featured – Helena High Cross Country

Boys 2nd, Girls 3rd on Spectacular Team Day at State Meet in Missoula

Kauffman, Hill, Hinderman, McKay, Ward All-State; First Time Both Teams Reach Podium in 40 Years

Vincent Van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Saturday was a great day for Helena High cross country, and true to Van Gogh’s quote, that greatness was the result of many small steps along the way and many small things coming together at exactly the right time.

The Bengals’ double podium at the 2025 state meet in Missoula was the result of showing up with consistency since the start of summer training in June, running mile after mile and rep after rep with intention, committing to daily strength and mobility work, approaching competition with curiosity, and then, of course, culminating with the magic of seven runners in each race performing with poise and composure on the day it mattered most.

Helena’s boys collected second place for the second year in a row with three runners earning All-State medals and the girls returned to the podium for the first time since 2020 with a third-place finish and two runners claiming All-State honors. While the All-State finishers may get the headlines, the trophies were clearly the result of two complete teams of seven runners rising to the occasion on a beautiful autumn afternoon at the University of Montana Golf Course.

The double podium was Helena’s first since both teams claimed hardware in 1985. The boys were second and girls were third that year, as well.

Heading into the 2025 state meet, Helena’s boys appeared poised to earn a spot in the top three after a strong finish to the regular season, but with the nationally-ranked Bozeman Hawks as the clear favorite, it was unclear whether they would have an opportunity to tussle for the top spot, battle it out with Hellgate for second, or potentially fend off a challenge from Glacier for third.

As it turned out, Bozeman put things out of reach for the win early in the race and finished with 41 points, while Helena and Hellgate both left it all out on the course in a fierce battle for second.

The Bengals emerged as runners up with 85 points, thanks in large part to junior Milo Kauffman’s strong third-place finish in 15:54 behind Bozeman’s Miles Halvorsen and Taylor Neil, who crossed the finish line in 15:34 and 15:42. It was the third consecutive all-state finish for Kuaffman who was 10th in 2023 and fourth in 2024.

Commanding finishes by seniors Dylan Hill (16:21), Garrett Hinderman (16:22), and Ed Coleman (16:42, personal best) in 13^th, 15^th, and 25^th, put the Bengals in strong position to secure second, and Emory Kreissler (16:47) posted the top finish by a freshman in the AA division in 29^th to lock up the second step on the podium for Helena. Coleman’s effort was an outlier as he was the only runner in the top 30 with a personal best Saturday. Junior Joel Melton and sophomore Foster Warner were 36^th and 56^th for the Bengals in 16:54 and 17:25, respectively.

Hellgate posted 101 points in third, Glacier placed fourth with 143, and Flathead was fifth with 147.

The boys trophy was their third in a row after placing third in 2023 and second in 2024. But what made Saturday’s performance so impressive was that the Bengals managed to repeat their runner-up performance from a year ago with four new runners in the lineup after losing standouts Elliot Stimpson, Henry Sund, Eli Highness, and Jake Matthews to graduation.

The Bengal girls left the start with a focus on positioning themselves in a way that allowed them to be competitive with the top teams when the racing amped up in the second half of the race.

Early in the race, the Bengals intentions were clear as they positioned themselves well in the field of 110 AA runners, and they needed a big day to earn a spot among the state’s best teams. Bozeman entered the meet as a big favorite to win and many expected defending champion Gallatin be in strong position to claim second, while Helena, Glacier, and Billings West all had eyes fixed on third.

Bozeman won with 49 points and Gallatin raced to a confident second place finish with 63 points, the battle for third was fierce throughout between the Helena (88) and Glacier (99), and West placed fifth with 149.

Junior Kortney McKay, junior Isabel Ward, senior Kate Lee, and senior Cooper Judd set the pace for Helena in the early part of the race in 12^th, 13^th, 14^th and, 19^th after the first mile, while junior Mary Clement was 32^nd, giving Helena 90 points in fourth place at that stage. Glacier had 85 in third – thanks in large part to the Wolfpack’s dominant 1-2 duo of Ada Thiel and Lauren Bissen toying with the top 5 runners in the field.

