PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Brothers' bond ... Identical twins Max and Zack Cervi-Skinner have Viking boys seeking second straight state title while also chasing Division I dreams.

By JASON ELLIOTT 

Sports writer 

There are times when a brother can be a teammate.  

Your best friend. 

The reason you find success. 

The person to lift you up in case you don’t. 

For Coeur d’Alene High seniors and identical twins Max Cervi-Skinner and Zack Cervi-Skinner, it’s all of the above — and more — as they have the Viking boys in position to repeat as state cross country champions Saturday at the state 6A meet at Eagle Island State Park. 

“It’s meant a lot to me, and always has,” Zack Cervi-Skinner said. “He’s a built-in training partner and best friend. We’re competitive with each other, but it’s made us better at the same time. We’re always chasing after each other and wanting to beat and push each other every day.”

“We’ve always wanted to help each other up,” Max Cervi-Skinner said. “Not necessarily compete to beat each other but compete to be the best version of each other we can be and pull each other up along the way.” 

Max was born first, 20 minutes before Zack. 

“We used to share a room, but got separate rooms when we moved recently,” Zack Cervi-Skinner said. “It’s truly a blessing to have someone like that to go through everything in life with.” 

Whether that’s schoolwork, or just a simple run after school. 

“Running, some people don’t enjoy running,” Max said. “But if you’re just going for a little jog, you’ve always got someone to go with. And that’s been really great to have.” 

Zack added that it’s a bit of an unknown where their running prowess comes from. 

“Our parents played some sports, but didn’t run in high school,” Zack said. “It’s kind of a mystery how we became such good runners, but we’ve been doing it since the second grade.” 

THE TWINS have an interest in competing in cross country at the Division I level, with unofficial visits already to Santa Clara, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Oklahoma State during their junior year. They’ve got official visits planned to Notre Dame, Washington, Montana State, Colorado and Oregon once the season ends. 

“We’ve been looking around at some of the best programs in the Pacific Northwest and on the East Coast,” Zack said. “We haven’t decided quite yet, but are hoping to have it figured out soon.” 

Zack said the two are a package deal and where one goes, so will the other. 

Max Cervi-Skinner won the USATF national title in 2020 in Paris, Ky., finishing the 4-kilometer race in 13 minutes, 15 seconds. 

“It definitely lit a fire in me to try to and win more big races like that,” Max said. “That’s still in me a little bit.” 

As he’s grown and gotten older, he’s still got something left to chase on the cross country course. 

“My coaches have been telling me the last two years that I’m fit enough to race with those kinds of elite kids,” Max said. “I never thought I’d see it in action. But, once you do it once, you realize it now and want to do it every time now.” 

Zack Cervi-Skinner was fourth at nationals in 2020, when the North Idaho Distance Project claimed the team title. 

Emry Carr, in his first year as head coach at Coeur d’Alene High, was a Viking assistant last year, and has also coached both Max and Zack for several years with the North Idaho Distance Project club team.

“I don’t think you can put your finger on just one thing that they do well,” Carr said. “They’re brothers and belong to this brotherhood. They work super hard and are committed to their teammates. They love the process of getting better each day, and that’s what makes it work for them.” 

COEUR d’ALENE WAS third at state in 2022 in Lewiston and eighth in 2021 at Eagle Island State Park, where this year’s meet will be held. 

The Cervi-Skinner twins have qualified for state each of those years, with Max finishing third in 2022, sixth in 2023 and 31st in 2021. Zack was 11th in 2022, 16th in 2023 and 40th in 2021. 

While Zack and Max are the only blood brothers, they consider each of those wearing the Viking colors part of the family as well. 

“We’re best friends, so whenever we step on the line, we’re willing to do whatever it takes for each other to win that day,” Zack said. “We’ll come into (this) week with a plan, just like last year. Finishing with your teammates is always a really fun experience and so is being able to watch the guys behind you duke it out.” 

Rocky Mountain of Meridian won back-to-back boys titles in 2021 and 2022. 

Coeur d’Alene is ranked 13th nationally by DyeStat.com in rankings released on Thursday. 

“We’re definitely the team to beat, but we’re not going to back down from any challenges,” Max said. “We’re going to give it our all.” 

“It’s a little stressful, but with the work we’ve put in throughout the year, we know we’re ready,” Zack said. “We don’t let things get too stressful. We just go out and run our hardest.” 

Coeur d’Alene's boys won the state 6A academic state title recently, with the team holding a 3.977 grade point average. The team also won the academic state title in 2022. 

“They’ve always worked hard in the classroom,” said Jamie Cervi-Skinner, mother of Zack and Max. “Both Zack and Max are above a 4.0 and ranked in the top 10% of their class, and their teammates are just as dedicated as they are.”