Weather, tough field to test runners
From one extreme to another; such is the life of a cross country runner in Montana.
The season officially got under way for area teams on Sept. 2 at the Libby Invitational, where sunny skies and warm, humid conditions tested runner and fan alike.
Today's Flathead Invitational at Kidsport promises to be just the opposite - a chilly experience for all involved. Temperatures will be lucky to get out of the 50-degree range and rain is in the forecast.
"If it's cold, it will be different," said FHS coach Paul Jorgensen.
"But it will affect everyone the same."
Flathead's girls are the defending team champions while North Central boys of Spokane, Wash., are back and favored once again.
Twenty-five teams from Montana and Washington will be in attendance. That translates to well over 700 runners.
Competition begins at 10 a.m. with the junior high school athletes. Junior varsity follows at 11 a.m. and varsity is scheduled to begin at noon.
"It's a good opportunity to get some good competition and see where we stand," said Jorgensen.
"More competition (at this outing), so this will be a truer test to see how good we are. There is some unknown competition with the schools from Spokane."
Flathead swept up both team titles at the Libby Invitational. Both individual winners from that competition - Brooke Andrus of Bigfork and John Fairweather of Flathead - will again be individuals to key on.
Last's year event was also a soggy affair, but that did not stop two athletes from erecting new course records.
Flathead's Zoe Nelson, now competing at the University of Oregon, knocked 13 seconds off her old course mark with a time 17:40.
Plains senior Dane Steward was timed in 16:02, bettering the old standard by 17 seconds and held by Matt Parker of Flathead set in 2003.
In addition to Andrus, ninth last year here with a time of 20:03, Flathead's Shannon Ross, Missoula Sentinel's Caitlin Stone and Ronan's Sadie McMillan will challenge.
Ross finished seventh and Stone eighth here last year.
For the boys, Flathead's Elliot Welder and Sean Clark and Missoula Big Sky's Forrest Lumpry and Hunter Nelson will push Fairweather.
Welder finished sixth last year and Fairweather 10th.
Jorgensen North Central will also bring over some talented individuals.
Regarding team titles, Jorgensen says its far too early in the season to make solid predictions. He did say Mt. Spokane, Big Sky, Browning, Ronan and Cut Bank will all field strong squads.