Tag: cross-country

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 11th in the No. 2 race in a season best of 20:31 – just nine seconds shy of 7th 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 14th-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 10th.

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 18th in a season-best 21:59 and senior Ryah O’Dell 29th 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 (41st) and sophomore Kumari Leland (49th) 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 16th, freshman Ander Svingen posted a PR of 18:02 in 17th, and sophomore Daniel Williams ran to 25th place in a PR of 18:24. Freshman Foster Warner was Helena’s sixth runner in 26th with a PR 18:27 and senior Sam Fitterer celebrated his 18th birthday with a PR of 18:31 in 30th 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 38th 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 15th in 16:10. And coming up big for the Bengals in a season best of 16:31 in 30th was Dylan Hill, who was followed across the line by Jake Matthews in 47th 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 63rd in 17:03. And senior Eli Highness remained as reliable as ever in 70th 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 30th with a time of 20:01 to lead the Bengals, running a courageous race reminiscent of her 7th-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 57th.

With those two leading the way, the Bengals finished 8th 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 85th in 21:10. Senior Solveig Mohr 91st in 21:13, Ella Irey 92nd in a season best 21:15, senior Caoimhe Gallagher 109th in 21:25, and freshman Lily Combs 123rd 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 18th, and in 2023 they finished 13th.

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 10th and senior Margot Muszkiewicz completed the scoring for Helena in 17th 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 (25th, 22:23), senior Ryah O’Dell (35th, 22:57), and senior Margaret McDonald (44th, 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 48th, 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 20th 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 29th in a PR 18:32, sophomore Dan Williams 31st in a PR 18:36, freshman Foster Warner 40th in a PR 18:45, and senior Sam Fitterer 44th 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 2nd and 4th in Butte to spearhead the Bengals’ victory, which was buoyed by senior Eli Highness and junior Garrett Hinderman as the Bengals’ 4th and 5th runners finished in 20th and 24th. Junior Dylan Hill continued to lock down the team’s third spot in 19th. 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 19th was 17:01. Also running for the Bengals was senior Jake Matthews in 44th 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 17th.

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

Also running strong for the Bengals were seniors Ella Irey and Caoimhe Gallagher in 32nd (21:20) and 33rd (21:23), respectively, and freshman Lily Combs in 37th (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 12th in 22:34 and sophomore Ellie Coburn 14th 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 (19th, 23:12), junior Wren Clum (21st, 23:14), and junior Gabbi Lavoie (23rd, 23:15) – and two more in the top 50 – freshmen Harper Johnson (35th, 23:58, PR) and Alexa Pipinich (49th, 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 13th (18:32, PR) and junior Henry Sweeney capped the scoring in 18th (18:49, PR).

Four more Bengals placed among the top 50 – sophomore Dan Williams (29th, 19:09), senior Sam Fitterer (31st, 19:10), freshman Foster Warner (32nd, 19:12), and freshman Ravin Bury (46th, 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 7th overall and 4th among all 16 Class AA high schools. And in the JV races, the Bengal girls cruised to the victory and the boys placed runner-up to Sheridan, Wyo.

As the sun drifted below the tree line and the clouds rolled in offering a relief from the heat, the crack of starter’s pistol signaled the start of the boys’ race, and the cooler temperatures allowed the competitors the opportunity to test their fitness in ideal conditions.

Helena’s top three boys – Kauffman, Stimpson, and senior Henry Sund – settled into the pack and remained connected to the front-runners through the first two miles, but Thiel injected a late surge and looked to be in strong position for the win late in the race. With about 300 meters to go, Kauffman and Stimpson appeared to be in a fight to hold of other competitors in a fierce fight for places 2-5, but Kauffman never relented and charged for Thiel with Stimpson in tow. The two Bengals crossed the finish line in personal bests of 15:38 and 15:39, and were followed closely in third by Sentinel senior Tyler Inabnit. The top five finished within 4 seconds of each other.

