PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Kempton, Wood guide Trojans to 5A regional titles

ATHOL — Post Falls coach Brian Trefry has been preaching to his squad to run each race like there's no tomorrow, because at least for this year, it could all be over in an instant.

Thankfully, teams are starting to see the finish line ahead.

Post Falls swept boys and girls 5A regional titles on Thursday at Farragut State Park.

Timberlake swept team titles in 3A and Sandpoint in 4A.

The state cross country meet will be next Friday (5A, 4A, 3A) at the Portneuf Wellness Complex in Pocatello. The 2A and 1A meet will be contested next Saturday in Pocatello.

5A: For the Post Falls boys, led by regional champion senior Brycen Kempton, it is the first in program history.

"It's an incredible group," Post Falls coach Brian Trefry said. "They've worked so hard over the last few years and deserve it. We knew coming in that the boys was going to be really close. Coeur d'Alene is really good, and Lewiston is coming on. Our boys raced really well and we've working a long time to get to that level."

Kempton won in 16 minutes, 15 seconds, followed by teammates Alex Peters (16:36) and Neil McCarthy (16:42).

"Brycen has came so far since his freshman year," Trefry said. "When he ran, he looked like he was going to fall apart. But he's worked so hard and the talent he has, Alex too, Brycen is better because Alex is pushing him."

Sammie Wood won the girls race in 18:39.9.

"I never thought we'd make it this far into the season," Wood said. "Our coach has told us to race each race like it's your last, because it could be. And that really brought a different mindset to the season. Saying that, I never thought we'd get this far into the season with the coronavirus, so saying we're regional champions, it feels really good to say that."

Post Falls finished fourth at state in 2019.

Due to COVID concerns, the state meet — previously scheduled for next Friday and Saturday at Eagle Island State Park — has been moved to the Portneuf Wellness Complex in Pocatello, site of the 2019 meet.

Individual boys qualifiers include: Braden Dance, Ethan Garner, Jacob King and William Callahan for Coeur d'Alene and Maximillian Bazler and Aydenn Johnson for Lake City.

Clara Stephens, Angelyca Chapman and Taylah Chapman qualified individually for state for Lake City.

4A: Sandpoint swept team titles for the eighth straight year.

The meet was contested between Sandpoint and Lakeland as Moscow did not field teams in the boys or girls races.

3A: Sarah Zerfas was sixth for Timberlake, helping the Tiger girls claim a 12th straight district championship.

Timberlake's boys won the district title for the seventh time in eight years, edging Coeur d'Alene Charter 44-48.

Coeur d'Alene Charter junior Logan Davis won the boys race in 16:56.4.

Shaye Sullivan of Kellogg was the girls champion in 20:59.7.

5A

BOYS

TEAM SCORES (Top two to state) — 1, Post Falls 28. 2, Lewiston 51. 3, Coeur d'Alene 52. 4, Lake City 97.

STATE QUALIFIERS — 1, Brycen Kempton, Post Falls, 16:15. 2, Alex Peters, Post Falls, 16:36.2. 3, Neil McCarthy, Post Falls, 16:42.8. 4, Braden Dance, Coeur d'Alene, 16:56.1. 5, Kobe Wessels, Lewiston, 16:57.2. 6, Ethan Garner, Coeur d'Alene, 17:12.4. 7, Maximillian Bazler, Lake City, 17:15.5. 8, Elijah Sabo, Lewiston, 17:25.8. 9, Payton Bigler, Lewiston, 17:27.2. 10, Gavin Calkins, Post Falls, 17:28.6. 11, Jacob King, Coeur d'Alene, 17:29.5. 12, Drew Padgett, Post Falls, 17:49.8. 13, Nick Grimm, Lewiston, 18:09.6. 14, William Callahan, Coeur d'Alene, 18:09.9. 15, Sawyer Crenshaw, Post Falls, 18:12.7. 16, James Stubbers, Lewiston, 18:14.1. 17, Lachlan May, Coeur d'Alene, 18:20.1. 18, Luke Roberts, Post Falls, 18:24;9. 19, Aydenn Johnson, Lake City, 18:26.6. 20, Steven Anderson, Post Falls, 18:32.7. 21, Connor Lowder, Coeur d'Alene, 18:49.9. 22, Luke Schutte, Post Falls, 18:53.2. 23, Carter Ringger, Coeur d'Alene, 18:56.9.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES (Top two to state) — 1, Post Falls 21. 2, Coeur d'Alene 52. 3, Lake City 60. 4, Lewiston 100.

