mike Tymrak and Luke Reoch. Finally, Coach Warner thanks his athletes for their patience, hard work, commitment, and for being themselves.

Coach Warner plans to bring back a Bonners Ferry home meet next season.