Author: Coach Zentz

Results

Photo Gallery

Freshman Milo Kauffman went directly to the front of the lead pack and set the tone for Helena High at the state cross country meet Saturday in Kalispell as the boys emerged with a podium finish and the girls claimed sixth, just 15 points shy of fourth.

Helena’s coaches agreed it was the best collective boys and girls team performance in recent memory, as the Bengals exhibited a rare level of effort, poise, courage, and unity.

Kauffman rounded the first lap of the 5-kilometer course at Rebecca Farm in fifth place and pushed through the finish to claim 10^th, just ahead of junior teammate Elliot Stimpson in 11^th, as the duo registered all-state finishes to spearhead the Bengals’ assault.

Great Falls claimed the boys team title with 68 points, followed by Bozeman’s 71, and Helena’s 96, as Billings West was 22 points farther back in fourth.

Both Kauffman and Stimpson ran personal bests to claim their first all-state finishes (top 15) in 15:54 and 15:58 – their first time under 16 minutes. Junior Henry Sund nearly ran a personal best in 19^th place with a time of 16:06, sophomore Dylan Hill ran a personal best of 16:21 in 25th place, and junior Jake Matthews established a lifetime best of 16:30 in 31st place to complete the Bengals’ scoring.

Senior Trey Schlepp added some insurance with a massive 33-second improvement on his personal best in his final race with the Bengals, finishing 34th in 16:37. Sophomore Garrett Hinderman nearly equaled his best in 66th with a time of 17:18.

It was the Bengals’ best effort this season at exactly the right time, as they moved past a West team that entered the state meet favored for the third podium spot on paper, based on season bests and prior performances.

Bozeman senior Nathan Neil claimed the state individual crown in a dominant performance and state record of 14:45.

On the girls side, the Bengals entered state predicted to finish sixth based on season bests and prior team places at invitationals. They were aiming for a top-five finish in Kalispell and nearly slipped ahead of Glacier, which had the runner-up individual, making the task much more difficult.

But because of a stellar collective push behind 17^th-place finisher and senior Bria Plant, the Bengals wound up just two points shy of Glacier in fifth and a mere 15 points shy of Flathead in fourth, a massive improvement over their 10^th-place finish in 2022. In fact, Helena’s top five finishers placed higher than its top placer in 2022.

Plant and fellow senior Sofia Hinderman capped their Bengal careers in style with their best races. Plant moved from 20^th to 17^th in the final mile and she was chasing an all-state sopt in the top 15, and finished in a lifetime best of 19:45, a 31-second improvement. Hinderman, meanwhile, placed 28^th in a personal best of 20:14, a 14-second improvement.

Next for the Bengals across the line were junior Solveig Mohr and sophomore Kate Lee in 31^st and 32^nd, both running 20:25 – a personal best for Lee. Helena’s fifth and final scorer was junior Hadyn Garza in 41^st with a time of 20:46.

While junior Ella Irey may not have been a scorer for the Bengals, she was a big reason why the Bengals finished so close to Glacier and Flathead, as Helena’s sixth runner helped displace the Wolpack’s and Braves’ fifth runners. Irey placed 53^rd in 21:14, while fellow junior Margaret McDonald was 69^th in 21:50.

Hellgate won the team championship with 46 points, Gallatin finished second with 54, Bozeman placed third with 80, Flathead was fourth with 134, Gallatin placed fifth with 147, and Helena was sixth with 149 – 79 points clear of the remaining teams in the field.

Gallatin junior Claire Rutherford claimed top individual honors in 18:06, while Glacier freshman Lauren Bissen and Bozeman freshman Kylee Neil were second and third in 18:13.

See you at NXR!

Next up for the Bengals is a trip to Nike Cross Regionals in Boise on Nov. 11. Fifty Helena High runners will compete at the national qualifier under the alias of Helena XC. It will be the largest Helena group to make the trip to NXR, where the runners will face competitors from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Results

Photo Gallery

Freshman Milo Kauffman and senior Bria Plant each collected their first Crosstown victories and guided the Bengals to commanding victories Wednesday at Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Kauffman demonstrated no hesitation and no fear as he stormed to the lead and led the race wire to wire, winning in 16 minutes, 20 seconds to lead a 1-7 sweep for the boys and carry some momentum into the state meet next weekend in Kalispell.

Helena finished with 15 points and Capital totaled 50.

Following Kauffman across the finish line were junior Elliot Stimpson (16:45), sophomore Dylan Hill (16:57), senior Ian Rasmann (17:22), junior Henry Sund (17:39), sophomore Garrett Hinderman (17:44), and junior Jake Matthews (17:47).

While Kauffman’s victory and the team score were both noteworthy, it was really Rasmann’s breakthrough race that provided the biggest highlight. Rasmann’s time was a personal best in his final home race.

The perfect score for the boys was the fourth in Crosstown history for Helena (1982, 1983, 1985, 2023) and the fifth overall, as Capital scored 15 points in 1979.

On the girls side, Plant’s victory in 20:34 came a year after she placed second, only this time she had a lot of company from her teammates in the top five with senior teammate Sofia Hinderman nearby throughout the race, and junior Hadyn Garza within striking distance, as well. Hinderman finished second in 20:39 and Garza placed third in 20:48.

