XC team runs to districts

Trevan Pixley, Sports Editor|October 28, 2016

The boys varsity cross country team continues to impress, from the middle of its regular season all the way to the District championships on Oct.20.
  The Bengals traveled to Athol, Idaho, for the Timberlake Farragut Invitational, where the boys took third overall as a team. Senior Austin Byrer placed first with a time of 15:55, and junior Joey Perez cracked a top 10 finish, placing seventh with a time of 16:39.
  The next event took place Sept. 17, where the team traveled just across the bridge to Clarkston High School at the Seaport Invitational. The Bengals placed first overall as a team, with another first-place finish by Byrer  and a time of 15:34. Perez came in sixth overall with a time of 15:55, and junior Sakti Woodbury made the top 10 in this event, placing ninth with a time of 16:20.
  The next meet took place at the Bob Firman Invitational in Boise.  This meet split the runners  into three divisions. Woodbury took 23rd overall in his division out of 142 runners with a time of 16:39. Meanwhile, Byrer placed sixth overall in the elite division with a time of 15:34.
  Following the Firman invite came the Inland Empire Challenge in Lewiston at the LCSC cross-country course. Lewiston took first overall at this invite with Byrer placing first with a time of 15:27. Perez placed fifth overall with a time of 15:48, and junior Connor Turpin placed 12th overall out of 112 runners with a time of 16:27.  Woodbury placed 14th with a time of 16:34.
  The Boys entered the district meet with all the confidence in the world that the team would have a great meet, and indeed they did they won the district title for the first time in 30 years with excellent individual performances by Byrer who earned another first place finish with a time of 15:46, Perez took second place overall with the time of 16:25.Freshman Caden Byrer, the little brother to Austin got his first top three appearance with a time of 16:48 Woodbury would quickly follow Byrer with a time of 16:48. Woodbury placed fifth with a time of 16:50.
  As for the girls varsity team, many runners have come up against struggles, with the exception of sophomore Kaitlyn Blume who has placed top 10 in every event so far this season including a first place finish at the district championship with a time of 19:46.