Varsity Girls Place 7th; Judd’s Championship Guides JV Girls to Win; JV Boys Finish Runner-Up
Sophomore Milo Kauffman and senior Elliot Stimpson charged down the homestretch and caught frontrunner and sophomore Owen Thiel, of Glacier, in a mad dash to the finish line at the Bozeman Invitational to claim the top two places and close out an exceptional day for the Bengals at Bridger Creek Golf Course.
The 1-2 finish propelled Helena to a close runner-up finish in the varsity race behind Bozeman at a meet the featured more than 40 teams, including competitors from neighboring Wyoming. Helena’s varsity girls claimed 7th overall and 4th among all 16 Class AA high schools. And in the JV races, the Bengal girls cruised to the victory and the boys placed runner-up to Sheridan, Wyo.
As the sun drifted below the tree line and the clouds rolled in offering a relief from the heat, the crack of starter’s pistol signaled the start of the boys’ race, and the cooler temperatures allowed the competitors the opportunity to test their fitness in ideal conditions.
Helena’s top three boys – Kauffman, Stimpson, and senior Henry Sund – settled into the pack and remained connected to the front-runners through the first two miles, but Thiel injected a late surge and looked to be in strong position for the win late in the race. With about 300 meters to go, Kauffman and Stimpson appeared to be in a fight to hold of other competitors in a fierce fight for places 2-5, but Kauffman never relented and charged for Thiel with Stimpson in tow. The two Bengals crossed the finish line in personal bests of 15:38 and 15:39, and were followed closely in third by Sentinel senior Tyler Inabnit. The top five finished within 4 seconds of each other.
Sund was Helena’s third runner across the finish line in 13th with a time of 16:02, and junior Dylan Hill and senior Jake Matthews completed the scoring five for the Bengals in 29th (16:37) and 36th (16:44), respectively.
Also running in the varsity race were senior Eli Highness in 44th with a personal best 17:00, Garrett Hinderman in 53rd with a personal best 17:10, sophomore Joel Melton 96th in 17:54 and senior Chris Jenemann 104th in 18:04.
Bozeman claimed the boys title with 73 points, while Helena posted 80 in second and Billings West was third with 147.
Junior Kate Lee was again at the lead for Helena’s girls and spearheaded their 7th-place finish in 26th with a time of 20:38, while senior Hadyn Garza and freshman Lily Combs placed 38th and 41st in times of 20:57 and 20:59, respectively. Combs’ time was a personal best. Playing a role in the scoring for the Bengals were senior Solveig Mohr in 48th with a time of 21:05 and senior Ella Irey in 55th at 21:17.
Also running in the varsity race for Helena were sophomore Emmie Bermingham in 64th (21:27), senior Caoimhe Gallagher in 72nd (21:39), junior Emily Davidson in 85th (21:56), and senior Margot Muszkiewicz in 130th (22:53).
Bozeman won the girls varsity competition with 91 points and was trailed by Gallatin (125), Powell, Wyo. (160), reigning Class A champion Hardin (163), reigning AA champion Hellgate (168), Natrona County, Wyo. (195), and Helena (198).
In the girls JV race, junior Cooper Judd ran a composed first half, exhibiting patience after a fast start by the frontrunners, then made a push to the front midway through the race and never relinquished the lead. She finished in a personal best of 21:44.
While Judd was working hard in the lead, not to far back was sophomore Mary Clement, who constructed her own exceptional race, briefly moving into second before a late move by Bozeman’s Adele Kozicki meant Clement would finish an impressive third place in 22:07. Next across the finish for the victorious Bengals were sophomore Ellie Coburn 11th in 23:00, senior Ryah O’Dell 22nd in 23:46, and freshman Harper Johnson in 34th in a personal best of 24:10 – Johnson’s first time contributing to the team score as a top-five runner for Helena. The Bengals sixth and seventh finishers were junior Wren Clum 39th in 24:20 and sophomore Aven Baker 44th in 24:30.
The girls posted a winning total of 70 points, while Billings Senior was second with 105 and Hellgate placed third with 118.
On the boys’ side, the Bengals were the top Montana team with 81 points, but Wyoming’s Sheridan High collected the overall victory with 48.
Leading the way for Helena was junior Ed Coleman in a strong third-place finish, crossing the line in a personal best 17:58. Senior Sam Fitterer backed up that performance with a strong run of his own in 10th (18:35, PR), sophomore Dan Williams placed 19th (18:53), freshman Ravin Bury ran to 21st (18:54, PR), and freshman Foster Warner capped the scoring in 28th (19:08, PR). Also claiming spots in the top seven for the Bengals were Henry Sweeney (39th, 19:27) and Will Kreissler (45th, 19:32).
The meet capped a week that started with some adversity as the Bengals were pushed indoors because of smokey air, forcing them to adapt to some adjustments in the training schedule. But they responded with a positive attitude, exceptional effort, and continued commitment to string together four solid days of training and an impressive effort at a highly competitive meet.
While some of the Bengals left the meet expressing they wanted more from themselves in the competition, the coaching staff was most impressed by the collective effort and continued positive vibe the team exhibits day in and day out.
A good quote to leave the week comes from Olympian Alexi Pappas, who wrote, “You can be proud of yourself and want more from yourself at the same time.” The Bengals can certainly leave Bozeman feeling proud and wanting more is a healthy response to the lessons they learned in Bozeman. They will try to put those lessons to good use when they return to action Friday, Sept. 20 at the Butte Invitational.
Helena High Cross Country 