With the top three positions locked up, Bengal teammates Solveig Mohr, a junior, and Kate Lee, a sophomore, ensured a perfect score after an impressive and gritty late charge by Capital’s Claire Boutilier. Mohr placed fourth in 20:12, Lee was fifth in 21:21, and Boutilier crossed the line in sixth with a time of 21:28. Helena’s sixth and seventh runners were junior Ella Irey in ninth with a time of 21:53 and senior Alivia Thunstrom 10^th in 21:58.

Helena finished with 15 points and Capital registered 44.

The perfect score for the girls was the third in Crosstown history for Helena (1977, 1982, 2023) and the fourth overall, as Capital recorded 15 points in 1995.

JUNIOR VARSITY

In JV competition, the Bengals capped an exceptional season with matching victories, both totaling 15 points like their varsity teammates.

The victory for the Helena girls followed their runner-up finish a week ago at 7 of 7. They competed at a high level throughout the season:

• Opened with a sweep of the top six places against Great Falls.
• Won the Flathead Invitational with 83 points to edge Hellgate (96).
• Won the Bozeman Invitational with 50 points to hold off Bozeman (64) and Hellgate (71).
• Placed second in the Butte Invite with 41 points, just 13 points behind Bozeman.
• Finished fourth at Mountain West (29 teams), just 22 points out of first place.
• Won the Great Falls Invitational with 51 points.
• Runner-up at 7 of 7 – unofficial JV state meet – with 69 points, trailing only Hellgate (36).

Helping guide the Bengals to second at 7 of 7 were junior Caoimhe Gallagher and freshman Ellie Coburn – 9^th and 10^th there – and the duo was back at it at Crosstown. Gallagher won the JV crown in 22:01 and Coburn was close behind in second with a time of 22:04. Just a few strides back was junior Margaret McDonald in 22:17, while freshman Mary Clement (22:44), sophomore Gabbi LaVoie (22:45), junior Mia Carrell (22:48, season best), and sophomore Emily Davidson (22:49) finished in a tight group to complete the seven-person scoring and displacing group for Helena.

The Bengals depth was further demonstrated with five additional runners in the top half of the field. Sophomore Cooper Judd capped a strong first season in eighth with a time of 23:04, and junior Margot Muszkiewicz placed ninth in 23:14. Sophomore Wren Clum was next in 11^th for the Bengals in 23:48, and freshmen Kelia Gomes and Aven Baker chalked up personal bests of 23:49 and 23:50 in 12^th and 13^th, respectively. Also running a personal best for Helena was senior Hana Honemann in 27^th with a time of 28:16.

On the boys side, the Bengals equaled the girls with the top nine finishers, led by junior Eli Highness with a time of 17:56. He was followed by senior Trey Schlepp (18:04), junior Chris Jenemann (18:34), sophomore Ed Coleman (18:36), freshman Joel Melton (18:37), senior Ryan Maus (18:59), junior Sam Fitterer (19:18), sophomore Enoch Johnson (19:30), and sophomore Henry Sweeney (19:31, personal record). Freshman Dan Williams was 11^th in 20:02 to join nine of his teammates in the top half of the field.

Also joining Sweeney with personal bests were freshman Henry Coy (27:20) and sophomore Drew Gordon (28:32), while sophomore Gavin Payne ran a season best of 23:54.

Like the girls, the boys also capped a strong 2023 season with the victory:

• Opened with a 15-49 victory against Great Falls.
• Second at the Flathead Invitational with 93 points, trailing only Sentinel (66).
• Second at the Bozeman Invitational with 105 points, trailing West (105).
• Second at the Butte Invitational with 41 points, just 13 points behind Bozeman.
• Runner-up at the Mountain West Classic with 75 points, just 24 behind Coeur d’Alene.
• Won the Great Falls Invitational with 17 points, just two short of a perfect score.
• Fourth at 7 of 7 with 128 points, despite missing Eli Highness, who was a late call-up to the varsity lineup.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Next up for the Bengals is the state meet in Kalispell on Saturday, Oct. 21. Here’s a look at the state teams.

Boys State Team

• Henry Sund, junior
• Milo Kauffman, freshman
• Elliot Stimpson, junior
• Dylan Hill, sophomore
• Jake Matthews, junior
• Trey Schlepp, senior
• Ian Rasmann, senior (alternate)
• Eli Highness, junior (alternate)

Girls State Team

• Bria Plant, senior
• Solveig Mohr, junior
• Sofia Hinderman, senior
• Kate Lee, sophomore
• Hadyn Garza, junior
• Margaret McDonald, junior
• Ella Irey, junior
• Alivia Thunstrom, senior (alternate)
• Caoimhe Gallagher, junior (alternate)

Photo Gallery

Results

On day that left their coaches and supporters gasping for breath as they cheered throughout the day, Helena High’s boys and girls cross country teams got a second wind at the Capital City 7 of 7 on Thursday at Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Helena’s boys finished second in varsity competition and fourth in JV, while the girls rose to sixth in varsity and second in JV. To put those achievements in perspective, all 16 Class AA schools were in a field of competitors that included a total of 52 schools and more than 1,000 finishers – 606 boys and 483 girls in varsity and JV competition combined.

