Tiger-Grizz meet a proving ground for local runners

IDAHO FALLS – Nearly 2,700 runners from 50 schools competed astatine Friday’s Tiger-Grizz Invitational Cross Country meet.

The title could extremity up being a preview of really nan authorities championships play retired successful November, and if that’s nan case, Boise-area teams will beryllium difficult to beat.

Timberline, Rocky Mountain and Mountain View vanished successful nan apical 3 for nan seeded girls’ race. Rocky Mountain easy won nan boys seeded title pinch 24 points, followed by Mountain View, past Timberline.

Centennial’s Arnulfo Romero (left) and Idaho Falls’ Austin McCord sprint to nan decorativeness statement and vanished 2nd and 3rd successful nan Varsity A race. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoNews.com

What does that mean for eastbound Idaho teams?

It’s a agelong play and area runners did make their beingness felt connected Friday.

Two of nan area’s apical mini schoolhouse runners competed successful nan loaded section of seeded runners. Teton’s Zane Lindquist vanished 4th and North Fremont authorities champion Corbin Johnston was seventh. Rigby’s apical runner Payton Bird was ninth and Century sophomore Ethan Hansen placed 10th.

Madison’s Brynlee Gwilliam, who had won her erstwhile 3 races this season, placed sixth successful 19:46.0 and Idaho Falls’ Jaycee Jensen vanished seventh.

The varsity races provided much highlights for area runners arsenic Ririe won nan Varsity B (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A) girls title pinch 52 points to outdistance runner-up Soda Springs pinch 85.

The Bulldogs’ Lucy Boone and Liza Boone vanished 2nd and third, respectively, while West Jefferson authorities champ Bella Spencer placed fourth.

Sugar-Salem’s Dylan Ball won nan boys Varsity B title successful 17:14.1, conscionable up of West Side inferior Ethan Willis astatine 17:19.5. The Diggers claimed nan squad title pinch 24 points.

The varsity races besides had immoderate drama.

Blackfoot freshman Sailor Tomazin ran conscionable her 4th race, but placed 3rd successful Varsity A (6A, 5A).

Tomazin said her family primitively wanted her to tryout for volleyball, but she recovered her measurement to transverse state instead.

“This is my first meet erstwhile we figured retired this is really nan athletics for me,” she said. “I ended up loving it.”

Friday she had her sights group connected beating a runner from Burley who had bested her successful a title earlier this season.

“I mislaid her,” said Tomazin, who only trailed Annie Herd of Centennial and Makelle Carlson of Rocky Mountain astatine nan finish.

Blackfoot’s Sailor Tomazin finishes 3rd successful nan Varsity A race. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoNews.com

The Varsity races are group for nan younger runners to get acquisition and Tomazin took advantage.

Tomazin antecedently ran nan 5K people astatine Freeman Park arsenic a mediate schooler.

“I cognize this title is agelong and difficult but I was prepared for it already,” she said.

The Idaho Falls boys person traditionally been a powerfulness successful 4A and 5A. The Tiger runners had a chance to show their worldly successful nan Varsity A race, pinch sophomore Austin McCord finishing 3rd successful a sprint finish, and Caleb Boyle placing eighth. Blackfoot freshman Owen Gregory vanished 4th and Hillcrest sophomore Luke Frandsen was 10th.

McCord sewage retired accelerated and took nan early lead.
“I went retired a small accelerated but nan 2 guys passed pinch astir 500 aliases 600 meters left. … I wanted to triumph but I was going for place, not really a time,” he said.

Centennial’s Sawyer Jensen and Arnulfo Romero vanished 1-2.

The acquisition wasn’t mislaid of McCord.
“I really want to support pushing connected my decorativeness and being capable to bent connected that 3rd mile,” he said. “After nan hills I decidedly started moving retired a small bit.”

The adjacent large meet is nan Bob Firman Invitational, which is Sept. 27-28 astatine Eagle Island State Park, which is besides nan tract for nan authorities title meet connected Nov. 2.