KENNEWICK -- Kamiakin distance runner Stephanie Rexus, who finished fourth at the Class 3A state cross country meet and eighth at Nike Border Clash, signed to run for the Idaho Vandals on Wednesday.

PORTLAND -- Kamiakin senior Anthony Armstrong finished seventh at Nike Cross Nationals on Saturday at Portland Meadows.

KENNEWICK — It's Kamiakin's world; everyone else is just running in it.

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Another race, another win for Anthony Armstrong.

Kamiakin senior cross country sensation Anthony Armstrong made it three wins in three weeks, with a victory at Sunday's BorderClash

BOISE, Idaho -- Kamiakin senior Anthony Armstrong, who last week won the 3A boys state cross country title, was back at it again Saturday.

Kamiakin senior Anthony Armstrong added another trophy to his case, winning the Nike Cross northwest regional and qualifying for nationals

PASCO -- There was a time when Tri-City teams were regulars on the state cross country podiums, with their runners standing tall on the top step.

PASCO -- Broken records and shattered dreams. Powerhouse programs and dethroned champions. Winning at the tape and victory by the mile.

PASCO -- Here is a race-by-race look at the 2011 Washington state cross country championships at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco:

PASCO -- Fifty-two years, 297 races. Some 245 individual champions, 45 of them repeat titlists, and seven of those three-timers.

PASCO -- Here is a preview of each classification for the 2011 state cross country meet:

PASCO -- Here is a preview of each classification for the 2011 state cross country meet:

The Kamiakin Braves figure to play a key role in several story lines when the state cross country races take over Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco on Saturday.

The question posed was this: How many cross country teams could lose their No. 2 returning runner to injury and still hope to defend a state title.

A note from Saturday's CWAC/GNL regional meet plus the final coaches poll*

SPOKANE -- The Kamiakin girls cross country team is not a brash and boisterous bunch -- not publicly, anyway -- but the statement the Braves made Saturday easily will be heard all over the state.

SPOKANE -- "Two points" holds a significant place for the Kamiakin boys cross country team.

RICHLAND -- The first thing you need to know about Sidney Bullock is she loves to run. Not to the mailbox or the mall, or even easy evening jogs, but hard workouts -- 7, 10 miles long.

CLARKSTON -- The Tri-Cities Prep program demonstrated its mettle Thursday as it placed seven boys and two girls among the top 15 individuals and both Jaguars teams qualified for state in the District 9 Cross Country Championship at Clarkston High School.

PENDLETON -- Walla Walla Valley Academy senior Jessica Arnzen placed 18th overall with a time of 22 minutes, 16.62 seconds, and Umatilla freshman Berenice Chavez took 27th (23:12.82) in the 5,000-meter girls race at the Wildhorse Invitational in Pendleton.

RICHLAND -- John Hylden of Tri-Cities Prep and Heather Siegel of St. John-Endicott were at the top of their fields Wednesday in a District 9 cross country meet at Johnson Park in Richland.

Here are the 2011 Washington state cross country polls, as voted on by coaches:

PASCO -- Tri-Cities Prep's Nick Lumetta finished the 5,000-meter course first in 16 minutes, 43 seconds and Riverside Christian's April Soelberg paced the girls in 21:05 in the Jaguar Invite at Big Cross in Pasco.

WALLA WALLA -- Richland's Austin Van Wormer placed eighth in the CBBN 4A boys race with a time of 17:16.1 at Fort Walla Walla, a 5,000-meter course.

Here are the 2011 Washington state cross country polls, as voted on by coaches:

RICHLAND -- Last week, Anthony Armstrong waited until the last minute to make his move.

RICHLAND -- Some terrific battles have taken place on the 3-mile cross country course that loops about Carmichael Middle School.

GOLDENDALE -- Kyle Brightman led Kiona-Benton teammates Adrian Castellanos and Leo Alvarez in a 1-2-3 finish as the Bears placed five in the top 10 of a SCAC meet Thursday in Goldendale.

WALLA WALLA -- Walla Walla Valley Academy's Jessica Arnzen clocked 24 minutes, 33 seconds to place first in the girls 5,000-meter race at the Whitman Mission Adventure in Walla Walla.

Here are the 2011 Washington state cross country polls, as voted on by coaches:

YAKIMA -- Anthony Armstrong may someday have a better day on a bigger stage.

ST. JOHN -- Asotin's Chase Teigen led the boys and Victoria Nunez of Tri-Cities Prep led the girls at the District 9 league meet Wednesday in St. John.

With back-to-back premier events in the cross country world the next two weekends, different teams are using the big meets for different reasons.

Kamiakin teams, Tri-Cities Prep boys hold stead in state cross country polls.

CONNELL -- The little guys came up big Saturday at the Connell Invite, with Waitsburg-Prescott's Seth Deal and the Tri-Cities Prep boys coming out the big winners.

Just a couple of quick cross country notes.

RICHLAND -- The sport of running will never rival the likes of football for attention.

PROSSER -- East Valley was led to a team win by Katrina Radach, and Prosser got a second-place performance out of Kolby Childers during a four-way CWAC girls cross country meet at Art Fiker Stadium.

Both the Kamiakin boys and girls cross country teams posted big-time results in the last two weekends.

COWICHE -- Sunnyside's Omar Cantu took second place at the Apple Ridge Run Challenge, covering the 3-mile course in 16 minutes, 41 seconds -- just nine ticks behind Cle Elum winner Brandyn Bettis.

HOOD RIVER, Ore. -- Hermiston's Maggie Coleman and Katie Markwick placed first and second in the girls race and the Bulldog's Alejandro Cisneros was third in the boys competition at the Hood River Invitational.

WENATCHEE -- Kamiakin's Anthony Armstrong, Keegan McCormick, Stephanie Rexus, Michelle Fletcher and Sydney Blaser earned top three finishes Thursday in a CBBN 3A cross country meet at Eastmont in Wenatchee.

DAYTON -- Nick Lumetta and Victoria Nunez finshed second in their respective races at a 5,000-meter cross country race in Dayton.

There's been a little shuffling in the state cross country coaches polls since their preseason one was released last month.

SPOKANE -- Anthony Armstrong, a Kamiakin senior and defending 3A state champion, topped the field at the prestigious Tracy Walters Invite in Spokane, finishing in 15 minutes and seven seconds -- 30 seconds ahead of Keith Williams of North Central.

EAST WENATCHEE -- Wenatchee's Jacob Smith and Emily Nordt led the boys and girls races in a nonleague meet at the Eastmont Invite.

Here is the Washington state cross country coaches preseason poll

The preseason cross country coaches polls came out Sunday, and the Kamiakin boys and girls are ranked No. 3 in the 3A. No surprise, Tri-Cities Prep's boys are ranked No. 1 in the Bs, returning every runner from last year's state champion.

KENNEWICK -- Nothing like a little pressure and a big target to start the season.