The varsity competition at 7 of 7 features a unique format that pits teams’ No. 1 runners against other teams’ No. 1s, No. 2 runners against other No. 2s, and so on. And the format favors depth, which the Bengals put on full display.

In the boys varsity races, Helena junior Eli Highness, after being elevated from JV as a result of the unfortunate absence of Henry Sund because of illness, got things started with a fifth-place finish in the No. 7 race, clocking in at 17:37. In the No. 6 race, sophomore Garrett Hinderman kept the momentum rolling in fourth place with a time of 17:26, then senior Trey Schlepp (17:17) and junior Jake Matthews (16:52, personal best) did one better in the No. 5 and No. 4 races with third-place finishes. Sophomore Dylan Hill then clocked a 17:05 in the No. 3 race.

After the first five races, the Bengals (19 points) were fourth behind Bozeman (5), Hellgate (16), and Sentinel (17), but freshman Milo Kauffman shifted momentum back to the Bengals and pushed them into second with a runner-up finish in the No. 2 race, posting a personal best of 16:12. Next up for Helena was Elliot Stimpson, standing in for Sund, and the junior rose to the occasion to place 10^th, also in a personal best of 16:12 to hold of the West and Sentinel.

Bozeman recorded a perfect score, winning all seven races, while the Bengals posted 21, West finished with 34, Sentinel totaled 39 and Hellgate finished with 49.

Quick side note before we move onto the girls exceptional day, but Stimpson and Kauffman have now finished five of their seven races within 3 seconds of each other.

Now, on to the girls, who laid waste to their personal and season bests to post 46 points in sixth place, just three behind Glacier, who benefitted from a third-place finish from their No. 1 runner in the final race of the day. But that did not take the shine of an incredible day for the Helena girls, who competed with focus and courage throughout the day.

Junior Ella Irey opened varsity competition in the No. 7 race with a fifth-place finish in a season best of 21:11. Next, fellow junior Margaret McDonald demolished her lifetime best in the 5K by 34 seconds with a time of 20:42 in fourth place in the No. 6 race.

Sophomore Kate Lee and junior Hadyn Garza took that momentum and rolled with it, posting 33-second personal bests of 20:30 and 20:32 in second place (No. 5) and seventh place (No. 4), respectively. Junior Solveig Mohr then stepped up in the No.3 race with a 13-second lifetime best to place sixth in the No. 3 race with a time of 20:17.

In the penultimate race, senior Sofia Hinderman continued Helena’s strong day, placing eighth in a 17-second personal best of 20:28 to set the stage for Bria Plant, who finished 14^th in the No. 1 race with a personal best of 20:16. Plant has led the Bengals in every event this season, an impressive show of consistency and determination.

With finishing times from all 217 varsity girls in the meet combined, the Helena girls all placed among the top 30 percent:  Plant (30^th overall, 21^st in AA), Mohr (31^st overall, 22^nd in AA), Hinderman (36^th overall, 27^th in AA), Lee (40^th overall, 30^th in AA), Garza (41^st overall, 31^st in AA), McDonald (50^th overall, 34^th in AA), and Irey (65^th overall, 43^rd in AA).

JUNIOR VARSITY

Perhaps the varsity squad was inspired by their JV teammates, who followed the lead of Alivia Thunstrom.

The senior established herself at the front of the pack and ran a commanding race for a big season best in second place, crossing the finish line in 21:16, just 6 second behind champion Kintla Thomas of Hellgate.

Junior Caoimhe Gallagher and freshman Ellie Coburn followed in top 10 finishes, with Gallagher running a season best of 20:40 in ninth and Coburn posting a massive personal best of 21:21 – a 1:19 improvement over her prior best.

Junior Margot Muszkiewicz continued her incredible consistency, despite recently recovering from illness, placing 22^nd in 22:15. And sophomore Emily Davidson locked up Helena’s fifth and final scoring position with a personal best of 22:23 in 27^th place.

Sophomore Gabbi LaVoie was Helena’s sixth runner in 29^th and sophomore Cooper Judd had another strong showing with a personal best of 22:32 in 31^st place as Helena’s seventh runner.

The Bengals finished with 69 points, trailing only Hellgate (36) and edging Bozeman (82).

While the seven already mentioned accounted for the team’s scoring, the Bengals had numerous other big performances from the girls JV team, including an additional five personal bests from freshmen Kelia Gomes, Aven Baker, Esme Soller, and Evie Zimmerman, sophomore Mattie Cullen, and senior Hana Honemann; and a season best from junior Lane Swift.

On the boys side, the JV team may have been without Highness, but still managed an impressive top-five finish behind seniors Ian Rasmann and Ryan Maus, who both placed in the top 10. Rasmann led the charge in 17:29 to place fifth, while Maus followed in a personal best of 17:46 in ninth place.

Freshman Joel Melton improved on his lifetime best to finish 21^st in 18:21, then junior Sam Fitterer bettered his PR to place 37^th in 19:02. Sophomore Enoch Johnson was next in 70^th place with a personal best of 19:27 to cap the Bengals scoring. Helena’s sixth and seventh runners were freshman Dan Williams in 19:29, good enough for 72^nd place, and sophomore Finn Morrison in 83^rd with a lifetime best of 19:37.

