Coach Zentz

McKay, Ward, Lee Guide Helena Girls to Third; Bengal Boys Finish Fifth

JV Girls Claim 2nd and JV Boys Finish 3rd

Facing 15 of the 16 teams from Class AA, plus an additional 25 teams from Montana and Wyoming, the Bengals built on momentum and had a strong all-around showing in stunning September weather Saturday at the Bozeman XC Invitational.

Helena’s JV girls posted the top team finish in second, the varsity girls placed third in a field that will likely come together to stage a close battle for a place on the podium later this season, the JV boys also collected third, and the varsity boys finished fifth on a speedy day at Bridger Creek Golf Course.

The varsity girls race witnessed the first sub-18 finish since 2018, and it was another runner from the Magic City as Billings Central freshman Addison Kegel stormed to a winning time of 17:31. The last girl to run faster than 18 minutes at the meet was Billings Senior’s Tiahna Vladic in 2018 (17:44).

While Kegel was an outlier Saturday, Glacier packed a strong 1-2 punch with junior Lauren Bissen and freshman Addie Thiel placed second and third in 18:02 and 18:19 – times that would win in most years. Junior Kortney McKay, meanwhile, ran another strong race in her first season of cross country to spearhead the Bengals’ attack with a time of 19:07 in ninth place. That effort, combined with top 25 finishes from junior Isabel Ward (17^th, season best 19:45) and senior Kate Lee (25^th, season best 23:03), and strong performances by junior Mary Clement (50^th, 20:47) and freshman Wynona Schmidt in her varsity debut (63^rd, 20:58), propelled the Bengals to third place with 155 points.

Bozeman won going away with 51 points, Gallatin was second with 119, Kelly Walsh (Casper, Wyo.) placed fourth with 168, and Glacier claimed fifth with 171.

Also running strong for Helena’s varsity girls were junior Ellie Coburn (66^th, season best 21:00), freshman Ivy Kyle (67^th, personal best 21:02), senior Emily Davidson (71^st, season best 21:09), and junior Emmie Bermingham (77^th, 21:22).

In girls JV action, the Bengals again wowed with a runner-up finish behind a potent scoring five. Senior Cooper Judd hit the gas early and kept up the pressure throughout as she ran a season best 21:20 to place third and lead three Bengals into the top 10.

Not too far behind Judd was freshman Mary Guzynski in a big personal best of 21:41 to place 8^th, and sophomore Harper Johnson closed out confidently in a substantial personal best of 21:45 in 9^th. Also scoring were sophomore Alexa Pipinich in a personal best of 22:26 in 20^th and freshman Sadie Murray in 35^th (22:56). Seniors Wren Clum and Emma Flinders were Helena’s sixth and seventh across the line in 42^nd (23:22) and 62^nd (24:00), respectively.

Bozeman claimed the JV girls title with 31 points, the Bengals posted 61, and Billings Senior was third with 138.

In boys competition, Helena was fifth overall with 177 points, but the Bengals were fourth among Montana AA teams. Bozeman locked down first with an impressive 45 points, Sheridan, Wyo. was second with 109, Hellgate claimed third with 120, and Glacier finished fourth with 168.

Leading the way once again for Helena was junior Milo Kauffman, posting a season best of 15:39 to place 11^th. Senior Garrett Hinderman ran his second fastest time (16:16) for the Bengals to earn a spot in the top 25 at 22^nd.

Also scoring for the Bengals were freshman Emory Kreissler in 30^th (16:38) – holding down the Bengals’ No. 3 position for the second time, senior Ed Coleman placing 45^th in a personal best 16:45 in his season opener, and sophomore Ander Svingen running a personal best 17:25 in 81^st.

Like the girls, the Helena boys ran nine in varsity competition as the meet allows more than the customary seven, and the remaining Bengals across the line were junior Joel Melton (109^th, 17:48), sophomore Foster Warner (114^th, 17:54), junior Titus Wetzel (123, 18:02), and junior Daniel Williams (140^th, 18:13).

The JV boys, meanwhile, collected their second straight third-place finish, but this time they were led by sophomore Ravin Bury, who posted a big season best to finish 9^th in 18:27. Freshman Milo Sealey, again, was the Bengals’ second finisher in JV with a 16^th-place finish in 18:48, sophomore Apollo Althoff was 17^th in a personal best 18:52, and senior Henry Sweeney was the Bengals’ fourth top-25 finisher in 18:58 – his season-opener. Also scoring for Helena was sophomore Graham Coleman in 19:38.

Helena’s No. 6 and 7 runners across the line were freshman Evan Kaiser in 63^rd with a personal best of 20:17 and junior Cole Harris 65^th in 20:20.

The Bozeman Invitational was a step up in competition from the season-opener in Kalispell, but next up for the Bengals is the always amazing Mountain West Classic in Missoula, which will also serve as a preview of the state course. More than 120 teams will feature runners in a meet that welcomes programs from Montana, Idaho and Washington.

Racing begins with JV girls at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at UM Golf Course.

Bengals Open Season Strong at Flathead Invitational

STORY AND LINKS TO PHOTOS AND RESULTS BELOW THE GALLERY

Meet Results

Meet Photos

Helena High cross country opened its season in strong form Friday at the Flathead Invitational on the 5K course at Rebecca Farm, led by standout performances in varsity and junior varsity competition.

While Helena’s performances wowed onlookers, it was the team spirit, attitude, and collective effort across the board that made it a day to remember in northwestern Montana. The Bengals have been working hard for several weeks in preparation for the season, and they demonstrated incredible growth, strength, and resolve in their first opportunity to compete.

The varsity boys toed the line first with an 11 a.m. start time, and junior Milo Kauffman went out hard with the leaders while senior teammate Garrett Hinderman opted to bide his time a little further back in the pack. Both Bengals earned top 10 finishes. Kauffman placed sixth in a solid season-opener of 15:46 and Hinderman was eighth with a personal best of 16:01.

Those finishes helped the varsity boys lock up third place with 137 points, trailing Bozeman with 45 and Hellgate with 105. Glacier senior Owen Thiel took home top individual honors in 15:06, and he was followed by Bozeman’s Miles Halvorsen (15:07) and Taylor Neil (15:12) in second and third.

