The Bob Firman XC Invitational

Once again the Soda Springs Cardinals and the Grace Grizzlies both competed in the same cross country meet last week. This time both schools traveled to Eagle Island State Park in Eagle, Idaho to participate in the Bob Firman Invitational. The race’s namesake was a teacher at Borah high school for forty years and the school's head cross country coach for twenty-three years. Bob Firman was instrumental in bringing cross country to the state of Idaho. The race has become one of, if not the largest, high school races not only in Idaho but the entire pacific northwest. The course itself is fast while still maintaining a high level of difficulty. With changing surfaces and some short fast hills the course is challenging for the competitors. Soda Springs and Grace were both eager to run the course as it will be the site of this year's state championships.
With so many schools participating in the meet the varsity races were split into three separate divisions for both the girls and the boys. Grace and Soda Springs competed in the same division. In the boys race forty-eight teams competed. As a team Soda Springs placed a respectable fifteenth with Grace coming in at twenty-first place. Among 3A Idaho teams Soda did finish behind West Side and Ririe leaving the Cardinals with some work to do. Where the Cardinals have an edge is in team spread time with the Cards having a first through fifth spread of one minute and twenty seven seconds. Among 1/2A Idaho teams Grace finished behind Rockland. The Grizzly men have some work to do if they want to win a district title over Rockland. For Grace their first through fourth runners actually have the edge but they need their fifth runner to shave off some time to come in above Rockland.
In the girls varsity race there were thirty-seven teams entered with Soda Springs finishing in an impressive fifth and Grace coming in tenth. Both teams did very well in this large meet. Grace was the top team among teams that they would face at districts and state while Soda Springs finished second among 3A teams behind only Ririe. With two hundred and eighty-eight competitors in their division Soda Springs had three girls finish in the top fifty and Grace had two finish in that same stretch.
The two schools will continue to compete at the same meet when both Grace and Soda Springs will run in the Bob Conley Invitational on Thursday at the Portneuf Wellness Complex
in Pocatello.
Soda Girls
Lizzie Beutler (12) 20:09
India Galloway (15) 20:22
Ellie Wood (32) 21:06
Rosie Harris (81) 22:38
Rebekah Evans (83) 22:42
Gracie Modlenhauer (86) 22:48
Courtnee Gronning (137) 23:57
Soda Boys
Landon Moldenhauer (39) 17:25
Degan Stoor (83) 18:11
Kage Kirby (93) 18:15
Jonathan Beutler (104) 18:24
Jaxson Horsley (144) 18:53
Dre Lloyd (145) 18:53
Austin Housley (171) 19:12
Grace Girls
Cally Coleman (10) 20:05
Lily Coleman (42) 21:31
Kallie Stoddard (71) 22:23
Lilly Gilbert (76) 22:29
Breanna Heer (150) 24:19
Grace Boys
Adrian Mejia (26) 17:06
Brock Johnson (90) 18:13
Colt Coleman (94) 18:16
Jonah Wilkerson (123) 18:43
Cutler Andersen (319) 22:24
Scottie Heer (344) 23:35