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Bonners Ferry Jamboree a fun success
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August 30, 2012 |
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Badger Aimee
Sayers |
Four schools and more than 75 runners
participated in the inaugural Bonners Ferry
cross-country jamboree last Thursday near
McArthur Lake. Runners from Bonners Ferry,
Priest River, Lake City, and Timberlake tested
their pre-season fitness on a race course that
featured a gravel road and rolling sand hills,
and which finished in Jeff and Karen Perkins’
front yard.
Melody Braden, who ran for BFHS from 2004-2008
and who is helping with the high school program
this year, said, “It’s a great chance to get rid
of the early season nerves.”
The run provided race-paced competition without
results, which allowed beginners to gain
experience but still provided the spectacle of
strategic racing and some photo-finishes.
Part of the fun came in the form of pancakes and
fruit, as the race was billed as the “Flapjack
Jamboree.” The après party afforded students and
community members the opportunity to enjoy a
meal and some conversation.
With no official places, times, or scores,
athletes were able to gauge their abilities
against their teammates, themselves, and
interscholastic rivals in an informal manner.
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Badger Jared
Lysne |
“Our team was mixing it up in the race, which
was encouraging to see; we had some solid first
performances,” Coach Paul Bonnell said.
“However, I really appreciate the jamboree
philosophy. We’ll be seeing scores soon enough.
I enjoyed watching the athletes from different
teams mingling after the race. I’m grateful that
Jeff and Karen wanted to host this event at
their home.”
Volunteers from Mountain Springs Church, the
Perkins’ Doe Road neighborhood, and the Kootenai
River Run helped make the jamboree possible.
Super 1 Foods donated supplies for the post-race
“breakfast.”
Tom Oxford settled the dust with his water
truck. Teams brought pot-luck items. The Far
North Logo Shop designed and made shirts for the
run. Music boomed over the Perkins’ front lawn.
BFHS junior Bradley Thompson wore a wool poncho.
Athletes took on the challenge of the roughly
4.7 kilometer course, complete with a
single-track sand climb. Impromptu games started
up after the pancakes and watermelon.
A Lake City parent commented, “It’s so beautiful
here,” and Kootenai River Run race director Jim
“Bird” Cadnum noted, “It looks like people are
having a good time.”
Perhaps Jeff and Karen’s son Alec, who is a
senior at Bonners Ferry High School, summed it
up best, “Can we have the jamboree here again
next year?” |
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