Whitefish girls fly away with win at home cross country meet

by The Daily Inter Lake
| October 11, 2009 2:00 AM

WHITEFISH- A little cold weather couldn't slow down the Whitefish girls cross country team on Saturday.

Led by senior Loni Hanson, who won for the third year in a row, the two-time defending state champs placed five runners in the top nine en route to 19 points.

With only two weeks left until the state championship race in Missoula, the Whitefish girls were in top form despite running in the coldest temperatures this season.

Hanson clocked 18:34, second-place Bailey Eaton was 18:48, third-place Jessica Sagen, 18:49, sixth-place Carly Schwickert, 19:45 and ninth-place Hannah Weaver, 19:50.

"I was very impressed. Those were some huge times there," Whitefish coach Bill Brist said.

"We had four personal bests, including Loni. Anytime your senior girl does her best you have to be happy."

Columbia Falls' Derrick Williams won the boys race in 16:24, while teammates Justin and Shawn Whitman finished third and fourth, respectively.

Columbia Falls totaled 52 points for second and Frenchtown won with 45.

"I'm really, really excited for Derrick's race," Columbia Falls coach Richard Menicke said.

"He raced with a lot of composure and confidence."

Columbia Falls was without a number of runners due to sickness, but the ones that did race gave a solid effort, Menicke said.

Jinise Osborne paced the Columbia Falls girls with an eighth place finish and had a personal best time, 19:50.

Brist credited Nathan Knox's race. Knox paced the third-place Bulldogs and finished fifth with 16:42.

"He was right with that group that was up front with a half mile to go," Brist said. "He stuck his nose in it and raced real well."

The Northwestern A Divisional race is scheduled to run next Friday in Pablo.

Whitefish Invite Cross Country Race

Saturday

Boys

Team Totals: Frenchtown 45, Columbia Falls 52, Whitefish 64, Libby 114, Plains 119, Eureka 141, Thompson Falls 154

Top 25

1, Derrick Williams, CF, 16:24; 2, Clay Armstrong, FRE, 16:24; 3, Justin Whitman, CF, 16:25; 4, Shawn Whitman, CF, 16:27; 5, Nathan Knox, WF, 16:42; 6, Carter Montgomery, PLA, 16:51; 7, Quinton Tolman, FRE, 17:11; 8, Nathan Francis, FRE, 17:27; 9, Dylan Day, EUR, 17:35; 10, Kodiak Gimbel, CF, 17:40; 11, Jace Kalbfleisch, WF, 17:42; 12, Jacob Thomas, LIB, 17:46; 13, Carson Wabaunsee, FRE, 17:48; 14, Fischer Gangemi, WF, 17:52; 15, Hokan Holmquist, FRE, 17:55; 16, Baxter Graham, WF, 18:00; 17, Dylan Berget, LIB, 18:00; 18, Chris Reyna, WF, 18:07; 19, Jared Sine, PLA, 18:08; 20, Will Holdhusen, WF, 18:11; 21, Jon Weaver, EUR, 18:25; 22, Carson Hochhalter, FRE, 18:27; 23, Mike Barnett, TF, 18:28; 24, Robert Earnhart, PLA, 18:38; 25, Preston Schubert, TF, 18:38.

-----

Girls

Team Totals: Whitefish 19, Thompson Falls 63, Columbia Falls 73, Frenchtown 96, Eureka 120.

Top 25

1, Loni Hanson, WF, 18:34; 2, Bailey Eaton, WF, 18:48; 3, Jessica Sagen, WF, 18:49; 4, Emily Schall, FRE, 19:39; 5, Nikola Falk, LIB, 19:43; 6, Carly Schwickert, WF, 19:45; 7, Bailey Malecha, EUR, 19:49; 8, Jinise Osborne, CF, 19:50; 9, Hannah Weaver, WF, 19:50; 10, Becca Gunderson, TF, 20:00; 11, Monica Conlin, TF, 20:06; 12, Jeffreyanne Parker, TF, 20:41; 13, Jackie Cassidy, WF, 20:47; 14, Mariah Naegeli, TF, 20:51; 15, Anne Miller, WF, 20:55; 16, Madison Stolte, CF, 21:24; 17, Kaylin Carvey, CF, 21:31; 18, Elizabeth Stevenson, WF, 21:39; 19, Cami Casazza, CF, 21:46; 20, Nicole Birk, WF, 21:56; 21, Leesa Benner, CF, 21:57; 22, Tessa Cowan, 22:01; 23, Karen Noahsen, TF, 22:58; 24, Alyson Heare, FRE, 23:08; 25, Laura Breidenbach, FRE, 23:19.