Helena’s third runner across the line was a new face as freshman Emory Kreissler placed 32^nd in 16:47. Junior Joel Melton and sophomore Ander Svingen registered scoring finishes for Helena in 43^rd and 48^th respectively, stopping the clock with PRs of 17:21 and 17:28, respectively. Also running varsity for the Bengals were sophomore Foster Warner (17:53 PR, 62^nd) and junior Dan Williams (18:31, 85^th).

The varsity girls were next up as the temps kept rising, and the Bengals put together an excellent effort to finish second behind reigning state champion Bozeman. The Hawks finished with 47 points, Helena registered 91, and Glacier was third with 114 on its home course.

Junior Kortney McKay, running in her first cross country race for the Bengals, showed great courage in the lead pack and remained focused throughout the race to lock down fifth place in a PR of 19:04 – the fastest time run by a Bengal since 2021. Helena junior Isabel Ward finished 13^th for the Bengals in 20:11, senior Kate Lee was 14^th in 20:12, and junior Mary Clement gave the Bengals a fourth runner in the top 25 with a finish of 20:42 in 25^th.

But that wasn’t it for the Bengals, whose final scoring runner was Ellie Coburn in 34^th with a time of 21:17. Behind her were senior Emily Davidson (21:20, 37^th) and freshman Ivy Kyle (21:23 PR, 40^th).

Helena’s top five runners posted an average finishing time of 20:17, which was 51 seconds faster than the team’s average from 2024 and 1:08 faster than 2023, demonstrating the Bengals’ impressive collective growth over the past two seasons.

Glacier’s Lauren Bissen and Addie Thiel took the top two spots overall in 18:12 and 18:22, while Bozeman’s Kylie Neil guided the Hawks in third with a time of 18:25.

Not to be outdone by their varsity teammates, Helena’s JV girls started at high noon and placed a whopping 5 runners in the top 11 to secure a big win with 34 points. Glacier was second with 61 and Hellgate was third with 73.

Junior Emmie Bermingham ran a signature gutsy and courageous race near the front. For more than ¾ of the race, it appeared as though she and several others were simply battling for second place as Bozeman’s Neva Halverson enjoyed a comfortable lead.

But with about 800 meters remaining, Helena freshman Wynona Schmidt and Bozeman’s Elizabeth Becker moved past Bermingham in hot pursuit of Halverson. As Schmidt continued her pursuit and pulled away from Becker, Bermingham found an even faster gear to chase down all three runners ahead of her to sneak past Halverson and Schmidt at the finish. Bermingham won in 20:48.3, Halverson was second in 20:48.7, and Schmidt placed third in 20:48.9 PR.

Next up for the Bengals were sophomore Harper Johnson (22:08 PR, 9^th), freshman Mary Guzynski (22:08 PR, 10^th), and senior Cooper Judd (22:11, 11^th). Helena’s next three runners all placed in the top 25 – sophomore Alexa Pipinich (22:38 PR, 16^th), freshman Sadie Murray (22:52 PR, 17^th), and junior Aven Baker (23:37, 25^th).

Also finishing for the Bengals in the JV race were senior Wren Clum (24:33), senior Emma Flinders (24:36 PR), sophomore Myla Dahlke (25:06), junior Kumari Leland (25:31), sophomore Evelyn Harris (26:16 PR), junior Esme Soller (27:43), sophomore Eisley Bushilla (27:56), sophomore Mei Boedecker (28:07), freshmen Iris McLain (28:13 PR), freshman Lunabelle Cleveland (28:17 PR), junior Ava Irey (28:47), junior Maren Fox (28:54), junior Astoria Holzer (28:59), sophomore Erin McNeil (29:52 PR), senior Tessa Coil (30:31), senior Anyah Douglas (30:34), freshman Brigitt Bryce (30:51), and junior Katie Hill (31:17).

Hellgate ran away with the win in the boys JV race with 51 points, while Great Falls was second with 90, but Helena posted a solid effort to beat Flathead in a tiebreaker for third place with 117 points each.

Junior Titus Wetzel, who joined the cross country team just recently, led the Bengals in the race in 11^th place with a time of 18:34, while freshman Milo Sealey (18:43 PR, 17^th), Graham Coleman (18:54 PR, 19^th), sophomore Apollo Althoff (19:29, 34^th) and junior Will Kreissler (19:31, 37^th) rounded out the team’s five scorers. And it was junior Cole Harris in 42^nd place with a PR of 19:37 that broke the tie in Helena’s favor.

Also finishing for the Bengals in the JV race were senior Enoch Johnson (20:03), freshman Trystan Hill (20:03 PR), sophomore Ravin Bury (20:28), sophomore Sean Carney (20:30 PR), freshman Evan Kaiser (20:36 PR), sophomore Noah Flynn (21:04 PR), senior Finn Morrison (21:06), sophomore Leslie Carr (21:20), junior Asher Hazen (21:32), freshman Tre Phipps (21:51 PR), junior Dane Moser (21:51), sophomore Grayson Trum (22:17), freshman Levi Johnson (22:17), sophomore Kingston Downing (22:25), junior Henry Coy (23:30), freshman Ben Cupino (25:29 PR), freshman Tim Wilkins (26:23 PR), freshman Gabriel Watts (27:08 PR), freshman Isaac Davant (27:09 PR), junior Eliot Cleary (27:52) and freshman Santi Arguelles (30:37 PR).

The Bengals have another opportunity to pursue excellence, exercise their curiosity, and show love to their teammates when they lace up the spikes Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Bozeman Invitational at Bridger Creek Golf Course.

Boys Claim 2nd With 3 All-State Finishers, Ward Leads Girls to 5th

Photo Gallery (Thank you Emily Davidson and Marie Matthews)

Complete Results

A trio of Helena High boys collected All-State finishes Saturday at the state cross country meet, but a strong meet for the Bengals wasn’t quite enough as Bozeman put together an impressive collective effort of their own to claim the title.

The Hawks finished with 56 points, Helena was second with 71, and Hellgate claimed third with 115.

