Bozeman boys, girls hoping for return trip to NXN

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

A year ago, the cross country teams from Bozeman, Montana got a huge boost at Idaho's Eagle Island State Park when the boys and girls both finished top-two and qualified for Nike Cross Nationals.

"After the results were called, we went nuts," Bozeman senior Chase Equall remembered. "We were off the wall, so ecstatic. People were crying and stuff."

Taking on the best teams from Washington and Oregon, which had ruled NXN Northwest for years, the Hawks of Bozeman won the girls regional title and placed second for boys. 

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Not only did Bozeman make a mark for Montana, within the program expectations suddenly shot skyward. 

The Bozeman boys finished eighth at NXN; the girls were 19th.

"(In Portland) there was a dawning realization that we as a team were at that level," Equall said. "I had never really conceptualized that before, that this is a place where we belonged."

Those memories have fueled the continued focus on not only maintaining that level, but improving. 

But there was some nervousness over the departure in June of head coach Clint May, who decided to accept a small college coaching job in Virginia. 

In July, Casey Jermyn, a former Montana State runner and owner of the Bozeman Running Company shoe store, was hired to take over the cross country program. Three of the former assistants stayed on as well. 

"I think the transition overall was pretty smooth," Jermyn said. "It was nice to have some summer months to work with the kids and transition into the season with them."

The Bozeman boys, led by Equall, the Montana state champion, enter Saturday's NXN Northwest regional ranked US#7. The team will take on US#16 Crater, which won the Oregon 5A title last Saturday; US#19 Bellarmine Prep, the Washington 4A champion; and US#26 North Central, the Washington 3A champion.

Equall said the seamless transition from one coach to another has kept the program moving in the right direction. The training focus shifted a bit, with base and tempo work replacing some of the race pace intervals. And the goal line moved past state, to nationals.

At the Montana state meet, Bozeman put four runners in the top six of the Class AA meet and scored 30 points. Equall, who is undefeated this season, ran 14:40.8 for three miles in a dominant win. 

On Saturday, Equall is one of the favorites in a boys race that also includes two-time Oregon 6A champion Ahmed Muhumed from West Salem, Oregon 5A champion Andy Monroe of Crater, Washington 4A champion Yacine Guermali of Camas, Washington 3A champion James Mwaura from Lincoln, Wyoming 4A champion Philip Henry of Laramie, Idaho 4A champion Nicholas Russell of Bishop Kelly and Hawaii champion Connor Lehl of Punahou.

Defending girls champion Sunset may not have quite enough depth to make a return trip to NXN, but the Apollos have one of the race favorites in sophomore Ember Stratton, who tied the Oregon state meet course record last weekend. 

The Bozeman girls are ranked US#6, led by the fast-rising junior Camila Noe and five teammates who all crashed the top 16 at the Montana state meet.

The biggest challenges should come from US#21 Mountain View ID, and its young star Lexy Halladay; US#24 Summit OR, led by NXN veteran Olivia Brooks; US#27 Billings Senior MT, led by Montana state champ Tiahna Vladic; and US#30 Jesuit OR, the Oregon 6A champion.

Reigning individual champion Annie Hill of Glacier is entered, although in the past she has used the race as a training preparation for Foot Locker. Hill, a junior, has had an inconsistent fall and placed seventh at the Montana state meet. Yet she is still a threat to repeat if healthy.

Lake Stevens WA sophomore Taylor Roe is a prime candidate for the individual win after taking the Washington 4A title last Saturday. Boise ID's Eve Jensen, the Idaho 5A runner-up; Bigfork MT's Bryn Morley, the Montana Class B champion; Anna Gibson of Jackson Hole WY, the Bob Firman and Wyoming 4A champion; and Kristen Garcia of Whatcom Tesseract Club are all part of a talented lineup.

Vladic, Garcia, Stratton, Brooks and Summit's Hannah Tobiason placed fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth last year and are all back and all qualified for NXN last year.