The Bengals finished with 128 points, behind only Sentinel (69), Hellgate (87), and Billings West (109).

Like the girls, the big moves didn’t stop with the top seven as the full team competed incredibly well. Also registering personal bests were freshmen Dane Moser, Asher Hazen, Will Kreissler, Luke Foster, Cole Harris, Micah Langdji, and Henry Coy, and junior Carson Payne. Junior Luke Wilkins chalked up a season best.

The Bengals have a lot to be excited about as they prepare for crosstown Wednesday at Bill Roberts Golf Course, then the state meet on Oct. 21 in Kalispell.

Complete Results

• Combined Girls Varsity Results
• Composite Boys Varsity Results

Photo Gallery

A couple points were all that separated the Bengals from a Great Falls Invitational sweep Friday on the demanding Anaconda Hills Golf Course.

Helena High’s junior varsity girls and boys opened the meet with commanding wins, the varsity girls kept the momentum rolling over the hills with a victory in their challenger race and in the combined team scores (all races), and the varsity boys capped a memorable day with a runner-up finish in their challenger race, losing by only two points to Great Falls in the challenger race and just one point in the combined scores.

While the outcomes were impressive, the Bengals left their coaches, family and friends, and other onlookers impressed as they worked in unison, and demonstrated resilience, focus, grit, and patience from the first race to the last, leaving everything on the course and having fun in the shared experience.

As a program, the Bengals have focused on core values of excellence, curiosity, and unity throughout the year, and they shined brightly in all three areas in the Electric City, setting the stage for the return to Helena for the Capital City 7 vs 7 Classic on Thursday, Oct. 5 and Crosstown on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

Led by senior Bria Plant, who seemingly grew stronger with every stride en route to a runner-up finish, the Helena girls posted 32 points, defeating Belgrade (47) and Skyview (52) in the challenger race. When times from all three of the girls varsity challenger races were combined (10 complete teams), Helena came out on top with 49 points, ahead of Skyview (82), Belgrade (93), Capital (101), and CM Russell (114).

Helena’s seven runners ran the first mile in a tight pack to set the stage, then Plant emerged from a large group of runners and chased down the early front-runners, eventually catching and passing Skyview standout Ava Greenwell in the final 400 meters to secure second place (third composite) behind Havre’s Ashlyn Ford. The Havre freshman finished in 20:41 and was also the overall champion in the combined scoring.

Plant finished in 21:07 and was followed by junior Solveig Mohr in sixth (21:34, 9^th combined), junior Hadyn Garza in eighth (21:41, 11^th combined), senior Sofia Hinderman in 10^th (22:07, 16^th combined), junior Margaret McDonald in 11^th (22:08, 17^th combined), junior Ella Irey in 12^th (22:13, 18^th combined), and sophomore Kate Lee in 14^th (22:22, 21^st combined).

The Bengals finished with a 1-minute spread between their first and fifth scoring runners, but the incredible growth from last season was the big takeaway. The composite time for Helena’s top five runners (1:48:40) was more than seven minutes faster than their combined time in 2022.

On the boys side, junior Elliot Stimpson paced the Bengals in fourth place, and Helena nearly beat the Great Falls Bison on their home course after a hard-fought battle throughout the race.

Stimpson finished in an impressive 16:45, just off the heels of third-place finisher Caleb Tomac, of Havre. The Great Falls duo of Ryan Harrington and John Spinti went 1-2 in 16:15 and 16:18, respectively. Helena junior Henry Sund and freshman Milo Kauffman were fifth and sixth in 16:51 and 16:59, Bison Conrad Schruth and Ashtyn Rask placed seventh and eighth, and Sentinel’s Tyler Inabnit was ninth. Those nine places from that challenger race also occupied the top nine spots in the combined results.

Next for Helena were junior Jake Matthews in 10^th (17:29, 11^th combined), sophomore Dylan Hill in 11^th (17:54, 17^th combined), senior Trey Schlepp in 12^th (17:58, 18^th combined), and sophomore Garrett Hinderman in 15^th (18:13, 25^th combined).

Like the girls, the boys posted a strong 1-5 spread at 1:09, and also improved upon their combined time from a year ago by about 4 minutes.

In JV competition, the boys nearly pulled together a perfect score, finishing with 17 points after junior Eli Highness (18:13), senior Ian Rasmann (18:27), junior Chris Jenemann (18:38), and senior Ryan Maus (18:59) swept the top four spots, and freshman Joel Melton claimed seventh place in 19:21. Finishing sixth and seventh for Helena’s JV were junior Sam Fitterer in 26^th with a time of 20:12 and sophomore Henry Sweeney in 33^rd with a time 20:28.

Like their varsity teammates, the JV boys posted a solid 1-5 spread of 1:07.

The JV girls also impressed, winning with 51 points and finishing ahead of Havre (77), Skyview (78), West (131) and CM Russell (132) in an 11-team field.

Junior Margot Muszkiewicz led the way in 8^th place with a time of 22:59, and was followed by two three-runner packs to cement the team’s top seven.