Sophomore Milo Kauffman charged to the front in a gutsy move with about 1 kilometer remaining in the 5K race at UM Golf Course in Missoula and held on for fourth place in 15:49 as senior teammate Henry Sund charged to the finish line in fifth in 15:55. Senior Elliot Stimpson (16:04) claimed the third all-state finish (top 15) for the Bengals in 10^th, an impressive showing considering the Bengal veteran “felt off” early in the race but managed to construct his best showing at the state meet after he placed 11^th last fall.

Kauffman has now opened his career with back-to-back All-State finishes after placing 10^th in 2023. For Sund, it was a welcome return to the podium. He placed 14th in 2022 and missed out on all-state in 2023 when he finished 19^th and the Bengals placed third.

Finishing fourth for Helena on Saturday was junior Dylan Hill who matched his 25th-place finished from a year ago. Junior Garrett Hinderman fought hard on every inch of the demanding course en route to 27^th in a lifetime best breakthrough of 16:43. Seniors Eli Highness (41^st, 16:55) and Jake Matthews (42^nd, 16:57) were Helena’s sixth and seventh finishers, capping off a strong season for the duo.

The top three individual places were occupied by Belgrade junior Wilson Schmidt, who stormed past the leaders in the final stretch to place first in a personal record of 15:38. Bozeman sophomore Taylor Neil was second in a PR of 15:42 and Glacier junior Owen Theil was third in 15:45.

Helena Girls Rise to the Occasion

Sophomore Isabel Ward ran a full minute faster than she’d completed a race this season and bettered her personal best by about 20 seconds in 16^th – just one spot off the All-State podium – and guided the Helena girls to fifth place.

It was an exceptional performance for Ward, who suffered an unfortunate injury early this season and was confined to cross-training for three weeks and was forced to miss the first two meets. She remained positive and persevered, then put together her best race of the season when the team needed her most.

Entering the meet, the Bengals were projected to finish sixth based on season bests, but because of a strong collective effort by all seven runners they posted 154 points, just one shy of Glacier in fourth place with 153. Gallatin (52 points) won the state championship over Bozeman (68), and Hellgate (129) finished third.

Helena’s 2, 3, 4, and 5 runners finished in a flurry with only 6 seconds separating the four of them, led by senior Solveig Mohr in a PR of 20:14 for 32^nd place. Freshman Lily Combs ran a PR of 20:17 in 34^th, senior Ella Irey capped and impressive career that included four trips to the state meet with a PR of 20:18 in 35^th, and junior Kate Lee continued an incredibly strong season in 20:20 for 37^th place.

Sophomore Emmie Bermingham was Helena’s sixth runner across the line in a PR of 20:42 for 45^th place and senior Hadyn Garza completed the Bengals drive to the finish line in 52^nd with a time of 20:51.

Bengals On the Up

The meet exhibited the Bengals’ incredible commitment and resolve and marked another step in a positive direction. Helena’s boys placed 13^th in 2021, were fifth in 2022, and finished third last season, making the runner-up finish the team’s best since winning the state title in 2003. The girls placed fourth in 2021 and bid farewell to a historic senior class, then finished 10^th in 2022, climbed to sixth in 2023, and finished fifth to cap this season with a strong core of hungry Bengals returning next fall.

Next Up

In three weeks, 58 Helena High runners will travel to Boise to compete in the Nike Cross Northwest Regional Championships against the top runners from seven states – Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Wyoming, and Hawaii. The meet will be Saturday, Nov. 16 at Eagle Island State Park.

Crosstown Sends Off Seniors in Style, Sets Stage for Next Week’s State Meet

Photo Gallery

Complete Results

Helena High cross country closed out the regular season portion of its schedule Wednesday afternoon at Bill Roberts Golf Course with another strong all-around showing in the annual Crosstown Meet.

The Bengals ran to victory in all four individual and team competitions and built on some great momentum heading into the state meet next weekend (Saturday, Oct. 26) in Missoula.

After cheering runners from Helena Middle School and CR Anderson, the girls toed the line first with a pack of five Bengals establishing the early lead. By the end of the race, another five joined them at the front as Helena took the top 10 places, guided by junior Kate Lee, who has led Helena across the finish line in every race this season – this time in 20:33. Sophomore Isabel Ward was close behind in 20:35, and the two look to be a strong 1-2 punch heading into state.

On the varsity side, Lee and Ward were joined by junior Cooper Judd in a personal best 20:55, freshman Lily Combs in 20:56, senior Solveig Mohr in 21:03, sophomore Emmie Bermingham in 21:07, and senior Hadyn Garza in 21:08 – producing an exceptional 1-7 spread of just 35 seconds. Sophomore Madi Emmert led Capital across the line in the varsity division in eighth with a time of 21:42.

In junior varsity competition, the Bengals matched their varsity counterparts by taking the top seven positions, led by senior Ella Irey in 21:09 (8^th overall). She was followed in places 2-7 by Emily Davidson in 21:38 (9^th overall), sophomore Mary Clement in 21:39 (10^th overall), senior Caoimhe Gallagher in 21:45 (12^th overall), sophomore Ellie Coburn in 21:57 (14th overall), senior Margot Muszkiewicz in a season best of 21:59 (15th overall), and junior Gabbi LaVoie in 22:32 (19th overall).

The Bengals also claimed the next three positions in the JV race and senior Aila Romano led the Bruins in 11^th with a time of 23:48.

Helena won both varsity and JV girls team races with 15 points, while Capital posted 50.

Judd was one of two Bengals to post a personal best as senior Gilly Bovingdon improved on her mark with a time of 24:24, and junior Wren Clum (23:07) posted a season best.

It’s been a head-turning season of growth for the Helena High girls who are just one of two teams in Montana – regardless of classification – with nine girls under 21 minutes (Bozeman has 10). That remarkable depth and is unprecedented in team history.

On the boys side Wednesday, the Bengals were without usual No. 4 runner Dylan Hill, but they still managed to claim the top six spots with senior Elliot Stimpson leading the way in 16:02.

