Grant Union Boys Record Team Result, Girls Open Strong at Caldwell

CALDWELL, Idaho - Grant Union opened its cross country season Thursday with a complete boys team performance and several strong individual runs against a field of 46 teams. The Prospectors were the only program with enough finishers to record a team score in the boys pre-varsity race, while Landon James led Grant Union with a time of 19 minutes, 28 seconds.

Riggin Dowdy, Osmar Ceja, Thomas Shaw, Kaleb Gosnell, Colton Lyman crossed next for the Prospectors, and Espn LaFramboise. Their order at the front established the foundation for Grant Union’s team result, and the remaining boys provided the depth needed to field a full scoring group. In a race where other programs did not have five runners finish in the division, the Prospectors’ pack proved significant.

The season-opening result also gave the boys an early measuring point within the district. Grant Union is currently ranked third in the district, and the Caldwell race showed the value of keeping its runners connected throughout the lineup. Landon James set the pace at the front, while Riggin Dowdy, Osmar Ceja, Thomas Shaw, Kaleb Gosnell, Colton Lyman and Espn LaFramboise gave the Prospectors two more runners in succession before the rest of the scoring group completed the effort.

Grant Union’s girls competed in the varsity race but did not have the required five runners to post a team score. Kaitlyn Charette finished first among the Prospectors, Ivy LaFramboise was the team’s second runner, and Amaris Paddock followed in third. Moving directly into a varsity field provided the girls with an early test against the meet’s larger and more experienced lineups.

The girls also entered the season with three runners positioned among the district’s leading individuals. Kaitlyn is ranked sixth in the district, Ivy LaFramboise is eighth and Amaris is 11th. Those individual standings give Grant Union a strong front group as the team works toward adding the depth required to produce a varsity team score.

Grant Union left Caldwell with a scored boys performance, three identified leaders in the girls varsity lineup and an early benchmark for both groups as the Prospectors continue building their packs for district competition.