Firth’s Kynzie Nielson set the standard for Cougar runners

FIRTH – Every coach looks for those athletes that can impact a program and eventually leave a legacy.

It doesn’t happen often, but when those special athletes come around, the results, on and off the field, court, or even cross country course, will speak for themselves.

That’s the case with Kynzie Nielson at Firth.

This year’s EastIdahoNews.com Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year set the standard for Cougar runners, not only during the fall cross country season where the senior finished third at this year’s 3A state meet, but also as a distance runner in the track season.

The recent Weber State signee has earned dozens of accolades during her career, including being a 14-time district champion in track and field and cross country.

Nielson holds the 5K school record of 18:42.5 in cross country and won three state medals during her career.

“Outside of the medals and MVPs Kynzie has won, she also changed the culture of our program and the culture of our school,” coach Bob Lambert said after Nielson signed her letter of intent to run in college. “Kynzie’s made running cool again at Firth, and her impact will go well beyond the years she spent here training, because she cared not just about her own success, but about her teammates and her teams’ success as well. We will miss her greatly.”

Nielson finished 45th at this year’s NXR Northwest Regional Championships in the Open Invitational MERGE race.