Wyoming cross-country runners shone brightly at the Nike Cross Regionals Northwest 2024 in Boise, Idaho, with Star Valley High School’s Jase Burton delivering a standout performance in the boys’ championship division, WyoPreps reports.
Burton finished the 5K course in a blistering 14:55.3, securing second place and a spot at the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) on December 7, 2024, in Portland, Oregon.
Burton’s performance was a masterclass in perseverance and strategy. The senior began strong, clocking in at third place during the 1K checkpoint. However, he fell back to 15th by the 2K mark. Undeterred, Burton steadily climbed the rankings, reaching 10th at 3K and 8th at 4K before unleashing a powerful final kilometer to claim the runner-up spot, just two seconds behind the winner.
Star Valley’s boys’ team, competing under the name Ohana XC, placed ninth in the championship division with 267 points. Habtamu Wetzel delivered a notable performance, finishing 19th with a time of 15:24.6. He was followed by teammates Colton Cranney (55th, 15:50.9), Brigham Hahn, and Matt Heywood, who contributed to the team’s scoring.
In the girls’ championship division, Cheyenne East’s Maggie Madsen led the Wyoming contingent, finishing seventh with a time of 17:41.5. Pinedale’s Madison Antonino, running for the JHRC Jackpines team, secured 16th place at 18:12.2. The Jackpines team placed 16th overall with 351 points.
In the boys’ championship division, Trajn Swalstad of Worland placed 38th at 15:43.3, while Race Morrell of Cheyenne Central finished 112th at 16:15.1. On the girls’ side, Kinley Cooley from Powell took 42nd place (18:43.9), and Sofia Rose of Cheyenne Central finished 57th (18:56.6).
The Star Valley girls competed in the Open Division under Ohana XC, finishing ninth with 398 points. Carlee Angell was their top runner, placing 87th at 20:09.5. Cheyenne East’s boys, competing as the Thunderbirds in the Open Division, placed 47th, led by Aden Zwonitzer in 39th place at 16:26.4.
In the Rising Stars Division, Burlington’s Howard McNiven impressed with a 17th-place finish, covering the course in 17:21.3.
