Welder finishes 20th at Foot Locker regional

The Daily Inter Lake

Runners from Flathead had a good showing Saturday at the Foot Locker Cross Country West Regionals in Walnut, Calif. The race is the last competition for Flathead's runners after a long season.

Senior Elliot Welder was the best Montana runner in the boys seeded race, placing 20th with a time of 16:12. Welder managed to beat Nolan Real Bird of Billings by 23 seconds. Real Bird had defeated Welder at the AA state championship race by a couple of seconds.

Welder started slow on the tough 5K course, but passed almost 40 runners in the last mile. Three imposing hills stand between the runners and the finish line, making the runners struggle for a fast time.

Carl Nystuen, Seth Grossman and Sean Clark also ran in the seeded race, finishing 109th, 139th and 171st respectively.

More than 300 of the West's best runners competed in the seeded race. The top eight will run at the national race in San Diego. Traditionally, the West has a deeper field than the East.

Overall, Montana placed seventh out of 12 teams in the boys seeded race with a team time of 1:23:42, less than five seconds behind first-place California.

Justin Barth ran in the sophomore race and performed well by notching an 8th-place finish. Barth's final time was 17:01.

Freshman Dan Howell had a disappointing trip, coming down with strep throat before the race. He took a penicillin shot the night before and started, but was too sick to finish.

For the 8th-grade race, Kalispell's Alec Surynt placed second out of 82 runners and finished three seconds back of the winner. Surynt ran the 2K course in 11:10. He was up front most of the race and even led for a time.

"If he'd had more distance, he probably would have caught the kid who beat him," Flathead coach Paul Jorgensen said. "He's a real talent."

Bigfork's Brooke Andrus also competed in the girls seeded race, finishing 55th with a time of 19:53, which helped Montana finish in the eighth spot, 16 seconds behind California.

"The girls field was very tough," Jorgensen said. "A freshman won and set the course record. She reminded us a lot of Zoe Nelson."

But not all the local runners were high school students. Columbia Falls boys cross country coach Richard Menicke ran the Coach/Parent/Supporter race and placed 50th with a time of 19:09. Menicke was the second-fastest Montanan in the race.

Boys seeded race

20. Elliot Welder 12 16:12

109. Carl Nystuen 11 17:18

139. Seth Grossman 11 17:33

171. Sean Clark 12 17:51

Girls seeded race

55. Brooke Andrus 12 19:53

Sophomore race

8. Justin Barth 17:01

Freshman race

DNF Dan Howell - strep throat

8th Grade 2K race

2. Alec Surynt 11:10

Coach/Parent/Supporter race

50. Richard Menicke 19:09