XC team grows with Oakesdale

Coach Jaime Kinley has a roster of 19 runners for the Bulldog cross country team this year. The team has welcomed five Oakesdale runners who have combined ranks with the Colfax returnees to start the year.

Coach Kinley, who is starting her 10th season with the team this year, has Morgan Willson, a two-time state champion, as an assistant this year. Willson extended her running career by competing with the WSU Cougars.

The Bulldog runners will start the season with a stop at the “mud run” at Northwest Christian.

Their next action will be Sept. 18 when they will host an all-NE race at the Colfax golf course. It will be the first of three all-league races for the league.

The five Oakesdale runners include Evan Henning, a senior, and Madison Dingman, a junior. Three freshmen making the commute from Oakesdale for the early season practices are Tyler Bober, Ryan Henning and Abigail Lobdell.

Two senior state competitors back on the team for Colfax are Ryley Griffiths and Tayma Vanek. Carson Cloaninger will also be a senior runner this year.

Griffiths raced with Chase Baerlocher, a senior, at state for the Bulldog boys.

Also on the team are Miya Ensley, junior; Miriam Frei, freshman; Josh Huber, sophomore; Jacob Jones, freshman; Trenton Lyman, eighth grader; Emma Miller, sophomore; Jorga Slate, eighth grader; Kolby Slate, sophomore; Madeline Tate, freshman, and Dyamin Vanek, freshman.