At two miles Glacier (84) widened its lead over Helena (92) to eight points as the Bengals’ top five remained in the same order in 11^th, 14^th, 18^th, 20^th, and 29^th.

As the race continued, things appeared dire for Helena as Thiel and Bissen dominated the final mile and crossed the finish line first and second in 18:21 and 18:22 to give the Wolfpack a massive advantage, but McKay (19:16) and Ward (19:25) secured All-State finishes in 9^th and 13^th to give the Bengals a strong 1-2 punch, as well.

The battle for third, however, came down to the Bengals’ depth, which has been a strength all season. Judd moved up three places in the final mile to finish 17^th in 19:46, Lee was 22^nd in 19:57, and Clement, a consistent force for the Bengals all season, placed 29^th in 20:04, which gave Helena 88 points and placed Helena’s top five runner’s ahead of Glacier’s third runner. That strength in depth locked up third place for the Bengals as the Wolfpack finished with 99 points.

Had anyone faltered among Helena’s top five runners, junior Emmie Bermingham and Wynona Schmidt provided even more depth in 34^th and 37^th place with times of 20:15 and 20:16, respectively. That meant all seven of Helena’s runners placed among the top third of the field, something only one other team – Gallatin – accomplished Saturday.

It was an exceptional race for the girls, who have move up the standings each of the past four years – 2022 (10^th), 2023 (6^th), 2024 (5^th), 2025 (3^rd). Demonstrating how well the girls raced, each runner improved upon their time from the same course they contested Sept. 20 at the Mountain West Classic. Collectively, the Bengals’ seven runners were 3 minutes, 35 seconds faster. Here’s a breakdown of how their state times compare to those from Mountain West.

McKay -7 seconds
Ward -29 seconds
Judd -59 seconds
Lee -30 seconds
Clement -39 seconds
Bermingham -43 seconds
Schmidt -26 seconds

That brings an end to the official season for Helena, but 56 of the Bengal runners will now turn their attention to the Nike Cross Regionals meet on Nov. 15 in Spokane, where they will go up against the top teams from seven states – Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Bengals Roll at Crosstown and Gather Momentum for State Meet on Oct. 25

Helena Varsity, Junior Varsity Sweep Team Titles

Complete Results

Photo Gallery

While it wasn’t the exact Crosstown cross country meet we all expected, the Helena Bengals adapted with calm and focus to set the stage for the state meet and close out the season for junior varsity runners Wednesday at Centannial Park.

After runners enjoyed sunny skies and green grass a week ago at Bill Roberts Golf Course, Mother Nature decided it was time for a “winterruption.” Much of Helena received between 4 and 5 inches of snow Sunday and Monday, which forced the Crosstown meet to move to the paved paths at Centennial.

And in fact, it was Crosstown+ this time around as Broadwater and Jefferson were invited to join the 5 kilometers of fun in the Capital City.

Helena swept the team titles in varsity and JV, while Helena junior Milo Kauffman captured the win in boys varsity competition, and sophomore Ander Svingen and freshman Ivy Kyle collected the boys and girls JV titles.

In boys competition, Kauffman guided Helena to a perfect score of 15 with a personal best of 15:18 as the Bengals finished 1-2-3-4-5. Next across the line for Helena were senior Garrett Hinderman (PR 15:59), junior Dylan Hill (season record 16:19), freshman Emory Kreissler (PR 16:30), and junior Joel Melton (PR 16:35). Senior Ed Coleman (17:08) and sophomore Foster Warner (PR 17:08) were Helena’s No. 6 and 7 runners in 8^th and 9^th. Those seven runners will represent the Bengals at the state meet.

Capital placed second with 55 points, while Broadwater (86) edged Jefferson (87) in a close battle for third.

In JV competition, Svingen completed the course in a PR 17:09 to win, while junior Titus Wetzel and senior Henry Sweeney finished second and third – both with PRs of 17:43. Svingen and Sweeney will travel to state as Helena’s alternates.

