PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Finney, Brown lead teams to titles
<p>The field takes off at the start of the William Johnson Invitational cross country meet Saturday at Riley Creek Campground. Winner Josie Brown of Coeur d'Alene is pictured fourth from the right. </p>
<p>Lake City's Jake Finney seized the lead early en route to winning the William Johnson Invitational on Saturday on a picturesque course along the Pend Oreille River. </p>
LACLEDE - Jake Finney led a trio of Lake City boys to the top three spots, defending the race he won last year, and senior Josie Brown won her first race of the season to lead a trio of Coeur d'Alene girls to the top spots on Saturday at the William Johnson Invitational at scenic Riley Creek Campgrounds.
Finney went out early and led throughout, finishing the 5K course, which winds through trees and along parts of the Pend Oreille River, in 15:39, ahead of teammates Kyler Little and Riley Estes, who rounded out the top three in a strong pack showing by the Lake City boys.
Finney was second two years ago when the race was run at Riley Creek, and won the invite last year at Travers Park. He was happy to see the race return to the picturesque park.
"I love this course, it's one of my favorites. It's a fast, fun course," described Finney, who had a simple race strategy. "Go out hard, prepping for state. Get out ahead and push it."
Brown, who clocked an 18:30 to edge teammates Caitlin Conway and Kara Story in the top three, was just happy to win her first race of the season and help her team take the team title, finishing comfortably ahead of Sandpoint. Brown said having teammates up in the front pack helps a ton.
"We run so well together," said Brown, lauding her teammates. "How much we push each other."
The Sandpoint girls, the reigning state 4A champions, were without their top two runners in Mikhaela Woodward and Kathernie Kaul, who are nursing injuries.
Rainey Woodward led the Bulldogs with a sixth-place finish, 11 seconds behind Timberlake's Kassidy Hammond.
Sandpoint will host the 5A and 4A Region 1 meets on Oct. 23, on this same Riley Creek course.
TEAM SCORES - 1, Lake City, 31. 2, Lewiston, 71. 3, Coeur d'Alene, 74. 4, Sandpoint, 82. 5, Post Falls, 154. 6, Timberlake, 171. 7, Moscow, 197. 8, Coeur d'Alene Charter, 202. 9, Bonners Ferry, 245. 10, Lakeland, 270. 11, Colville, 317. 12, Kellogg, 354.
TOP 25 - 1, Jake Finney, LC, 15:39. 2, Kyler Little, LC, 16:07. 3, Riley Estes, LC, 16:35. 4, Austin Bryer, Lew, 16:44. 5, Joey Perez, Lew, 16:48. 6, Josh Corgatelli, Mos, 16:51. 7, Jose Winton, Cd'A, 16:57. 8, Zack Holbrook, LC, 16:59. 9, Jacob Graham, Spt, 17:01. 10, Brayden Menti, TL, 17:05. 11, Chris Cordova, Spt, 17:06. 12, Andrew Magee, Cd'A, 17:08. 13, Sam Powell, Spt, 17:09. 14, Seth Sabo, Lew, 17:10. 15, Dillon Emery, Charter, 17:13. 16, Daniel Walters, Cd'A, 17:15. 17, Max Evans, LC, 17:16.25. 18, Dylan Schilling, PF, 17:16.67. 19, Josh Marks, PRL, 17:18. 20, Zac Magee, Cd'A, 17:20.05. 21, Tristan Scoffield, Cd'A, 17:20.34. 22, Sakti Woodbury, Lew, 17:24. 23, Drake Green, PF, 17:26. 24, Kenneth Kovalchuk, Spt, 17:29. 25, Jacob Perkins, BF, 17:31.
TEAM SCORES - 1, Coeur d'Alene, 29. 2, Sandpoint, 62. 3, Timberlake, 87. 4, Moscow, 90. 5, Post Falls, 135. 6, Lewiston, 148. 7, Lakeland, 209. 8, Colville, 223. 9, Lake City, 224.
TOP 25 - 1, Josie Brown, Cd'A, 18:30. 2, Caitlin Conway, Cd'A, 18:40. 3, Kara Story, Cd'A, 18:44. 4, Katherine Ruck, Mos, 19:13. 5, Kassidy Hammond, TL, 19:24. 6, Rainey Woodward, Spt, 19:35. 7, Emily Wren, Lew, 19:46. 8, Sharon Rowe, Spt, 19:47. 9, Taylor Hammond, TL, 19:55. 10, Ida Mae Grahlman, PF, 19:56. 11, Kaitlyn Gunnerson, Cd'A, 20:04. 12, Merceydes Smith, Cd'A, 20:20. 13, Rachel Bayly, Mos, 20:39. 14, Claire Pierce, Spt, 20:40. 15, Carmen Duffy, Cd'A, 20:57. 16, Hanah Davidson, Spt, 21:00. 17, Alice Bailey, Mos, 21:03. 18, Sophie McPhilomy, Charter, 21:09. 19, Corrine McClelland, Spt, 21:28. 20, Morgan Hall, Col, 21:34. 21, Miranda Cranston, Lew, 21:35. 22, Natalie McDaniel, Mos, 21:36. 23, Natalie Herring, TL, 21:44. 24, Emily Marshall, Spt, 21:49. 25, Nicole Donn, BF, 21:56.