Freshman Mary Clement, junior Caoimhe Gallagher, and freshman Ellie Coburn placed 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th in identical times of 23:22, and sophomores Emily Davidson, Cooper Judd, and Adela Sund finished 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th in 23:43, 23:47, and 23:48, respectively.

The Bengals’ 1-5 spread was just 44 seconds, and their combined time of 1:56:49 was about 13 minutes faster than the team’s combined time from 2022.

The Bengals are excited to return home over the next two weeks to run on their home turf at Bill Roberts Golf Course, before heading to the state meet Oct. 21 in Kalispell.

For a list of complete results and photos, please use the links at the top of this post.

Results

Photo Gallery

The Helena High boys and girls claimed strong finishes at the Mountain West Classic on Saturday in Missoula – in both varsity and junior varsity competition.

Helena’s varsity boys posted their best collective performance of the year and it showed up in the results as they placed fourth in a field of 62 complete teams, trailing only nationally ranked Coeur d’Alene (Idaho), Bozeman, and Billings West, and finishing ahead of Great Falls for the first time this season.

Coeur d’Alene placed all five scoring runners in the top 16 to run away with the victory with 45 points, while Bozeman posted 75 and West finished with 158. The Bengals, however, were nipping at the Bears’ heels, just 14 points farther back with a total of 172.

Returning all-state finisher and junior Henry Sund led the Bengals across the finish in 16:15, which was good enough for 21^st place, while freshman Milo Kauffman and junior Elliot Stimpson again finished in quick succession, posting times of 16:27 in 30^th and 31^st. Sophomore Dylan Hill battled to 49^th in 16:47 and junior Jake Matthews locked down the team’s scoring five with a personal best of 16:56 in 57^th place. Also running strong for the Bengals were senior Trey Schlepp (17:10, 78^th) and sophomore Garrett Hinderman (17:18, 88^th). Helena’s top five finished with an impressive 40-second spread.

In girls varsity competition, Helena improved five places from their 2022 finish and claimed 13^th (fifth among Montana AA schools) to continue what’s been a strong 2023 campaign. Gallatin (123) won a close battle for first against Bozeman (131), while Hardin (136) was third.

The Bengals posted 431 points – 20 points ahead of 14^th place Glacier and 39 points behind 12^th-place Corvallis – in a field that included 365 finishers and 48 complete scoring teams from Montana, Idaho, and Washington.

Senior Bria Plant once again led the way for Helena, this time in 69^th place with a time of 20:53, while fellow senior Sofia Hinderman followed close behind in 75^th with a time of 21:00. Juniors Margaret McDonald (21:20) and Hadyn Garza (21:21) crossed the finish line next for Helena in 93^rd and 97^th, and had it not been for a root getting in the way and a hard fall near the finish line, sophomore Kate Lee would have finished alongside them. But despite spraining her wrist, Lee quickly dusted herself off and ran the final 100 meters to secure 123^rd in 21:39, which helped the Bengals hold of Glacier. The top five Bengals were separated by only 46 seconds.

Also running for Helena were freshman Mary Clement (21:53, 148^th), who performed admirably in her first varsity competition, and junior Solveig Mohr (21:58, 153^rd).

In JV competition, the girls flexed their depth and finished fourth as a team behind a fourth-place individual finish by junior Ella Irey, who improved on her season best by more than a minute to finish in 21:20. Next across the line for the Bengals was junior Margot Muszkiewicz, who ran a lifetime best of 21:54. About 40 seconds later, a pack of Bengals crossed in quick succession: senior Alivia Thunstrom (22:33, 24^th), sophomore Wren Clum (22:34, 25^th), sophomore Gabbi LaVoie (22:35, 26^th), sophomore Adela Sund (22:37, 27^th), sophomore Emily Davidson (22:39, 28^th), and sophomore Cooper Judd (22:41, 33^rd). For Judd, that was a lifetime best and it meant the Bengals claimed one fifth of the top 40 places. And freshman Ellie Coburn (23:06, 45^th), and juniors Mia Carrell (23:11, 51^st) and Caoimhe Gallgher (23:15, 52^nd) trailed close behind, as well.

The Bengals 1-5 team spread was 1:14 which helped them stay close in the team chase, which saw the first four teams finish within 22 points of each other. Bozeman won with 69, Preston (Idaho) was second with 71, Hellgate posted 81, and Helena finished with 91. Those four teams were so dominant, fifth place Lewis and Clark (Idaho) was nearly 100 points farther back with 188.

In the boys JV race, the Bengals put two runners in the top 10 and four in the top 20 to secure a runner-up finish behind Coeur d’Alene.

Junior Eli Highness led the charge with a personal best of 17:24 to place third and junior Chris Jenemann ran to a strong 17:38 finish in sixth place. Third and fourth for the Bengals were senior Ian Rasmann (18:01, 16^th) and sophomore Ed Coleman (18:18, 19^th). Locking down the scoring for the Bengals was freshman Joel Melton, who ran 18:45 in 34^th place, and he was followed closely by senior Ryan Maus in 42^nd with a time of 18:56. Helena’s seventh man was freshman Dan Williams with a time of 19:11 in 59^th.