On the varsity side, sophomore Milo Kauffman (16:17), senior Henry Sund (16:51), junior Garrett Hinderman (17:16), senior Eli Highness (17:32) and senior Jake Matthews (17:49) followed Stimpson across the finish to post 15 points against Capital’s 45. The Bruins were led in seventh by freshman Cooper Laslovich with a personal best of 17:51.

In junior varsity competition, Helena claimed the top eight positions and again posted a perfect score of 15 points against the Bruins’ 50.

Junior Ed Coleman (17:41, 8^th overall) claimed the JV crown and was followed closely in second by Chris Jenemann (17:47, 9^th overall). Sophomore Joel Melton returned to action with a strong effort after missing out on 7 vs. 7 and finished third in 17:58, while freshman Ander Svingen (18:12), junior Henry Sweeney (18:17), freshman Foster Warner (18:43), and freshman Ravin Bury (18:51) occupied the remaining scoring positions for Helena. Sophomore Dan Williams (18:56) was eighth for the Bengals, 12 seconds ahead of Capital’s Callahan Jarvais.

The Bengal boys had one runner post a personal best (Apollo Althoff, 19:52) and one runner post a season best (Dane Moser, 22:01).

Following the races, both the Bruins and the Bengals took time to honor their seniors. On the boys side, Helena honored Sam Fitterer, Eli Highness, Chris Jenemann, Jake Matthews, Elliot Stimpson, Henry Sund, and Luke Wilkins. And on the girls side, the Bengals recognized Gilly Bovingdon, Hadyn Garza, Caoimhe Gallagher, Ella Irey, Margaret McDonald, Solveig Mohr, Margot Muszkiewicz, and Ryah O’Dell.

All 15 seniors played a significant role in developing a culture of commitment, love, curiosity, excellence, and inclusiveness, and we thank them for their contributions and incredible legacy. Seven seniors – Highness, Matthews, Stimpson, Sund, Garza, Irey, and Mohr – will compete at the state meet, Jenemann will serve as an alternate, and Gallagher will serve as a manager. Our remaining six seniors will travel with the team to state to provide support and revel in the experience. Below are our complete state teams.

BOYS

Eli Highness, 12

Dylan Hill, 11

Garrett Hinderman, 11

Milo Kauffman, 10

Jake Matthews, 12

Elliot Stimpson, 12

Henry Sund, 12

Alternates

Chris Jenemann, 12

Joel Melton, 10

Manager

Ed Coleman, 11

GIRLS

Emmie Bermingham, 10

Lily Combs, 9

Hady Garza, 12

Ella Irey, 12

Kate Lee, 11

Solveig Mohr, 12

Isabel Ward, 10

Alternates

Mary Clement, 10

Cooper Judd, 11

Managers

Emily Davidson, 11

Caoimhe Gallagher, 12

Bengals Break Out at 7 vs. 7 as Boys Win, Girls Place 4th and JV Shines

Helena High’s junior varsity girls set an incredible tone to start the 7 vs. 7 Classic on an overcast and sometimes sunny Thursday at Bill Roberts Golf Course, the JV boys followed suit with yet another impressive run, and the good vibes continued to reverberate throughout the afternoon as Helena’s varsity squads put on a show on their home course.

The unique 7 vs. 7 format matches runners from each school in descending order, meaning the No. 7 runners from each school compete first, followed by the No. 6 runners, then the No. 5 runners and so on.

Helena’s boys got off to a near-perfect start en route to victory as junior Garrett Hinderman won the No. 7 race in 17:16, then senior Eli Highness was runner-up in the No.6 race in 16:46, and senior Jake Matthews posted a second-place finish in the No. 5 race in 16:58. With Bozeman being their nearest competitor, that gave the Bengals a 5-8 lead against the reigning state champions.

Junior Dylan Hill then stepped up with arguably the race of the day for the Helena boys with a commanding victory in a personal best 16:14 – running at the front wire-to-wire and winning by a margin of 25 seconds to extend the lead to 6-10.

That left the final three races, which are incredibly competitive as they often each feature multiple runners from all classifications who will be vying for all-state finishes two weeks from now.

Senior Henry Sund seemed unfazed by the runners around him, stormed to an early lead and never looked back, winning the No. 3 race in 16:02 – expanding the Bengals lead to a commanding 7-15 and releasing some of the pressure teammates Milo Kauffman, a sophomore, and Elliot Stimpson, a senior, might have been feeling as they were queued up for the No. 2 and No. 1 races.

Kauffman appeared calm and composed as he went to work on a runner-up finish in 16:07 behind Bozeman’s Christian Landers, and Stimpson followed that up in a business-like fourth-place finish in the final race of the day with a time of 15:48 to lock up the victory for the Bengals – their first in more than a decade at the event.

In the end, Helena finished with 13 points to Bozeman’s 21, and Billings West was third with 43.

On the girls side, the Bengals entered the meet with reason to hope for a spot in the top 6 with a tightly contested field featuring frontrunners Gallatin, Bozeman, reigning Class A state champion Hardin, and reigning Class AA champion Hellgate, while the Bengals, Glacier, Flathead and Skyview have regularly competed in close quarters behind that pack.

The Bengals did their part with a solid all-around effort and appeared poised to finish fifth, but both Gallatin’s and Hellgate’s top runners didn’t finish the No. 1 race, meaning each team was scored at 27 points in those races. That moved the Bengals ahead of Hellgate, which was third going into the race, and Helena (44 points) finished fourth, just two points behind fourth-place Gallatin (42) and five points behind third-place Hardin (39). Bozeman won the meet going away with 19 points, and Flathead and Hellgate both finished with 59.

Sophomore Emmie Bermingham got the Bengals off to a strong start as she placed second in the No. 7 race with a 24-second personal best of 20:44. She was followed in the No. 6 race by Ella Irey’s effort, which proved to be a massive breakthrough for the senior who clocked the Bengals’ second-fastest time of the day, running a nearly 30-second PR of 20:28 in fourth place.

In the No. 5 race, senior Solveig Mohr posted a season best of 20:44 to finish third, and freshman Lily Combs stepped up with a 17-second lifetime best of 20:42 to finish seventh in the No. 4 race.

