Local X-Country Runners Looking Strong

The Soda Springs and Grace cross country teams participated in the Pirate Challenge at Westside last week.  After racing in some very large meets the past two weeks the local runners got to really stand out in this smaller meet.  The faster course with its mostly flat terrain was a welcome sight for the runners giving them a bit of a break from the more difficult hilly courses they have faced this season.  The course started and finished on the softball outfield at Westside High School.  The rest of the course consisted of two laps that traveled along hay fields and briefly through a cemetery.

With Grace school district on potato harvest break they were missing the majority of their team.  The Grizzlies did not have any high school boys participate and only had three high school girls.  In addition to their three high school girls they had two junior high girls and six junior high boys.  That junior high boys team was led by Tylor Johnson and Hyrum Smith and the team finished in sixth place.  The two junior high girls were Graci Woodland who finished eleventh overall and Ruby Coleman.  The three high school girls for the Grizzlies had a good showing.  With over ninety participants Kallie Stoddard placed sixteenth and led the three Grace participants.  Lilly Gilbert was close behind in nineteenth place and Breanna Heer finished in thirty-fifth place.

Soda Springs brought full teams for all four races.  The middle school boys finished in fifth place as a team with Reuben Uskoski leading the way coming in at an impressive fourth overall.  Wyatt Dilworth and James Birch were the second and third fastest finishers for the Soda middle school men.  The high school boys team continues to improve as they finished fourth as a team.  Landon Moldenhauer came in fifth overall and was joined by Jonathan Beutler, and Degan Stoor as top twenty finishers for the boys team.  Once again the Lady Cardinals really shined on the course.  The middle school girls team came in at second place.  The impressive seventh grader Anna Uskoski took the top overall spot once again.  Avery Winward, Nicole Tafalla, and Ellie Moldenhauer all finished in the top twenty individually.  The stars of the day were the varsity girls team.  The Ladies dominated the team scoring finishing with thirty-three points and in first place.  Second place finishers Malad had eighty-one points.  Not only did the Cardinals dominate the team scores but they dominated individually as well.  Lizzie Beutler, India Galloway, and Ellie Wood finished in first, second and third place.  Rebekah Evans also was able to crack the top ten finishing in ninth. 

Both the Soda Springs and Grace teams will jump back into some tough competition this weekend as they will take the long trip to the Boise area to run in the Bob Firman Invitational at Eagle Island State Park.  This will give the teams a look at what this year's state championship course has in store.  All participants will continue to work so they can make this the first of two trips to this course this season.