All told the Bengal boys finished with eight personal bests and additional two season bests. The Helena girls, meanwhile, registered seven personal bests and four season bests.

But it wasn’t the times that impressed most. It was the way the Bengals competed, supported each other, and represented their school and the Helena community with character.

Next Up

After competing in four consecutive large invitationals, the Bengals head to Great Falls on Friday, Sept. 29 for the Great Falls Invite, which uses a unique format, placing teams in quads with three other opponents. After that, the Bengals return home for the Capital City 7 vs. 7 on Thursday, Oct. 5 at Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Results

Photo Gallery: NOTE – Something happened with my camera settings during the girls varsity race, so several of my photos were really bad, which is why there are so few from that race. Hoping Marie Matthews picked up the slack for me.

Changing things up a bit, we’re starting with a junior varsity recap to shine a light on the incredible depth developing at Helena High.

Outcomes are a byproduct of striving for excellence, approaching training and racing with curiosity, and doing it in a unified fashion. The outcomes Friday from the Butte Invitational are a reflection of the consistent work in those areas Bengal student-athletes have been putting in since late June.

Helena’s varsity squads both performed well with the boys placing third behind junior Henry Sund’s seventh-place finish and the girls fourth behind senior Bria Plant’s 12th-place showing, but in JV competition, the Bengals attacked 5 kilometers at Highland View Golf Course in Butte, too, posting a boys victory and a girls runner-up finish. Those finishes by Helena’s JV runners certainly provided inspiration for their varsity teammates, who raced later in the afternoon.

On the boys side, sophomore Dylan Hill led the JV boys race wire-to-wire to take home the victory in 17 minutes, 5 seconds. Hill confidently managed his effort across the flat course in Butte’s thin air at 5,500 feet of elevation, and finished a full 20 seconds ahead of second place.

Close behind Hill were senior Ian Rasmann in fourth place with a personal best 17:26 and junior Chris Jenemann in fifth place in 17:47. Fourth across the line for Helena was Ryan Maus in a season best 18:10, and sophomore Ed Coleman completed the scoring for the Bengals in 14th with a time of 18:25. Freshman Joel Melton continued to compete like a veteran despite his age and experience and was Helena’s sixth runner in 16th with a lifetime best of 18:28, and junior Sam Fitterer locked down the team’s seventh spot in 36th with a time of 19:15

On the girls side, freshman Mary Clement ran an inspired race, starting behind the lead pack before working her way into the lead near the halfway point alongside eventual winner and sophomore Elle Johnson from Bozeman.

It was a gutsy race for Clement, who was competing in just her fourth career race, yet showed incredible courage and calm as she traded blows with much more experienced runners – second, third, and fourth were all seniors.

Clement landed in fifth place with a big lifetime best of 21:49, 46 seconds faster than her finish in Bozeman a week earlier.

What came next was a wave of white HHS singlets as five more Bengals finished among the top 12. Junior Margot Muszkiewicz placed seventh in a lifetime best of 22:07, sophomore and first-year cross country runner Adela Sund followed in eighth with a lifetime best 22:13, sophomore Emily Davidson ran to 10th place in a lifetime best of 22:24, sophomore Gabbi LaVoie posted a lifetime best of 22:28 in 11th, and junior Caoimhe Gallagher finished 12th in a season best of 22:30. Helena’s seventh finisher was freshman Ellie Coburn, who posted a lifetime best of 23:00.

While Gallagher wasn’t among the five scoring Helena runners, she displaced Bozeman’s fifth runner, helping her team scratch a little closer to the Hawks, who won with 28 points. Helena wasn’t far behind with 41 and Hellgate placed third with 93. The Bengals’ 1-5 spread was once again a highlight as Clement and LaVoie were separated by just 39 seconds.

Those highlighted above shared the spotlight with the rest of the JV competitors, who collectively competed at an inspiring level. Here’s a quick look at their results before we move onto the varsity recap.

Boys JV: 8-21

Girls JV: 8-18

61. Daniel Williams, 9, 19:44 83. Henry Sweeney, 10, 20:03 PR 97. Finn Morrison, 10, 20:16 PR 101. Enoch Johnson, 10, 20:21 PR 104. Luke Wilkins, 11, 20:23 134. Asher Hazen, 9, 21:00 PR 175. Dane Moser, 9, 22:16 PR 207. Luke Foster, 9, 22:55 PR 236. Gavin Payne, 10, 24:35 SR 239. Will Kreissler, 9, 24:43 254. Micah Langdji, 9, 26:00 PR 271. Elliot Cleary, 9, 29:38 PR 275. Henry Coy, 9, 31:53 277. Carmelo Gresens, 9, 35:28 PR

27. Cooper Judd, 10, 23:12 PR 33. Wren Clum, 10, 23:26 75. Kelia Gomes, 9, 25:14 97. Lane Swift, 11, 25:55 102. Esme Soller, 9, 26:05 103. Aven Baker, 9, 26:05 110. Maren Fox, 9, 26:20 PR 132. Ryah O’Dell, 10, 27:21 SR 141. Allison Zimmerman, 10, 27:51 SR 175. Hana Honemann, 12, 30:11 PR 187. Evie Zimmerman, 9, 31:48

Varsity Recap

In varsity competition, as noted above, the boys placed third and the girls were fourth with Sund and Plant leading the way, but both teams’ collective efforts were the highlight of a strong day.