Much like the boys races, the No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 races are often incredibly close and hotly contested for obvious reasons, and Helena’s competitors held their own.

Senior Hadyn Garza just missed her season best in the No. 3 race, running 20:46 in ninth place, while sophomore Isabel Ward duked it out with a large group of runners and finished 11^th in the No. 2 race in a season best of 20:31 – just nine seconds shy of 7^th place.

Next, up stepped junior Kate Lee in the No. 1 race for Helena and step up she did. She entered the race with the 14^th-fastest time and placed eighth with a 10-second personal best of 19:51 with a smile on her face for nearly all 3.1 miles.

JV Shines Brightly Yet Again

“Look at Helena!” was a phrase stuck on repeat among fans and supporters as the junior varsity girls race took shape after runners swept past the half-mile mark. It was clear the Bengals were on the march toward a special performance and everyone could see it coming.

At the halfway point, a pack of five comprised of sophomores Mary Clement and Ellie Coburn, junior Cooper Judd, and seniors Caoimhe Gallagher and Margot Muszkiewicz crested the hill at the halfway point occupying places 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and just a few strides further back was junior Emily Davidson in 10^th.

There was an energy in the pack that drove them across the rolling hills and helped establish an unbeatable rhythm through the second lap before things got a little more strung out.

Clement pulled away to place third in a personal best 20:56, but Gallagher reduced a lead that had grown to about 8 seconds down to 4 at the finish line to place fourth in a personal best of 21:00. Judd followed closely in fourth with a massive PR of 21:03, Coburn was fifth in a big PR of 21:07, and Davidson finished ninth in a PR of 21:13. Helena’s sixth and seventh runners across the line were Muszkiewicz 18^th in a season-best 21:59 and senior Ryah O’Dell 29^th in a season-best 22:47.

Helena finished with 18 points with the first through fifth runners being separated by only 17 seconds, while Hellgate was second with 86 and Billings West third with 131.

The girls had an additional season best and 10 more personal bests in the JV race, and senior Margaret McDonald (41^st) and sophomore Kumari Leland (49^th) joined their front-running teammates in the top 50.

On the boys side, senior Chris Jenemann posted the highest overall JV finish in second place and ran a strong season best of 17:15 to do it, which helped guide the Bengals to second place with 63 points, just 15 points behind Hellgate in first.

Junior Ed Coleman ran a personal best of 17:30 to place third, junior Henry Sweeney continued his recent momentum with a PR of 17:59 in 16^th, freshman Ander Svingen posted a PR of 18:02 in 17^th, and sophomore Daniel Williams ran to 25^th place in a PR of 18:24. Freshman Foster Warner was Helena’s sixth runner in 26^th with a PR 18:27 and senior Sam Fitterer celebrated his 18^th birthday with a PR of 18:31 in 30^th place to lock down Helena’s seventh position.

Like the girls, the boys collectively had a great day with an additional three season bests and nine personal bests in JV competition, and freshman Ravin Bury joined his teammates in the top 50 in 38^th with a time of 18:37.

Next Up

The Bengals next turn their attention to Crosstown at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Bill Roberts Golf Course. That race will be preceded by the middle school race featuring future Bengals and Bruins from Helena Middle School and CR Anderson. The Bengals and Bruins will also honor their seniors after the crosstown competition. Please consider coming out to celebrate Helena’s 15 seniors are listed below and send the Bengals off to state with a big crowd.

BOYS

Sam Fitterer

Eli Highness

Chris Jenemann

Jake Matthews

Elliot Stimpson

Henry Sund

Luke Wilkins

GIRLS

Gillian Bovingdon

Caoimhe Gallagher

Hadyn Garza

Ella Irey

Margaret McDonald

Solveig Mohr

Margot Muszkiewicz

Ryah O’Dell

Great Falls Delivers a Big Test for Bengals Leading into 7 vs. 7

Photo Gallery

Complete Results

Helena runners – and others, of course – brought the hills to life in Great Falls on Friday with a strong effort at a windy and warm Anaconda Hills Golf Course.

The strong showing on the hills sets the Bengals up well for the challenge that awaits when they compete at home for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 10 at the Capital City 7 vs. 7 at a rolling Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Helena’s JV got the action started in Great Falls with the girls and boys both striding away with victories.

Freshman Lily Combs (22:15), sophomore Emmie Bermingham (23:03), and junior Cooper Judd (23:38) led the way for the girls with a 1-3-4 finish, but they had massive support with the Bengals occupying nine of the top 12 spots and 13 of the top 25.

As the Bengals moved through the various ascents, descents, and countless turns up and down the fairways, they seemingly formed a wall of cardinal and grey en route to a commanding performance. Following the first three Bengals were seniors Margot Muzskiewicz (23:45) and Caoimhe Gallagher (23:50) in 6th and 7th, sophomores Mary Clement (23:52) and Ellie Coburn (23:57) in 8th and 9th, and juniors Gabbi LaVoie (24:45) and Emily Davidson (24:45) in 11th and 12th. Another trio – junior Wren Clum (26:00), freshman Harper Johnson (26:02), and sophomore Kumari Leland (26:14) – placed 18th-20th, and freshman Alexa Pipinich (26:23) was 23rd as Helena’s 13th finisher in the top 25.

The dominant showing resulted in 17 points for the Bengals, well ahead of Skyview with 57 and third-place Senior with 92.

In the boys JV race, the Bengals were nearly as commanding up front with senior Chris Jenemann (18:36) placing 3rd, junior Ed Coleman (19:07) in 5th, and freshman Ander Svingen (19:12) finishing 7th. Like the girls, the leading trio had impressive backing with six of the top 15 finishers.

Also placing in the top 15 were freshman Foster Warner (19:41) in 11th, senior Sam Fitterer (19:44) in 12th and sophomore Dan Williams (19:54) in 15th, and freshman Ravin Bury (20:30) was Helena’s seventh finisher in 23rd.

The Bengals claimed the JV crown with 34 points, while Skyview was second with 64 and Senior placed third with 126.