Sund was Helena’s third runner across the finish line in 13th with a time of 16:02, and junior Dylan Hill and senior Jake Matthews completed the scoring five for the Bengals in 29th (16:37) and 36th (16:44), respectively.

Also running in the varsity race were senior Eli Highness in 44th with a personal best 17:00, Garrett Hinderman in 53rd with a personal best 17:10, sophomore Joel Melton 96th in 17:54 and senior Chris Jenemann 104th in 18:04.

Bozeman claimed the boys title with 73 points, while Helena posted 80 in second and Billings West was third with 147.

Junior Kate Lee was again at the lead for Helena’s girls and spearheaded their 7th-place finish in 26th with a time of 20:38, while senior Hadyn Garza and freshman Lily Combs placed 38th and 41st in times of 20:57 and 20:59, respectively. Combs’ time was a personal best. Playing a role in the scoring for the Bengals were senior Solveig Mohr in 48th with a time of 21:05 and senior Ella Irey in 55th at 21:17.

Also running in the varsity race for Helena were sophomore Emmie Bermingham in 64th (21:27), senior Caoimhe Gallagher in 72nd (21:39), junior Emily Davidson in 85th (21:56), and senior Margot Muszkiewicz in 130th (22:53).

Bozeman won the girls varsity competition with 91 points and was trailed by Gallatin (125), Powell, Wyo. (160), reigning Class A champion Hardin (163), reigning AA champion Hellgate (168), Natrona County, Wyo. (195), and Helena (198).

In the girls JV race, junior Cooper Judd ran a composed first half, exhibiting patience after a fast start by the frontrunners, then made a push to the front midway through the race and never relinquished the lead. She finished in a personal best of 21:44.

While Judd was working hard in the lead, not to far back was sophomore Mary Clement, who constructed her own exceptional race, briefly moving into second before a late move by Bozeman’s Adele Kozicki meant Clement would finish an impressive third place in 22:07. Next across the finish for the victorious Bengals were sophomore Ellie Coburn 11th in 23:00, senior Ryah O’Dell 22nd in 23:46, and freshman Harper Johnson in 34th in a personal best of 24:10 – Johnson’s first time contributing to the team score as a top-five runner for Helena. The Bengals sixth and seventh finishers were junior Wren Clum 39th in 24:20 and sophomore Aven Baker 44th in 24:30.

The girls posted a winning total of 70 points, while Billings Senior was second with 105 and Hellgate placed third with 118.

On the boys’ side, the Bengals were the top Montana team with 81 points, but Wyoming’s Sheridan High collected the overall victory with 48.

Leading the way for Helena was junior Ed Coleman in a strong third-place finish, crossing the line in a personal best 17:58. Senior Sam Fitterer backed up that performance with a strong run of his own in 10th (18:35, PR), sophomore Dan Williams placed 19th (18:53), freshman Ravin Bury ran to 21st (18:54, PR), and freshman Foster Warner capped the scoring in 28th (19:08, PR). Also claiming spots in the top seven for the Bengals were Henry Sweeney (39th, 19:27) and Will Kreissler (45th, 19:32).

The meet capped a week that started with some adversity as the Bengals were pushed indoors because of smokey air, forcing them to adapt to some adjustments in the training schedule. But they responded with a positive attitude, exceptional effort, and continued commitment to string together four solid days of training and an impressive effort at a highly competitive meet.

While some of the Bengals left the meet expressing they wanted more from themselves in the competition, the coaching staff was most impressed by the collective effort and continued positive vibe the team exhibits day in and day out.

A good quote to leave the week comes from Olympian Alexi Pappas, who wrote, “You can be proud of yourself and want more from yourself at the same time.” The Bengals can certainly leave Bozeman feeling proud and wanting more is a healthy response to the lessons they learned in Bozeman. They will try to put those lessons to good use when they return to action Friday, Sept. 20 at the Butte Invitational.