On the boys side, Sund shaved four seconds off his lifetime best to place seventh in 16:05, just 0.3 seconds behind sixth place. Junior Elliot Stimpson steadily through the chase pack and landed in 12th place in a lifetime best of 16:18 to give the Bengals a solid 1-2 punch, and freshman Milo Kauffman continued to exhibit strength with a 22nd-place finish in 16:51.

Helena’s next three finishers arrived soon after with senior Trey Schlepp racing to a lifetime best 17:10 in 28th, sophomore Garrett Hinderman posted a lifetime best of 17:17 in 33rd, and junior Jake Matthews crossed the finish line in 22nd in 17:22. Junior Eli Highness locked down the seventh spot for the Bengals in 47th with a time of 17:38.

Helena finished with 91 points, trailing West (57) and Great Falls (68), and slightly ahead of Sentinel (103).

On the girls side, Plant scraped a second off her lifetime best to place 12th in 20:20, guiding the Bengals to a total of 126 points in fourth place. Gallatin dominated the meet with 34, Flathead was second with 67, Glacier placed third with 98, while Belgrade (168) and Capital (170) trailed the Bengals in a field of 13 scoring teams.

While Plant led the way for Helena, fellow senior Sofia Hinderman continued her strong start to the season, posting a fourth career best in a row, this time placing 21st after a courageous start alongside Plant to put herself into position to compete farther up the pack. That early display of curiosity by Hinderman resulted in a time of 20:45 and big smiles at the finish line.

Third across the line for the Bengals was sophomore Kate Lee, who continues to grow as a competitor as she ran to a lifetime best of 21:03 in 26th place after making some positive moves in the second half of the race. And despite not feeling 100%, junior Solveig Mohr ran an inspired 21:24 to finish 35th.

Helena’s fourth and fifth runners across the line – junior Margaret McDonald (21:40) and junior Hadyn Garza (21:44) – ran together throughout the race and pushed each other across the finish line in 41st and 42nd. Finishing seventh and just getting started for the Bengals was junior Ella Irey, who placed 59th in a season-best of 22:27 after opening the season in Bozeman last weekend.

Up Next: Mountain West Classic

The Bengals return to action Saturday, Sept. 23 at UM Golf Course in Missoula at the always exciting Mountain West Classic, which annually hosts teams from Montana, Washington, and Idaho – including all 16 Montana Class AA schools. In 2022, more than 1,600 runners competed in the high school divisions.

Complete Results

Photo Gallery

Helena High cross country continued to make gains with another strong early season showing, this time at the Bozeman XC Invitational on Saturday.

The varsity girls got things going with an aggressive start at Bridger Creek Golf Course, and they finished with aplomb as the Bengals’ competed to the very last inch of the 5-kilometer course to snag every point they could. That competitive fire resulted in an eighth-place finish and numerous lifetime bests under cloudy skies and with a light breeze cooling the air.

Bozeman (83), Hellgate (101), and Gallatin (107) took the top three spots, and they were followed by Class A Hardin (120), Wyoming’s Natrona (143) and Sheridan (178), Flathead (183), and Helena (218). The Bengals finished fifth among the 16 AAs in the meet, and again were carried by their collective effort, with the top five runners crossing the finish line within 1 minute, 2 seconds of each other.

Leading the way for Helena was senior Bria Plant, who despite sensing midway through the race she wasn’t having a great day, shaved a whopping 28 seconds off her personal best to finish 27^th in 20:21. Close behind was junior Solveig Mohr in 31^st, and she too ran a personal best, improving by 39 seconds to cross the finish line in 20:30 after closing with a big kick down the homestretch. Next up for the Bengals were senior Sofia Hinderman and junior Hadyn Garza in 46^th and 50^th with personal bests of their own in 21:00 and 21:05.

Junior Margaret McDonald put together a strong performance as Helena’s fifth and final scoring runner to place 68^th in what was her second-best career time, pushing across the finish in 21:22. Sophomore Kate Lee added some insurance in 71^st with a lifetime best of 21:24 as she caught five runners in the final 150 meters.

Helena’s seventh runner was junior Margot Muszkiewicz in 123^rd and Adela Sund placed 146^th. Both runner’s posted their second best career times in 22:46 and 23:20, respectively.

In the boys varsity competition, junior Henry Sund worked his way up front with the lead pack early in the race, which helped carry him to another strong finish as he guided the Bengals to fifth place with a 15^th-place showing in 16:13. Close behind were the dynamic duo of freshmen Milo Kauffman and junior Elliot Stimpson, who once again pushed each other from start to finish to personal bests of 16:22 and 16:25, respectively, in 21^st and 24^th place.

Senior Trey Schlepp made a strong late push and was followed closely by junior Jake Matthews in 57^th and 58^th to complete Helena’s scoring. Both runners finished in 17:18, which was a lifetime best for Schlepp. The Helena boys 1-5 spread was an impressive 1:04.