Varsity Boys Win, Girls Second in Unique Format

While the JV competitors competed in single races against all other teams at the meet, the varsity races were set up in pods of 3-4 teams.

The Helena girls stepped to the line first and faced Skyview and C.M. Russell. Rustlers freshman Stella Damyanovich stormed to the lead and never looked back, while the Bengals locked horns with Skyview in a chase for the team win.

While Helena had an early lead in the points race, the Falcons settled into a strong effort in the second mile to move into competitive positions midway through the race, then built leads that proved to be too much for the Bengals to overcome in the late stages. Skyview posted 33 points to Helena’s 36, and CMR placed third with 54.

While Skyview’s Ava Greenwell and Aaliyah Stennerson occupied the other two positions in the top 3, Helena junior Kate Lee (21:40) led the Bengals in 4th and was followed by senior Hadyn Garza (21:55) in 5th and sophomore Isabel Ward (22:00) who finished with a big kick to edge Skyview’s Gracyn Rock for 6th. Seniors Solveig Mohr (22:24) and Ella Irey (22:36) placed 10th and 11th for Helena, which only ran with five varsity runners in an effort to solidify the 6th and 7th varsity positions for the upcoming 7 vs. 7.

On the boys side, the Bengals continued their dominant form with a 1-2-3-4 finish by senior Elliot Stimpson (16:37), sophomore Milo Kauffman (17:03), senior Henry Sund (17:05) and junior Dylan Hill (17:15).

It was an especially strong performance by Hill, who looked solid throughout and closed the gap to his leading teammates compared to recent races, leaving his with some good vibes going into the always exciting 7 vs. 7.

Junior Garrett Hinderman (18:00) was Helena’s fifth runner in 9th – scoring for the Bengals for the first time this season, senior Eli Highness (18:04) was 11th and senior Jake Matthews (18:44) was Helena’s seventh runner in 19th.

The Bengals finished with 19 points to win the four-way battle with Skyview (54), Great Falls (66) and Sentinel (91).

Bengal Boys Claim Mtn. West Crown

Girls Varsity 8th; Girls JV Wins Championship, Boys 2nd

Complete Results

Meet Photos

Senior Elliot Stimpson roared to a runner-up finish to spearhead a nail-biting victory for the Helena Bengals as they held off a hard charging Lewis and Clark squad from Spokane, Wash. at the 2024 Mountain West Classic at UM Golf Course in Missoula on Saturday.

The runner-up finish for Stimpson in 15:50 was the best for a Bengal at Mountain West since Kylie Hartnett won the girls division in 2019, and it was the top finish by a Helena boy since Aidan Reed was runner-up a decade ago in 2014. Stimpson finished just 9 seconds back of champion Owen Thiel, of Glacier, on Saturday.

As you might expect, Stimpson got a lot of help from his Bengal teammates as sophomore Milo Kauffman placed ninth in 16:02 and senior Henry Sund crossed the line 15^th in 16:10. And coming up big for the Bengals in a season best of 16:31 in 30^th was Dylan Hill, who was followed across the line by Jake Matthews in 47^th with a time of 16:49.

Lewis and Clark meanwhile, placed all five of its scoring runners in the top 40, but with Stimpson and Kauffman tallying just 11 combined points, it made the difference as the Bengals finished with 99 points to Lewis and Clark’s 107.

Running sixth for the Bengals was junior Garrett Hinderman, who posted a personal best for the third consecutive week as he placed 63^rd in 17:03. And senior Eli Highness remained as reliable as ever in 70^th with a time of 17:10.

On the girls side, the Bengals continue to demonstrate growth led by a breakout performance by junior Kate Lee and a return to form by sophomore Isabel Ward, who was unable to compete in Helena’s first two meets.

Lee shaved 24 seconds off her lifetime best and placed 30^th with a time of 20:01 to lead the Bengals, running a courageous race reminiscent of her 7^th-place performance in the AA 3200 final at the state track and field meet in May. Ward, who opened the season last week for the Bengals, improved on that time by more than a minute for a season best of 20:35 in 57^th.

With those two leading the way, the Bengals finished 8^th in a field that featured more than 400 runners from more than 100 schools, including 52 complete teams. Glacier sophomore Lauren Bissen collected the individual crown in a blistering 18:22, and Bozeman won the team crown with 96 points as Gallatin placed second with 130.

While Lee and Ward led the way for the Bengals, senior Hadyn Garza continued to be a reliable No. 3 runner as she was 85^th in 21:10. Senior Solveig Mohr 91^st in 21:13, Ella Irey 92^nd in a season best 21:15, senior Caoimhe Gallagher 109^th in 21:25, and freshman Lily Combs 123^rd in 21:33 followed Helena’s top three runners across the finish line.

It was a strong move up the standings for the Bengals, who advanced five places for the second year in a row. In 2022, the Bengals placed 18^th, and in 2023 they finished 13^th.

JV Girls and Boys Deliver on the Big Stage

It’s difficult to find the words to describe the girls performance in the junior varsity race, but it was nothing short of dominant with four runners in the top 10 and all five scoring runners in the top 20.

It all started with a make-shift dance party sparked by Cooper Judd and her mini speaker as she rallied the Bengals prior to the start. That helped settle some nerves and get the energy moving in a positive direction. When the gun sounded, the Bengals got out aggressively and never looked back.

Sophomores Emmie Bermingham and Mary Clement each made a statement of intent with fourth- and fifth-place finishes in PRs of 21:08 and 21:12, respectively, and junior Emily Davidson was just 6 seconds farther back in a PR 21:18 in eighth place. Another sophomore, Ellie Coburn, was Helena’s fourth top-10 finisher as she posted a season best of 21:36 in 10^th and senior Margot Muszkiewicz completed the scoring for Helena in 17^th place with a season-best 22:10.

The Bengals finished with 38 points, Hellgate was second with 73, and Gallatin finished third with 90 in a race that featured 30 complete teams and 379 runners.

While Helena’s scoring five had a strong day, they weren’t alone as Gabbi Lavoie (25^th, 22:23), senior Ryah O’Dell (35^th, 22:57), and senior Margaret McDonald (44^th, 23:08) all finished in the top 50 with season bests. The big performances flowed freely as the Bengals posted an additional 11 PRs and three more season bests in Missoula.

