* Max Cervi-Skinner lead the Coeur d'Alene boys to their first NXN berth
Photo Credit: Josh Ornelas/MileSplit
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Coeur d'Alene's epic season continued on Saturday at NXR Northwest, as the boys from Idaho qualified for their first ever Nike Cross Nationals berth with a narrow five-point victory over defending champions Crater on the Eagle Island course in Boise, Idaho.
The Vikings scored 113 points, edging Southern Oregon's 118 and out-distancing Portland Lincoln, which landed in third with 137 points. Rocky Mountain, the very team Coeur d'Alene beat at its Idaho state championship en route to the regional, was fourth with 143 points.
Now it's a waiting game for Lincoln and Rocky Mountain, which find themselves loitering in at-large limbo.
Coeur d'Alene got it done with two up-front, two sandwiched in between and its fifth clinging to every spot in the final moments. Junior Maximus Cervi-Skinner was 10th in 15:25.3, while his teammate Jacob King as 11th in 15:26.9.
But it was the Vikings' 49th-51st-and-68th runners that ultimately clinched the victory.
What's more, however, is that the sixth-ranked Vikings remain undefeated on the season, a perfect 8-0 as they enter their final meet of the season.
Could this team reach the podium?
As seasons go, this one has been epic ...who's to say there isn't one more trick in the book?
On the individual side, Bozeman's Nathan Neil, a national champion contender, won Northwest with a time of 14:49.6.
That performance was 16 seconds faster than Rocky Mountain's Landon Heemeyer, who was one of the first athletes to miss qualification last year -- he was eighth in 2022.
West Salem's Jack Meier was the final qualifier after he was pushed through via Crater's team qualification.
Top Boys Results From the NXR Northwest Region
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Check below for the top 10 boys teams and top 15 individuals from the championship section on Saturday in Boise, Idaho.
Boys Championship Team Results:
1. Coeur d'Alene, ID (North Idaho XC), 113 points
2. Crater, OR (Southern Oregon), 118 points
3. Portland Franklin, OR (Mount Tabor), 137 points
4. Rocky Mountain, ID (GRIT XC), 143 points
5. Seattle Preparatory, WA (Adelphia), 182 points
6. Portland Jesuit, OR (Stumptown XC), 183 points
7. Bozeman, MT (Bozeman XC), 209 points
8. Star Valley, WY (Ohana XC), 245 points
9. Boise Senior, ID (Boise XC), 254 points
10. Bend Summit, OR (Storm over Bend), 261 points
Boys Championship Individual Results:
1. Nathan Neil, Bozeman (MT), 14:49.6
2. Landon Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain (ID), 15:05.0
3. Jack Henzke, Seattle Preparatory (WA), 15:08.0
4. Tayvon Kitchen, Crater (OR), 15:10.9
5. Parker Mong, Anacortes (WA), 15:11.1
6. Jack Meier, West Salem (OR), 15:12.3
7. Noah Laughlin-Hall, Summit (OR), 15:13.5
8. Andrew Ringert, Eagle (ID), 15:16.9
9. Nate Stadtlander, Meridian (ID), 15:23.8
10. Max Cervi-Skinner, Coeur d'Alene (ID), 15:25.3
11. Jacob King, Coeur d'Alene (ID), 15:26.9
12. Zafer Courcell, Portland Franklin (OR), 15:27.2
13. Cody Lucas, Rocky Mountain (ID), 15:28.6
14. Charlie Hulbert, Cody (WY) 15:28.8
15. Kade Brownell, Mount Spokane (WA), 15:29.4
Which NXR Northwest Boys Teams And Athletes Qualified For Nike Cross Nationals?
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Two auto-qualifiers from Idaho and Oregon solidified their tickets to NXN from the Northwest. The Northwest champion, Coeur d'Alene, is a first-time qualifier of nationals, while Crater were the defending champions and booked their second-straight ticket.
Meanwhile, five individuals from the Northwest also locked in. Athletes who were members of qualified teams were removed from the auto-spots, since their team's also gained berth into the race.
