Three Bear Lake High School boys have earned spots at the 4A State Cross Country Championships after finishing among the top eight runners at the District 5 meet. The performance allows juniors Colson Mattson and Archer Clark, along with freshman Corbin Vickers, to represent the Bears at the state level.
Boys Team District Results
The Bear Lake boys team achieved a third-place finish at the district meet, finishing with 54 points. The team fell behind the district champion Preston, which scored 26 points, and Snake River, which recorded 48 points. American Falls finished in fourth place with 120 points.
Colson Mattson led the Bear Lake runners with a fourth-place finish, completing the course in 17 minutes, 28.2 seconds. Archer Clark followed in seventh place with a time of 17:38.4, and freshman Corbin Vickers secured eighth place with a time of 17:55.2. Both Mattson and Clark are juniors, while Vickers is a freshman.
Other Bear Lake boys contributing to the team's performance included junior Jimmy Crane, who recorded a personal-best time of 18:55.3. He was followed by junior Austin Wells in 19:08.9. Sophomores Jacob Holmquist and Travis Ward recorded times of 19:51.5 and 19:56.8, respectively.
Additional runners for the Bear Lake boys included Trey Saunders (20:40.0), Lex Smith (21:13.6), Brayden Turner (22:17.2), Adam Bishop (22:59.1), Atreyu Kunz (23:54.8), Caleb Crane (24:21.8), Andrew Sjoblom (25:27.8), Nolon Williamson (26:50.1), and Griffin Moss (27:19.7).
Preparation for State
Bear Lake head coach Tarl Vickers expressed satisfaction with the efforts of his runners during the meet. Vickers stated that the team will focus on preparing for the state championships and hopes to achieve competitive races at that level.
While the boys' team did not qualify as a unit, the individual successes of Mattson, Clark, and Vickers provide a pathway to the state competition. The trio has been noted as among the strongest runners for Bear Lake throughout the season, consistently competing against top athletes in the region.
Girls Team District Results
The Bear Lake girls team also secured a third-place finish at the district meet, scoring 85 points. The Snake River girls took the district championship with 23 points, while Preston finished second with 32 points. American Falls finished fourth with 120 points.
Junior Karlee Wuthrich led the Lady Bears with a time of 22:50.4, followed by junior Oraelia Vickers in 22:59.9. Senior Abby Humpherys completed the course in 24:03.3. Senior Leah Hoge finished in 26:55.7, followed by sophomore Isabelle Pymm in 27:56.9 and junior Sophia Ream in 28:18.4.
Other Bear Lake girls included junior Keva Clausing, who recorded a time of 29:23.2, and sophomore KD Spuhler, who finished in 36:30.7, marking a season-best performance. Freshman Ivy Bishop rounded out the team with a time of 44:47.2.
End of Season
The district meet marked the conclusion of the season for the remaining Bear Lake runners. The third-place finishes for both the boys and girls teams reflected the efforts of athletes across all grade levels, from experienced upperclassmen to freshmen.
Looking Ahead
The individual performances at the District 5 meet highlighted the competitive depth of the Bear Lake cross country program. While the teams missed out on qualifying as whole units, the three boys qualifiers will now face the top runners in Idaho at the 4A State Cross Country Championships.
