The Helena Bengals opened their season with a splash as overcast skies and light rain greeted runners from 64 teams at Amend Park in Billings on Friday.
The Bengal girls swept both the varsity and junior varsity titles, while the boys varsity squad placed a strong second — close behind reigning state champion Bozeman — and the JV boys matched the girls with a commanding victory of their own.
Across the board, Helena athletes showed enthusiasm and competitive grit on the course, and outstanding support for their teammates whenever they weren’t competing.
Varsity Girls
The varsity girls’ win was led by freshman Willa Sweeney, who opened her HHS career with poise and placed 12th in 19:01. Helena scored 87 points to top Gallatin (115) and Cody, Wyoming (140).
Freshmen Clara Ostby (16th, 19:22) and McKenlee Young (20th, 19:32) were close behind, followed by senior Isabel Ward (21st, 19:33). Senior Kortney McKay rounded out the scoring five with a strong 28th-place finish in 19:52. Junior and first-year runner Izzy Lundstrom impressed in her debut (34th, 20:03), and junior Harper Johnson delivered a PR in her first varsity cross country competition (48th, 20:35).
Early in the race, the Bengals — coming off a third-place finish at last year’s state meet and featuring several new faces — ran with a patient, disciplined pack through the first mile. They showed resilience and strength over the final two miles, holding off a determined challenge from the 2025 state runner-up Raptors. Helena posted the meet’s best 1–5 spread, with just 50 seconds separating Sweeney from McKay.
Billings Central sophomore Addison Kegel continued her individual dominance with a win in 17:23, and Bozeman’s Phoebe Maixner (18:02) and Hellgate’s Reed Stromberg (18:22) completed the top three.
Varsity Boys
Senior Milo Kauffman led the Bengals with a top-three finish in 15:40, while Bozeman junior Taylor Neil won the race in 15:22. Sophomore Emory Kreissler (8th, 16:19 PR) and senior Joel Melton (12th, 16:29 PR) joined Kauffman in the top 15, but Bozeman’s depth carried the day, 67–78.
Junior Foster Warner (31st, 17:00 PR) and freshman Derek Bury (32nd, 17:00) completed Helena’s scoring five, and sophomore Tristan Hill (44th, 17:17 PR) and senior Dan Williams (65th, 17:51 PR) were the Bengals’ sixth and seventh runners. Helena’s 1–5 spread of 1:20 trailed only Worland, Wyoming’s 50-second gap.
JV Girls
Seniors Emmie Bermingham and Mary Clement dominated from the gun, finishing first and second in 20:22 and 20:33 to guide the girls JV team to a massive winning margin of 97 points. Senior Ellie Coburn added a fifth-place finish in 21:29, showcasing the Bengals’ depth as teammates poured in close behind.
Sophomore Ivy Kyle placed eighth (21:48), freshman Haddie Dailey was 14th (21:59), junior Alexa Pipinich finished 16th (22:00), and freshman Grace Williams crossed as Helena’s seventh runner in 18th (22:11). Senior Aven Baker added an eighth Bengal in the top 25 with her 23rd-place finish (22:34). The JV girls posted an impressive 1–5 spread of 1:36.
Helena scored 20 points, well ahead of Billings West (117) and Gallatin (127).
JV Boys
Junior Ander Svingen led the JV boys with a fourth-place finish in 17:44, powering Helena to 46 points and a team win over Bozeman (65) and Hardin (111).
Sophomore Milo Sealey backed him in 11th (18:19), and juniors Ben Blanksma and Reid Hayes finished 17th and 18th, both in 18:31. Senior Titus Wetzel was Helena’s fifth scorer in 22nd (18:55), while freshman Hank Coburn (23rd, 18:55) and junior Apollo Althoff (24th, 18:55) ensured the Bengals’ top seven finished inside the top 25. Their 1–5 spread of 1:10 trailed only Billings West’s 1:00.
Notes
The Bengals were everywhere on Friday, with 38 boys and 30 girls finishing races. Those numbers are expected to rise significantly next week at the Flathead Invitational in Kalispell. A program-record 60 boys and 47 girls are participating in cross country this season.