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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

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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

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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.