Cross country finishes strong
Photo by Mandy Young Jordan Young pushed herself throughout the season to be the best that she could be, finishing strong.
Photo by Ellen Smith Austin Donn keeps his goals in mind as he competes against time.
Photo by Ellen Smith Ryne Rae, Bobby Hart, and Lane Stidham race to the finish.
BONNERS FERRY — The Badgers cross country teams have continued to bring their A game with them as they traveled to Eagle Island in Southern Idaho to run across a few sandy beaches and some hills — but with a mostly flat course, the team was able to keep their times above par.
Jordan Young finished 12th with the time of 19.30, but with the adrenaline of the push, she already had eyes on the goal of track state.
“Ada Bonnell had a great finish as well, she really pushed hard to stay awake the whole time and take advantage of the features. She pulled the team together and helped keep them focused,” said Coach Tyler Warner.
Hunter Smith has been keeping his goals in mind, and with his drive for success, he kept them at the forefront as he progressed through the race, finishing with the time of 18.02.
Ryne Rae fell behind teammates Bobby Hart and Lane Stidham for the majority of the course, but as the finish line came into view, Rae kicked his performance into overdrive, overtaking the other boys and the next runner ahead by .07 seconds, bringing in the finishing time of 19.24.
With the accomplishment of bringing home eighth place in the state, the athletes kept good spirits and high goals, keeping in mind the big picture.
“They knew it was a good thing to be there and we’ve got three consecutive trips to state for the girls. Those are positive experiences and we have a lot to build on for next year. They were all smiles and hugs afterwards,” said Coach Warner. “The boys also saw the good things about being there. We had missed State with the boys last year, so making it back and getting team experience back is awesome.”
With Jordan Young, Ada Bonnell, Madi Hoggan, Ryne Rae, Dawson Thomas, and Bobby Hart graduating, and due to a family move, Lane and Lauren Stidham, the team will be losing its senior members.
“We’ll be very young next year and we will need the veterans to step up and show the new runners the way,” Warner said.
With the closing of the fall sports season, the athletes of Boundary County continue to keep their eyes on the prize and keep one foot forward.