For the second year in a row the Powell High School cross country team was well represented at the Nike Cross Country Regional meet in November in Boise, Idaho, as 3A state champion Kinley Cooley attended for the second year in a row alongside her sister Karee while Shelby Zickefoose made her first appearance.

CHAMPIONSHIP RACE

After competing in the Open Division last year, senior Kinley Cooley made the jump to the Championship Division this year after her dominant season in Wyoming.

“I would like to think I was more prepared going into the race this year just because I knew what to expect, but with me going into the championship race this year, it was completely different,” Kinley said. “I think athletically I am more in shape and was more prepared in that sense; however, I had a hard time this year because I didn’t have anyone else going to the same race as me. I have an easier time doing things in a group so I felt a little lost without my whole team there. Additionally Kenna [Jacobsen] is like my boss at meets, and she always makes sure that I’m at the start line or doing drills on time. Without her, I had to prepare myself for managing all that alone.”

She finished 42nd overall with a time of 18 minutes, 43.9 seconds, showing significant improvement of her time of 20:02.6 a year before placing 64th.

The more competitive division featured 204 runners this year, but racers in front of her brought a fresh perspective for Cooley despite her nerves after she ran away from the competition most of the season in Wyoming.

“Going into the race I was super nervous about racing so many people because I haven’t done that all season. I had no idea what to expect,” Kinley said. “I got pretty boxed in during the beginning of the race which was a major downside to the competitiveness of the race. Beyond that, I really enjoyed always seeing someone ahead of me to chase. I have an easier time hunting people than I do leading. I prefer picking people off than letting them try to catch me. I think that was a major factor as to why I was able to run my second-best time on the difficult course.”

Two other Wyoming runners ran in the championship girls’ race and placed ahead of Cooley, as the 4A champion Maddie Madsen from Cheyenne East placed seventh (17:41.5) and Jackson’s Madison Antonio placed 16th (18:12.2).

On the boys’ side Wyoming saw Star Valley’s Jase Burton, the 4A state champion, finish second overall in the championship race by just two seconds behind the winner with a time of 14:55.3.

“I am always rooting for all the other Wyomingites at races, so it was just amazing to see all the success that we had because I feel like we are often underestimated in athletics for our small size,” Kinley said.

OPEN RACE

In the open race the Panthers had two runners, with sophomore Karee Cooley and Zickefoose, a junior, competing for Powell.

Racing for a second year in a row Karee Cooley finished a little bit further back than last time around, taking 187th out of 679 racers with a time of 20:52.9 after finishing in 20:38.5 last year to take 139th.

“I was excited to return to a bigger race and see how I could perform in a more competitive race with people I hadn’t run with before,” Karee said. “As well, I was just eager to do it again because it is such a different race and the experience is so much fun … I felt less prepared this year because last year I continued my practice after state for it and this year I had taken a few weeks off because of an injury, so I had only ran two times before the race.”

Competing in the race for the first time was Zickefoose, who said it was a nerve-wracking experience racing against so many girls while also an incredible time meeting racers from across the country.

“It’s always pretty nerve-wracking when I get to the start line,” Zickefoose said. I was more worried about this race because of how many people there were compared to our state meet … It was incredible to compete against some of the fastest girls. It was also pretty exciting to meet teams traveling from Alaska and Hawaii.”

Zickefoose made the most of her first race, finishing 326th with a time of 21:47.

MAKING MEMORIES

The trio spent plenty of time together throughout the fall season whether on the bus or out on the course, and were thrilled to spend another weekend together in Boise to enjoy the fun atmosphere that Nike put on.

“The Cooley girls are like my sisters and I loved spending time with them,” Zickefoose said. “I was nervous about how the course was going to be, but they gave me tips that helped me during the race … One of my favorite parts was being around such a positive atmosphere that Nike put on. And of course, going to The Cheesecake Factory.”

Kinley said that the group was able to get to Boise a day earlier this year to enjoy more of the town before the nerves of the race settled in.

“I had a lot of fun both years in different ways,” Kinley said. “This year we got to Boise a day earlier, this helped settle my nerves and allowed me to enjoy the trip more. We also got to go shopping before the race which helped distract me from the race and the anxiety that it was causing me.”

Karee said carpooling to the event was a blast for the trio.

“The trip was so much fun. We all carpooled together and got to experience the excruciating drive together,” Karee said. “The drive was worth it though, our group now has so many inside jokes and we had so much fun with the race and wandering the course together.”