Pocatello junior Elijah Armstrong placed sixth in the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships with a time of 15 minutes, 22 seconds Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

    Armstrong, a three-time Idaho 4A state champion, placed third in the West Regional Championship to qualify. After an 11th place at regionals last year kept him out of the national championships, Armstrong took an unwavered commitment to make it to this year’s national title meet.

    “Last year when I didn’t qualify it was pretty heart breaking,” Armstrong said. “But this year I was determined to go. I got asked whether I had any doubts that I was going to make it, and this year I was so determined that I had no doubts. I was in the zone and ready to go for it.”

    A representative of the West Region, Armstrong’s sixth-place finish helped his team take first in the meet. The West Region scored 23 points, followed by the Northwest (56), the Midwest (64) and the South (98).

    Armstrong was the fourth finisher for the West. In first place was the Midwest Region’s Grant Fisher from Grand Blanc, Mich., with a time of 15:07. John Dressel (West Region, Colbert, Wash.,) came in second with 15:10. Matthew Maton (West Region, Bend, Ore.,) finished third at 15:19. Mickey Burke (Northeast Region, Henrietta, NY.,) finished fourth in 15:20. Joseph Hardy (West Region, Seattle) was right in front of Armstrong with a time of 15:22.

    “The experience overall as an athlete is just amazing,” Armstrong said. “It’s a totally different feeling than just winning any meet or even the state championship or anything like that. It’s just so different.”

    Coming from Pocatello, a considerably smaller city than many of the schools he competed against, Armstrong said he felt a sense of pride to represent not just his hometown, but the state of Idaho.

    “A small town like Poky doesn’t get recognized other than the Simplot Games,” Armstrong said. “People wonder, ‘where’s Pocatello?’ and for me to say, ‘Idaho,’ and represent it in that way, it’s just phenomenal. I like to give it my all just to represent them well.”

    With one year of high school remaining for Armstrong, the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships is just one more step toward being the best runner he can be.

    “It’s been an amazing experience, and it made me realize that I want more experiences like this,” Armstrong said. “The people I meet in these are so amazing, and for me to represent Idaho is so much more amazing. I definitely wan to pursue my career in running and represent Idaho as best I can in doing so.”