On the boys side, Helena ran to second place as sophomore Joel Melton, junior Ed Coleman, and senior Chris Jenemann went 3-4-5 to lead five Bengals in the top 25.

Lewis and Clark (Spokane, Wash.) led the way with 34 points, the Bengals posted 48^th, and Hellgate was third with 109.

Melton again ran a strong race near the front and finished in a PR of 17:27, while Coleman made a late charge to finish in a PR of 17:31. Jenemann finished in a season-best 17:33.

Helena’s other two top-25 finishers were freshman Ander Svingen 20^th in a PR 18:07 and Henry Sweeney 22nd in a PR 18:15. The boys put four additional runners in the top 50 with freshman Ravin Bury 29^th in a PR 18:32, sophomore Dan Williams 31^st in a PR 18:36, freshman Foster Warner 40^th in a PR 18:45, and senior Sam Fitterer 44^th in 18:52.

The boys posted an additional eight personal bests and two more season bests.

While the personal bests and season bests provide the Bengals with an outcome to reflect on, they are a byproduct of continued commitment, consistency, and vibe this team continues to produce.

What’s Next?

The Bengals will be back in action Friday, Oct. 4 at the Great Falls Invitational, then return home for the 7 vs. 7 and crosstown meets on Oct. 10 and 16, respectively, at Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Bengals Bold and Brave in Butte Wind

Complete Results

Team Photos

With a new 1-2 punch and a couple student-athletes running standout races in the absence of sophomore Milo Kauffman, the Helena High varsity boys eked out a victory at the Butte Invitational on Friday at wind-blown Highland View Golf Course.

That winning finish was matched by the JV girls and JV boys, while the varsity girls won a tiebreaker for third place despite missing senior Solveig Mohr.

A week after Kauffman and senior Elliot Stimpson finished first and second at the Bozeman Invitational, Stimpson and senior Henry Sund finished 2^nd and 4^th in Butte to spearhead the Bengals’ victory, which was buoyed by senior Eli Highness and junior Garrett Hinderman as the Bengals’ 4^th and 5^th runners finished in 20^th and 24^th. Junior Dylan Hill continued to lock down the team’s third spot in 19^th. That all added up to 65 points, which was 13 better than runner-up Billings West (78). Flathead was third with 98 points in a meet that featured runners from 27 teams.

A strong wind from the west ensured fast 5K times would be hard to come by, but still, Highness managed to run within 1 second of his personal best in 17:01 and Hinderman bettered his PR by 2 seconds in 17:08, demonstrating how strongly the two Bengals competed.

Glacier junior Owen Thiel captured the win in 15:43, Stimpson crossed the finish line in 15:49, Sentinel senior Tyler Inabnit was third in 15:56, and Sund finished in 16:09. Hill’s time in 19^th was 17:01. Also running for the Bengals was senior Jake Matthews in 44^th with a time of 17:44.

In the girls varsity competition, junior Kate Lee ran fiercely from start to finish and locked down a ninth-place finish in a season best of 20:28, but senior Hadyn Garza wasn’t to far off that mark and put together an exceptional performance with a season best of 20:45 in 17^th.

Those top-20 finishes helped propel the Bengals to 122 points, which matched Skyview, but sixth runner Emmie Bermingham’s 41^st-place finish broke the tie as Skyview’s sixth runner was 64^th.

Also running strong for the Bengals were seniors Ella Irey and Caoimhe Gallagher in 32^nd (21:20) and 33^rd (21:23), respectively, and freshman Lily Combs in 37^th (21:29).

Mohr and Kauffman are both expected to give the Bengals a boost when they return to action next week at the Mountain West Classic in Missoula, which also serves as a preview of the state meet course.

On the junior varsity front, the Bengals were an unstoppable force Friday and continued their strong start to the season.

Helena’s girls got it started as sophomore Isabel Ward opened her season at the lead and guided teammates Emily Davidson, a junior, and Mary Clement, a sophomore, to a 2-3-4 finish. Ward finished in 21:41, Davidson ran a personal best 21:43 and Clement posted a season best of 22:06. Finishing in the fourth and fifth scoring spots for the Bengals were senior Margot Muszkiewicz 12^th in 22:34 and sophomore Ellie Coburn 14^th in a season best of 22:48.

The JV girls finished with 35 points, well ahead of runner-up Hellgate with 79 and third-place Billings West with 122, demonstrating the team’s overall depth this season.

Helena also had three additional runners in the top 25 – senior Ryah O’Dell (19^th, 23:12), junior Wren Clum (21^st, 23:14), and junior Gabbi Lavoie (23^rd, 23:15) – and two more in the top 50 – freshmen Harper Johnson (35^th, 23:58, PR) and Alexa Pipinich (49^th, 24:37, PR).

On the boys side, the performance was nearly as dominant as the Bengals finished first with 43 points, Billings West second with 82, and Hellgate third with 96.

Leading the way was sophomore Joel Melton, who survived a collision at the finish to edge Skyview’s Mekhi Ladson for second place by a tenth of a second in 17:32. Junior Ed Coleman was next in fourth (17:56, PR) and senior Chris Jenemann in sixth (18:11). Freshman Ander Svingen stepped up to finish as Helena’s fourth runner in 13^th (18:32, PR) and junior Henry Sweeney capped the scoring in 18^th (18:49, PR).

Four more Bengals placed among the top 50 – sophomore Dan Williams (29^th, 19:09), senior Sam Fitterer (31^st, 19:10), freshman Foster Warner (32^nd, 19:12), and freshman Ravin Bury (46^th, 19:27).

Six Bengals – Ward, Eisley Bushilla, Emma Flinders, Margaret McDonald, Astoria Holzer, and Enoch Johnson – ran their first races Saturday, which means 69 Bengals have raced in the cardinal and white this season.

