Lovell runners finish strong at state meet

The Lovell High School cross country teams closed their season with a strong showing Saturday at the Wyoming State Cross Country Championships in Cheyenne, battling a challenging course, wind and an elevation change of nearly 3,000 feet from home.

Head coach Caleb Sanders said the meet gave both teams an opportunity to show how much they had improved from a year ago.

“I walked away from state thinking, ‘Hey, we did better than we did last year,’” Sanders said. “That was our goal, for us to feel better, feel like we actually came to State and focused and ran harder. I feel like both our boys and girls did that.”

Junior Aaiden Walker led the Lovell boys, placing 46th in 19:17. Walker had been Lovell’s top runner throughout the season and entered the meet under the weather after missing practices the previous week. His goal was to break 19:21, and he did so despite being sick.

“He’s been our top runner all season and works really hard,” Sanders said. “I was really surprised that he performed as well as he did” while under the weather. “I’m proud of him.”

Sophomore Grant Rose was next for Lovell, placing 67th in a personal record 20:55. Sanders named Rose the team’s runner of the week after what he called a phenomenal effort on a course that offered little chance to settle into a rhythm.

“This is a tough course as it is,” Sanders said. “Lots of ups and downs, hills, hard to get in a groove, and Grant just ran phenomenally.”

Senior Hudsen Mickelson finished 69th in 21:09, giving him a strong final high school race.

“I thought it was a great ending race for him,” Sanders said.

Sophomore Oscar Garcia placed 70th in 21:11 in his second appearance on the Cheyenne state course. Sophomore Ethan Hendershot was 73rd in 21:19, improving from 21:38 on the same course last season. Freshman Dagan Reuter completed his first state meet in 22:19, placing 80th.

The Bulldogs finished the season believing they had made meaningful progress, Sanders said, not only in individual times but also in their approach to the biggest race of the year.

Lovell’s girls were led by freshman Macee Winterholler, who placed 56th in 24:01. It was her second-fastest time of the season, an encouraging result given the difficult course and conditions.

“I thought it was great considering, once again, elevation and the course,” Sanders said. “I was just really happy for her.”

Junior Caylee Herman finished 73rd in 25:35, improving nearly 20 seconds from the 25:54 she ran at state a year ago. Sanders said her previous experience on the course made the improvement especially rewarding.

Sophomore Bonnie Buchholz followed in 74th in 25:45, matching her personal best from the flatter Billings course. Sanders said Buchholz had developed considerably over the course of the season.

“She’s really improved as a runner this year in cross country,” Sanders said. “I’m excited to have her back.”

Senior Candace Walker placed 79th in 26:31, cutting more than two minutes from her 28:40 state time a year ago. Sanders said Walker saved some of her best running for the final stretch of the season.

“Her last three races have been really great, the way she’s run her last mile,” Sanders said. “She’s really attacked the last mile, and it shows in the race. She looks like she’s getting stronger when other runners are maybe getting weaker.”

Sanders called the state race a fitting conclusion to Walker’s high school career and said her 26:31 was likely the best race he had seen her run.

“I’m definitely going to miss Candace,” he said. “She’s been in the program for so many years now. It’ll be weird not having her next year, but I’m just happy for her ending.”

Freshman Rylee Mayes placed 81st in 27:52. Sanders said it was one of her better races of the season, even though it was not a personal best.

Junior Kaylynn Mickelson finished 82nd in a personal-record 27:59, a dramatic improvement from her previous best in the 29-minute range.

“For her to do that at the end of the year, under those conditions and on that course, was just fantastic,” Sanders said.

Sanders said he was pleased that the teams treated State as more than a trip, using the meet to pursue individual goals and measure their progress. With many runners returning, he said the program is already looking toward offseason club running and another season of improvement in 2027.