The Bengals finished with 173, as Bozeman (55), Billings West (97), Great Falls (117), and Sentinel (163) claimed the top four spots.

Also running varsity for Helena were sophomore Garrett Hinderman (65^th, 17:25, PR), junior Eli Highness (68^th, 17:27, PR), sophomore Dylan Hill (73^rd, 17:31), senior Ian Rasmann (83^rd, 17:41), and junior Chris Jenemann (172^nd, 19:26).

Junior Varsity

Not to be outdone by their varsity counterparts, Helena’s JV squads impressed in a big way with the girls winning the meet and the boys placing second.

Led by senior Alivia Thunstrom, who was running her first race, the girls placed seven runners in the top 21 to win a close battle with Bozeman and Hellgate. The Bengals finished with 50, while Bozeman posted 64 and Hellgate delivered 71.

Thunstrom posted an impressive season debut in 22:25 to place seventh, and the Bengals poured across the finish line after that. Freshman Mary Clement chopped 1:10 of her previous best to place ninth in 22:34, junior Ella Irey opened her season in 13^th with a time of 22:36, sophomore Wren Clum followed in 15^th in 22:40, sophomore Emily Davidson was 16^th in 22:44, sophomore Gabbi LaVoie followed her breakthrough race in Kalispell with a 19^th-place finish in 22:59, and junior Caoimhe Gallagher was 21^st in 23:06.

By placing their top seven in the top 21, the Bengals had a full complement of scoring runners and displacers (six and seven) across the finish line before Bozeman’s fourth runner and Hellgate’s fifth, locking up the team title. The girls also demonstrated incredible teamwork, providing each other with a massive push toward the finish line as the top five finished within 19 seconds of each other and the top seven within 41 seconds. And that theme of unity was consistent for many of the runners that followed, as they packed up and ran together, something they’ve been working on consistently at practice.

On the boys side, the Bengals finished second with 105, while Billings West collected the victory with 84.

Senior Ryan Maus led the way with a season record in third place, finishing in 18:23. Freshman Joel Melton raced to 11^th in 18:48, junior Sam Fitterer was 23^rd in a personal best of 19:11, freshman Dan Williams placed 38^th in 19:35, and junior Luke Wilkins capped the Bengals’ scoring in 52^nd in 19:51. Sophomore Finn Morrison (81^st, 20:17) and junior Carson Payne (144^th, 21:26) were Helena’s sixth and seventh runners.

The JV boys finished with a 1-5 gap of 1:28 in a field of 313 runners.

Up Next

The big meets continue next week as the Bengals head to Highland Golf Course for the Butte Invitational, where the field will include 25 teams. Competition begins at noon Friday, Sept. 15.

Complete Results

Photo Gallery

The Bengals had an outstanding day under blue skies at the Flathead Invitational on Saturday, as the boys and girls placed third and fifth, respectively, in a meet that featured runners from more than 40 teams including 12 of the 16 AA programs.

On top of that, the junior varsity and freshmen teams demonstrated team depth with equally impressive results on the course that will host the state meet on October 21. The girls JV and freshmen both picked up victories, while the JV boys were second and the freshmen boys placed seventh.

In the varsity division, junior Henry Sund posted a monster personal best 16:09 to place fifth, while sophomore Dylan Hill, freshman Milo Kauffman, and junior Elliot Stimpson kept the finish line busy in 16th, 17th, and 18th – all with personal bests of 16:30, 16:32, 16:34, respectively. Junior Jake Matthews rounded out the scoring for the boys in 37th (17:11),  while senior Trey Schlepp and sophomore Eli Highness weren’t far behind in 17:39 and 17:58. Impressively, the boys posted a strong 1-5 spread of 1:02, demonstrating excellent pack running.

Bozeman won the boys title with 37 points, followed by Great Falls with 63 and Helena with 93, more than 50 points clear of fourth-place Sentinel.

In the girls varsity race, senior Bria Plant shaved 11 seconds off her lifetime best to finish 23rd in 20:49, while junior Solveig Mohr was 31st in 21:11, senior Sofia Hinderman placed 33rd in a lifetime best 21:16, junior Hadyn Garza ran 21:46 in 45th, and sophomore Kate Lee capped the scoring in 53rd with a time of 22:01. Also running varsity for the Bengals were juniors Margaret McDonald (58th, 22:26) and Margot Muszkiewicz (84th, 23:08). The Bengal girls led all teams with a 1:12 spread from the first to the fifth runner.

Bozeman won the girls division with 67 points, followed by Gallatin (88), Hellgate (109), Flathead (168) and Helena (185).

In the JV division, both the boys and girls placed three in the top 11 with junior Chris Jenemann (6th), senior Ian Rasmann (10th), and sophomore Garrett Hinderman (11th) pacing the boys, while sophomore Gabbi Lavoie (ninth), junior Mia Carrell (10th), and sophomore Emily Davidson (11th) led the way for the girls.

In the freshman division, Ellie Coburn (second) and Mary Clement (sixth) ran big personal bests of 23:24 and 23:45 to lead the girls, while Joel Melton and Daniel Williams established PRs of 18:32 and 19:02 in ninth and 12th to spearhead the boys.

The Bengals will be back in action at the Bozeman Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 9.