Wildcats, Bulldogs claim state cross country titles

MISSOULA - The Flathead Valley was well represented on the cross country course on Saturday.

On a balmy day at the All-Class State Meet, the Columbia Falls boys - sporting a few aerodynamic Mohawks - claimed their first state title in the program's 23-year history while the Whitefish girls needed everything they had to earn the three-peat the University of Montana Golf Course.

The Flathead boys came up short in their quest to dethrone defending champ Bozeman and earned second place a year after finishing sixth.

This decade, the Braves have won more total trophies (eight) than any other AA team in the state, thanks to five state titles ('00, '01, '02, '04, '05) and runner-up finishes in three of the past four years.

Whitefish, a running powerhouse in its own right, had its toughest test in its three-year run and beat Dawson County by only 16 points.

"You always try and think the positives and hope that everyone is going to run as well as they can and hopefully that's enough," said a relieved Whitefish coach Bill Brist. "And in this case it was by a little bit, and we're very happy with the results."

"The girls have worked hard. We knew all week long that we couldn't miss a step. But they're all excited and it's great," Whitefish coach Sara Brist said.

The Whitefish girls went 5-6-7, led by Jessica Sagen (19:32), then Bailey Eaton (19:38) and Loni Hanson (19:51).

"We were so scared because (Dawson County) was so close," Sagen said of how the team felt while waiting for results. "It was just the most incredible feeling when we found out (we won). I don't know if anyone even said anything, we were just screaming and hugging."

The emotions were on the same scale after the Class A boys race.

Once Browning was named second place, the never-before state champion Wildcats swarmed together in a tight group hug.

"This is a special team, with the senior leaders in Shawn Whitman and Patric Jessat," Columbia Falls first-year coach Richard Menicke said after an emotional team huddle. "They've just carried this team for three years now ever since they were sophomores ... They went out and set the tough pace."

Columbia Falls as a whole trailed in the opening mile-and-a-half, but pieced together a textbook third mile that ended up being the difference between first and second.

"They did a really nice job of getting out in the top third of the pack and finding each other and being together," Menicke said. "That's what veterans should do, is run smart and that's exactly what they did."

"We have a good team, we're all best friends," said Whitman, who led the Wildcats with a fourth-place finish while wearing a slick Mohawk along with his younger brother, Justin, who took 11th.

Derrick Williams came in fifth (16:30) while Jessat earned seventh for Columbia Falls, who took second as a team last year. Patric's younger brother, Pascal, took 37th and rounded out the Wildcats' top five.

In the AA boys race, Flathead senior Leif Castren ended his cross country career with his best finish at state with a third place.

"I'm sure their disappointed they didn't do better but you know what, there's quite a few other teams that weren't in the top three," Flathead coach Paul Jorgensen said.

"That's the way it goes. Things happen. Sometimes disappointment motivates," he added.

Glacier freshman Troy Fraley ended up standing where he never imagined he would just a year earlier - on the all-state podium.

"I've been working hard all summer and during the season so it's nice," Fraley said. "Last year I would never have dreamed that I'd be all-state. It makes it worth all the hours you put into it."

Fraley finished seventh (16:09) and the Wolfpack took 11th as a team.

"Troy's got a great desire to race hard, and that's what we need," Glacier coach Mike McLean said. "He's setting the example as a freshman."

Flathead's Jesse Bennett (16:17) and Hunter Schutt (16:23) both cracked the top 15 as well with 10th and 14th place finishes, respectively.

In the girls Class B race, Bigfork senior Kayla Carlson placed fourth (19:09) in her finale. Teammate Bridger Mahlum (17:11) placed 22nd in the boys race.

Sophomore Paige Bouma, in her first season of cross country, paced the Flathead girls with an 11th place finish. The Bravettes finished fourth as a team. Last year they were fifth.

Heather Fraley led Glacier with a 28th place finish and the Wolfpack came in 10th.

Eureka's Dylan Day was 15th (16:50) in Class B for all-state honors, while Bailey Malecha finished 16th (20:26) in the girls race.

The Bozeman squads swept AA for the second year in a row. The girls team won with 30 points and broke Flathead's 2001 state class record of 31 total points.