Teams:
1. Coeur d'Alene (ID)
2. Crater (OR)
Individuals:
1. Nathan Neil, Bozeman (MT)
2. Landon Heemeyer, Rocky Mountain (ID)
3. Jack Henzke, Seattle Preparatory (WA)
5. Parker Mong, Anacortes (WA)
6. Jack Meier, West Salem (OR)
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit
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The championship girls race, meanwhile, played more or less to form, with Crescent Valley's Emily Wisniewski dominating in her usual form, crossing the line in 16:53.1.
The next four girls?
Largely, those athletes were also among the top candidates to secure their tickets, with East Valley's Logan Hofstree and Skyline's Anna Callahan finishing second and third.
Callahan's teammate, Nelah Roberts, picked up a fourth-place finish, while Lakeridge's Chloe Huyler was the last qualifier, perhaps not so surprising considering she finished second to Wisniewski at the Rose City Championships on Oct. 13.
Lincoln, however, made quite the jump. After finishing seventh in 2022, the squad from Portland claimed the Northwest title, holding off last year's runner-up, Portland Jesuit, by 22 points.
Central Kitsap and Rocky Mountain were third and fourth with 158 and 205 points, respectively.
Top Girls Results From The NXR Northwest Region
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Check below for the top 10 girls teams and top 15 individuals from the championship section on Saturday in Boise, Idaho.
Girls Championship Team Results:
1. Portland Lincoln, OR (Forest Park XC), 84 points
2. Portland Jesuit, OR (Stumptown XC), 106 points
3. Central Kitsap, WA (Silverdale), 158 points
4. Rocky Mountain, ID (GRIT XC), 205 points
5. Bozeman Gallatin, MT (Raptor Running), 215 points
6. Boise Senior, ID (Boise XC), 218 points
7. Missoula Hellgate, MT (Hellgate XC), 252 points
8. Yakima West Valley, WA (West Valley XC), 271 points
9. Boise Timberline, ID (East Boise), 274 points
10. Issaquah, WA (Fly Eagles Fly), 300 points
Girls Championship Individual Results:
1. Emily Wisniewski, Crescent Valley (OR), 16:53.1
2. Logan Hofstee, East Valley (WA), 16:53.7
3. Anna Callahan, Skyline (WA), 17:06.8
4. Nelah Roberts, Skyline (WA), 17:19.3
5. Chloe Huyler, Lakedrige (OR), 17:34.3
6. Elektra Higgins, Peninsula (WA), 17:37.5
7. Emma Bennett, Portland Jesuit (OR), 17:41.8
8. Latham West, Bonney Lake (WA), 17:52.8
9. Victoria Rodriguez, Mercer Island (WA), 17:53.9
10. Kylah Madariaga, Wenatchee (WA), 17:57.8
11. Alison Whalen, Bellarmine Prep (WA), 17:57.9
12. Allie Bruce, Boise Senior (ID), 18:01.2
13. Audrey Orme, Boise Senior (ID), 18:02.6
14. Madison Antonio, Jackson Hole (WY), 18:06.2
15. Ellery Lincoln, Portland Lincoln (OR), 18:10.6
Which Northwest Girls Teams And Athletes Qualified For Nike Cross Nationals?
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The Jesuit girls finished second for the second straight year and will get a chance to follow up their 12th-place finish from last year's Nike Cross Nationals. Lincoln, meanwhile, has put itself in a position to succeed after finishing seventh at the regional last year.
Meanwhile, the first five girls across the line all booked their tickets. No individual within the team qualifiers was able to squeeze into the top five.
Teams:
1. Portland Lincoln (OR)
2. Portland Jesuit (OR)
Individuals:
1. Emily Wisniewski, Crescent Valley (OR)
2. Logan Hofstee, East Valley (WA)
3. Anna Callahan, Skyline (WA)
4. Nelah Roberts, Skyline (WA)
5. Chloe Huyler, Lakeridge (OR)