It was a spectacular event a year ago, but Wyoming Indian officials have worked to surpass the event that stupendous effort in hosting the All-Class State Cross Country Championships for the second consecutive year.
The 2021 event was the first culminating state high school event ever held on the Wind River Indian Reservation and was believed to be the first state event of its type on an American Indian reservation anywhere in America.
This season, 44 teams, in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions converge on the Intertribal Complex on the campus of Wyoming Indian High School.
A dozen Class 4-A teams, along with 16 Class 3-A and 16 Class 2-A schools will compete.
Not all schools will have full teams, some will have just individual runners, with not enough for the required number of runners for team competition.
Local schools with full boys’ and girls’ teams will be Riverton, Lander, and Wyoming Indian.
Schools with fewer runners will be St. Stephen’s, Wind River, and Ft. Washakie.
Lander sophomore Ameya Eddy is a favorite in the Class 3-A girls’ race after finishing fourth in 2021.
Riverton’s Kaden Chatfield is a top-five runner in Class 3-A boys, and his times at other courses are good enough to win the event. Lander’s Diego Lobatos is favored to finish in the top 10 this season and earn all-state honors in the process.
Wind River’s tandem of Faye Hellyer and Cora Remacle have excellent chances of earning all-state honors as well with a top-10 finish.
The combined Rocky Mountain/Burlington team is the favorite in the Class 2-A boys race but will have to contend with the Bartlett twins from Saratoga. Grant Bartlett looks to win his fourth consecutive state cross country title.
Cody is favored to repeat in Class 3-A girls, but Mountain View, with defending state champion Owen Burnett of Kemmerer gets the nod in the 3-A boys race.
The Star Valley boys and Natrona girls are the best bets in their respective Class 4-A divisions. The times in the West 4-A overall are substantially faster than the East 4-A entering the championships.
Starting Times: All-Class State Cross Country Championships – Saturday 0ctober 22
4-A Girls: 10:30 a.m.
3-A Girls: 11:00 a.m.
2-A Girls: 11:30 a.m.
4-A Boys: 12:15 p.m.
3-A Boys: 12:45 p.m.
2-A Boys: 1:15 p.m.