Cross Country team travels to Boise, Idaho for Bob Firman Invitational
Oct 19, 2023 12:52PM ● By Liisa London Mecham
The Morgan Cross Country team set several personal records at the Bob Firman meet. Four runners finished in the top 20, and EJ Lee took first in the race.
Boise, Idaho was the center of the Intermountain West high school cross country world Saturday, Sept. 23, as over 5,000 runners from surrounding states gathered to compete in the prestigious Bob Firman Invitational. Firman, who was “instrumental in the start of cross country in Idaho,” taught math for 40 years at Borah High School and was the head XC coach for 23 years.
Starting with Freshman races in the morning, the meet included competition at all levels for boys and girls: Freshman, JV, Varsity II, Varsity I, and Elite races. Many of the races were so large that they were divided into two races with results merged at the end of both. Held at Eagle Mountain State Park near Boise, the event also includes middle school races the night before. Awards are given to the top 20 runners in each race.
Morgan’s EJ Lee won the Boys Varsity Division II race with a time of 16:08.0. Teammates Jonas Archibald (16:55.7) and Maverick Guymon (17:01.9) finished 15th and 18th. The boys’ team took second in this race with Henry Rose (17:49.3) and Tucker Giles (17:56.2) rounding out the scoring. Esplan McClellan (18:15.4) and Hayden Gines (18:48.4) were the sixth and seventh runners.
Coach Brennen Fuller remarked, “It’s great to see the kids come to a big meet and run PRs. They are all working hard to prepare for Region next week. We have some good competition in the region this year, but we’re going to be prepared to run as a family and do our best.”
Freshman Drake Mecham (17:36.3) finished 15th in the Freshman Race and earned a Top 20 medal.
In the Girls’ Varsity II race, Alexis Cox (21.26.7) was Morgan’s first female finisher trailed by Brooklyn Hill (23:17.1), Kiara Hayward (24:00.9), Lindsay Birt (24:25.3), Brooke Williford (24:33.4), Eliza Keller (25:19.6) and Sara Wilkinson (26:03.7). As a team, the girls’ finished 18th.
The Region 13 championships will be held Friday, Sept. 29 at the Cottonwood Complex. New this year, the Divisional Race, or First Round of State, will take place Oct. 10 at Lakeside Park in Orem. λ