Helena can leave Butte feeling proud but wanting more as the Bengals head into the biggest meet of the season next weekend in Missoula. The Mountain West Classic will play host to runners from three states and 103 teams at UM Golf Course on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Kauffman, Stimpson Finish 1-2 to Propel Bengals to 2nd in Bozeman

Varsity Girls Place 7th; Judd’s Championship Guides JV Girls to Win; JV Boys Finish Runner-Up

Complete Results

Meet Photos

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 7^th overall and 4^th 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 13^th with a time of 16:02, and junior Dylan Hill and senior Jake Matthews completed the scoring five for the Bengals in 29^th (16:37) and 36^th (16:44), respectively.

Also running in the varsity race were senior Eli Highness in 44^th with a personal best 17:00, Garrett Hinderman in 53^rd with a personal best 17:10, sophomore Joel Melton 96^th in 17:54 and senior Chris Jenemann 104^th 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 7^th-place finish in 26^th with a time of 20:38, while senior Hadyn Garza and freshman Lily Combs placed 38^th and 41^st 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 48^th with a time of 21:05 and senior Ella Irey in 55^th at 21:17.

Also running in the varsity race for Helena were sophomore Emmie Bermingham in 64^th (21:27), senior Caoimhe Gallagher in 72^nd (21:39), junior Emily Davidson in 85^th (21:56), and senior Margot Muszkiewicz in 130^th (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 22^nd in 23:46, and freshman Harper Johnson in 34^th 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 39^th in 24:20 and sophomore Aven Baker 44^th 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 10^th (18:35, PR), sophomore Dan Williams placed 19^th (18:53), freshman Ravin Bury ran to 21^st (18:54, PR), and freshman Foster Warner capped the scoring in 28^th (19:08, PR). Also claiming spots in the top seven for the Bengals were Henry Sweeney (39^th, 19:27) and Will Kreissler (45^th, 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.

Bengals Open 2024 Season Strong at Flathead Invitational

Complete Results

Meet Photos

The Bengals were issued a challenge to put forth a personal best in effort and attitude Friday at the Flathead Invitational at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell and delivered with four top-two team performances to open the season.

Blue skies and sun made for a beautiful late morning and early afternoon, but as the hours wore on and the sun continued to rise, the temp rose into the 80s and it certainly affected all of the runners who traveled to the event. But the Bengals focused on things within their control and put together a performance to remember.

Freshman Spruce Bacon, who opened his Bengal career with a 5K time of 24:05 in the JV race, summed up the exceptional effort and vibe after the race: “It hurt so bad, but it’s the best kind of pain.”

The varsity girls and boys both finished second to Bozeman at a meet that featured 18 complete girls varsity teams and 24 complete boys varsity teams. In JV competition, the Helena High girls delivered a victory and the boys finished runners-up to Hellgate.

Competition began with the varsity girls race, which Bozeman controlled from the front with their top five runners in the top 15 positions to post 46 points. But the Bengals were a strong runner-up, led by junior Kate Lee in 14^th place with a time of 20:33 to guide the team to 112 points, ahead of Hellgate’s 126.

Senior Solveig Mohr ran a gritty race from start to finish to place 18^th in 20:54, and senior Hadyn Garza and freshman Lily Combs crossed the finish line in 21^st and 22^nd with matching times of 21:13 – a personal best for Combs in her first varsity competition. Helena’s fifth runner and final scorer was junior Emily Davidson in 37^th place with a personal best of 21:46, while seniors Caoimhe Gallagher and Margot Muszkiewicz opened with strong races in 38^th and 48^th in times of 21:50 and 22:20.

On the boys side, Bozeman collected the win with 53 points led by five runners in the top 25, but the Bengals weren’t too far behind with 79 points and also placed five in the top 25, led by senior Henry Sund in fifth with a personal best of 15:53.

Fellow senior Elliot Stimpson placed 11^th in 16:10, junior Dylan Hill was 15^th in 16:33, senior Jake Matthews crossed the finish line 23^rd in 16:49, and sophomore Milo Kauffman was Helena’s fifth and final scorer in 25^th with a time of 16:53. Senior Eli Highness placed 39^th with a time of 17:19 and sophomore Joel Melton was 46^th in his first varsity race with a personal best time of 17:32.

In JV competition, the boys went first and Bengals Chris Jenemann, a senior, and Garrett Hinderman, a junior, showed some courage early by heading directly to the lead pack. Both put forward strong efforts on the grass with Hinderman leading the Bengals across the finish line in fifth with a time of 17:41, while Jenemann was seventh in 18:02. They were joined in the top 15 by junior Ed Coleman, who placed 11^th in 18:25. And the Bengals’ No. 4 and No. 5 runners joined that trio in the top 25 with sophomore Dan Williams 18^th in 18:43 and freshman Ander Svingen 21^st in 19:04.

That group of five scored 62 points, just seven shy of first-place Bozeman’s total of 55 and less than half the total of third place Sentinel.

Helena also placed its sixth runner in the top 25 with freshman Foster Warner 24^th in 19:18, and No. 7 runner and junior Henry Sweeney was 30^th in 19:23.

On the girls side, Bozeman took the top four spots, but didn’t have a fifth runner in the race, opening the door for the Bengals to run away with the victory as they posted 46 points to runner-up Hellgate’s 73.

Senior Ella Irey led the Bengals in that charge with a fifth-place finish in 22:02. She was followed closely by sophomore newcomer Emmie Bermingham sixth in 22:19, junior Cooper Judd eighth in a personal best 22:30, and sophomore Mary Clement 10^th in 22:39. And completing the scoring for Helena was senior Ryah O’Dell with a stellar effort in 17^th with a time of 23:47.

The Bengals’ sixth and seventh runners were junior Gabbi Lavoie 19^th in 24:14 and freshman Harper Johnson 27^th in 24:52.

Beyond the top seven for both junior varsity teams, the Bengals ran aggressively, and with curiosity and courage.

Sixty Bengals – 33 boys and 27 girls – toed the starting line, and 11 boys and 10 girls ran their first 5K race.

Helena returns to competition at the Bozeman Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Bridger Creek Golf Course. There, the Bengals will get their first look at runners from the east, including CMR, Great Falls, Billings Senior, Billings Skyview, Billings West, Belgrade and Gallatin.