Also scoring in the JV race for the Helena boys were junior Dan Williams in fifth (PR 18:04) and sophomore Ravin Bury in sixth (PR 18:14), while sophomore Graham Coleman (PR 18:18) and freshman Milo Sealey (PR 18:21) were 7^th and 8^th.

Beyond those seven JV runners, another 18 Helena boys ran personal bests and four posted season records.

Helena’s JV boys won with 17 points and were followed by Capital (46), Jefferson (91), and Broadwater (103).

In girls competition, Townsend junior Kyla Meissner ran to a strong victory in 18:18, while Helena juniors Kortney McKay and Isabel Ward ran in lockstep throughout the race to finish second and third in personal bests of 18:55 and 18:58, respectively. Jefferson’s Piper Dawson broke up the Bengals’ top five by finishing fourth, but reaching the finish line in succession after her were senior Cooper Judd (5^th, PR 19:25), senior Kate Lee (6^th, PR 19:37), and junior Mary Clement (7^th, PR 19:45). And fans didn’t have to wait long for Helena’s final two varsity runners to reach the line as junior Emmie Bermingham and freshman Wynona Schmidt closed the race in a kick to place 9^th and 10^th in PRs of 19:59 and 20:00, respectively.

The Bengals finished with 23 points, Capital was second with 62, Jefferson placed third with 79, and Broadwater was fourth with 81.

In JV girls competition, the Bengals were the only team with five scoring runners, as Helena finished 1-7. Freshman Ivy Kyle led the squad for the second consecutive race, this time with a personal best of 20:01, and she was followed closely by junior Ellie Coburn in second with a personal best of 20:03. Those two will represent the Bengals at the state meet as alternates.

Following Kyle and Coburn across the line were senior Emily Davidson in third (PR 20:18), sophomore Harper Johnson fourth (PR 20:57), freshman Mary Guzynski fifth (PR 21:05), sophomore Alexa Pipinich sixth (PR 21:08), and freshman Sadie Murray seventh (PR 21:27).

Like the boys, Helena’s girls witnessed a flood of PRs as another 13 Bengals PRed and six ran season bests.

The Bengals return to action with the state meet on Saturday, Oct. 25 at UM Golf Course in Missoula.

Boys Win 7 of 7; Girls 4th with Team’s 2nd Best Score in Team History

Ivy Kyle Claims Title to Guide JV Girls to 2nd; JV Boys 3rd

Complete Results

Photo Gallery

Most of the top cross country runners in Montana convened at Helena’s Bill Roberts Golf Course on Thursday for the 20^th Capital City 7 of 7, and the Helena High Bengals took advantage of running on their home course for the first time this season with some memorable efforts.

The meet uses a unique format, where seven competitors from each school are broken down based on how they rank on their respective teams – No. 1s vs. No. 1s and so on – and all seven runners count toward the team score with a perfect score (seven victories) adding up to a total of seven.

The Helena varsity boys defended their title and home turf in a team battle that came down to the final race, and after sophomore Foster Warner opened the upset bid with a win in the No. 7 race, junior Milo Kauffman sealed the victory with a strong second-place finish in the No. 1 race. All seven boys placed 3^rd or better in their respective races.

In varsity girls competition, despite posting their second-lowest score in meet history, the Bengals finished fourth (29 points), just 6 points out of second in a tightly packed competition that saw Bozeman (19), Gallatin (23), and Glacier (25) claim the top three spots. Helena’s girls raced strong in all seven races with every runner finishing 6^th or better. The only time the Bengals scored fewer than 29 points was the 18 they chalked up in 2020 when the race featured just 8 teams because of COVID. This year, the race featured 49 teams.

Girls Varsity and JV 3rd at Mountain West Classic; Kauffman leads boys

Complete Meet Results

Photo Gallery

Helena’s varsity and junior varsity girls finished third, junior Milo Kauffman posted a top-5 finish, and junior Kortney McKay placed herself in the top 15 in the largest Mountain West Classic field in history Saturday in Missoula under sunny blue skies.

Kauffman employed more conservative tactics than usual early in the varsity boys competition and the adjustment paid off in a race that featured 590 finishers. He moved up the field throughout the 15 minutes, 40.51 seconds it took him to navigate 5 kilometers, and he was less than 2 seconds out of third place at the finish.