STATE QUALIFIERS — 1, Sammie Wood, Post Falls, 18:39.9. 2, Anna Peters, Post Falls, 19:28.4. 3, Alahna Lien, Post Falls, 19:32.8. 4, Clara Stephens, Lake City, 19:57.9. 5, Anne Marie Dance, Coeur d'Alene, 20:05.9. 6, Angelyca Chapman, Lake City, 20:10.6. 7, Kaley Bohl, Post Falls, 20:26.4. 8, Leah Holding, Post Falls, 20:33.6. 9, Elliana Rietze, Coeur d'Alene, 20:56.6. 10, Taylah Chapman, Lake City, 20:50.7. 11, Gracie Averill, Coeur d'Alene, 21:02.7. 12, Lauren Forster, Coeur d'Alene, 21:11.3. 13, Dakota Braden, Lewiston, 21:24.2. 14, Erica Mundt, Post Falls, 22:12.6.

4A

BOYS

TEAM SCORES (Winner advances, second-place team eligible for wild card) — 1, Sandpoint 15. 2, Lakeland 50.

STATE QUALIFIERS — 1, Nikolai Braedt, Sandpoint, 16:39. 2, Jett Lucas, Sandpoint, 16:54. 3, Keegan Nelson, Sandpoint, 17:15. 4, Slate Fragoso, Sandpoint, 17:35. 5, Ben Ricks, Sandpoint, 17:40.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES (Winner advances to state, second-place team eligible for wild card) — 1, Sandpoint 15.

STATE QUALIFIERS — 1, Mackenzie Suhy-Gregorie, Sandpoint, 20:46.3. 2, Megan Oulman, Sandpoint, 21:31.3. 3, Camille Neuder, Sandpoint, 21:48.3. 4, Ara Clark, Sandpoint, 21:58.1.

3A

BOYS

TEAM SCORES (Top three advance to state) — 1, Timberlake 36. 2, Kellogg 70. 3, Coeur d'Alene Charter 74. 4, Bonners Ferry 89. 5, Priest River 90.

STATE QUALIFIERS — 1, Logan Davis, Cd'A Charter, 16:56.4. 2, Connor Alexander, Bonners Ferry, 17:22.4. 3, Makai Peak, Kellogg, 17:35.4. 4, Jacob Barnhart, Timberlake, 17:35.4. 5, Dylan Royce, Timberlake, 18:08.4. 6, Dylan Lord, Priest River, 18:21.4. 7, Sterling Crupper, Cd'A Charter, 18:31.7. 8, Noah Barnes, Timberlake, 18:35.4. 9, Dakota Smith, Timberlake, 18:35.6. 10, Spencer Hegstad, Timberlake, 18:40.3. 11, Taylor Menti, Timberlake, 18:41.0. 12, Mason Zollinger, Timberlake, 18:46.9. 13, Dawson Hunt, Timberlake, 18:54.4. 14, Callin Zerfas, Timberlake, 18:58.9. 15, Keegan Poirier, Priest River, 19:32.1. 16, Ethan Guy, Kellogg, 19:38.7. 17, Dylan Nelson, Timberlake, 19:44.6. 18, Antonio Osorio, Timberlake, 19:53.3.

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES (Top two to state) — 1, Timberlake 44. 2, Coeur d'Alene Charter 48. 3, Kellogg 63. 4, Bonners Ferry 71.

STATE QUALIFIERS — 1, Shaye Sullivan, Kellogg, 20:59.7. 2, McKenna Kozeluh, Cd'A Charter, 21:07.3. 3, Peyton Duffield, Cd'A Charter, 21:11.9. 4, Lacey Medina, Kellogg, 21:13.7. 5, Natal Davis, Cd'A Charter, 21:21.5. 6, Sarah Zerfas, Timberlake, 21:26.1. 7, Haileyann Johnson, Timberlake, 21:34.3. 8, Camille Ussher, Bonners Ferry, 22:46.6. 9, Clara Puller, Timberlake, 23:08.1.