The boys were without three of their top 7 runners but still managed to place 15^th out of 79 complete teams. Freshman Emory Kreissler ran a stellar race in his first Mountain West appearance, placing 49^th in 16:45, junior Joel Melton was the Bengals’ No. 3 finisher in 113^th with a time of 17:23, sophomore Ander Svingen was 151^st in 17:43, and sophomore Foster Warner placed 199^th in 18:10.

Mead of Spokane won the meet with 110 points, followed by Bozeman (111) and Cheney, another Washington team, placed third (272). The Bengals finished with 493 points.

While Kauffman posted the top individual performance for the Bengals, Helena’s girls ran strong collectively at both competitive levels to finish among the top 3.

McKay led the varsity squad to third by steadily moving through the pack to finish 13^th in 19:23. She was 26^th after 1 mile and 19^th after 2 miles, demonstrating good patience and resolve in a field that featured 486 finishers.

Junior Isa Ward ran another strong race start-to-finish, positioning herself well in the early stages, then picking up a few spots to come home in 34^th – 23 positions higher than a year ago – in a time of 19:54. Behind her was senior Kate Lee in 20:27, while freshman Wynona Schmidt and Mary Clement were the other big movers for the Bengals in 66^th and 67^th place, respectively.

After 1 mile, Schmidt was 106^th and Clement found herself in 87^th. A mile later, Schmidt found her teammate in the herd of runners and led them through the 2-mile mark in 78^th and 79^th place, before the duo each chipped away 12 more places before they crossed the finish line in 20:42 – a personal record for Schmidt – and 20:43.

Junior Emmie Bermingham finished next for the Bengals in 91^st place (20:58) and junior Ellie Coburn was the seventh runner in 136^th (21:33).

Bozeman claimed the top team spot with 67 points, followed by Gallatin with 163 and Helena with 220 – 16 points ahead of Mead and a big leap forward a year after the Bengals finished eighth at the meet. Montana teams flexed their muscles at Mountain West as West and Glacier finished fifth and sixth to put five teams in the top 6.

In JV competition, the Helena girls again demonstrated the team’s depth, as the Bengals placed third – just 4 points out of second, despite competing without three regular top 7 runners.

Senior Cooper Judd was the tip of the spear in 6^th place with a personal best of 20:45, and freshman up-and-comer Ivy Kyle wasn’t too far back in 8^th place with a personal best of 20:52.

Reliable senior Emily Davidson, meanwhile, crossed the finish line in 12^th place (21:18), sophomore Harper Johnson scored for the third time in three meets in 24^th (21:54), and junior Aven Baker was among the five scoring runners for the first time in her Bengal career in 91^st with a season best of 23:35. Juniors Kumari Leland (112^th, 23:57) and Ellie Zipfel (113^th, 24:00) were Helena’s sixth and seventh finishers, both running season bests.

Freshman Iris McClain, however, had the most notable day as she was taken off her feet by a panicked deer on the course a little past 1 mile into the race, but she brushed it off and quickly got back to her feet, and still ran a personal best time of 27:03.

The girls notably placed 10 runners in the top third of the 478-runner field.

Back to the boys action, Helena’s JV contingent placed fifth and were guided in their quest by senior Henry Sweeney who chalked up a season best of 18:14 in 22^nd place, while first-year runner and junior Titus Wetzel continued his strong start in 26^th with a time of 18:24.

Junior Daniel Williams was next across the line for the Bengals in 38^th (18:38), freshman Milo Sealey placed 42^nd in 18:45, and sophomore Apollo Althoff continued his momentum in the fifth scoring spot with a time of 18:55 in 49^th. Helena’s sixth and seventh runners were sophomore Graham Coleman (58^th, 19:03) and senior Enoch Johnson (106^th, 19:40).

The JV boys placed 11 runners among the top third of the 652-runner field.

Helena has a quick turnaround before its next meet as it heads south Thursday for the Butte Invitational.

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

JV Girls Claim 2nd and JV Boys Finish 3rd

Complete Results

Meet Photos

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.

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).

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.