FHS cross country sweeps at Ronan
The Daily Inter Lake
RONAN - The Flathead cross country teams earned a sweep at the Ronan Invitational on Saturday.
The Braves scored 21 points and had two runners break the 16-minute mark for the first time this season - first-place Leif Castren, 15:50, and runner-up Zach Perrin, 15:59. Alec Surynt came in third, 16:24, Hunter Schutt took sixth, 16:39, and Brett Harrison finished ninth, 17:27.
The Bravettes edged Class A defending state champion Whitefish by the slimmest of margins, scoring 35 team points to Whitefish's 36. Paige Bouma paced Flathead in 20:12 and took third, followed by fifth-place Hannah Macfarlane, 20:51, seventh-place Kathleen Barth, 21:05, ninth-place Rose Byrne, 21:22, and 11th-place Cheyenne Cook, 21:31.
"I'm happy overall with both teams' efforts because they ran closer together than I've seen so far," Flathead coach Paul Jorgensen said.
Bigfork's Kayla Carlson won the girls race, 19:03.
Whitefish's Bailey Eaton earned second place, 19:26, and Jessica Sagen, 20:20, took fourth. The two-time defending state champion girls team is without two of its top runners from last year - juniors Stella Holt and Jackie Cassidy - due to injuries. Last year, Cassidy finished second at state, 18:53, and Holt placed eighth, 19:27.
"We go from a really solid and deep team, to all of a sudden our depth is gone somewhat," Whitefish coach Bill Brist said. "The good news is the other runners are starting to come along. I'm actually pretty happy with how we're coming along."
The Columbia Falls boys team took second place, led by fourth-place Shawn Whitman, 16:33, and fifth-place Patric Jessat. The girls team took third and was led by 10th-place Nikki Moser, 21:27, and 12th-place Jinise Osborne, 21:37.
Ronan Invitational
Saturday
Silver Fox Golf Course
Boys
Flathead 21, Columbia Falls 44, Whitefish 96, Ronan 105, Arlee NA, Bigfork NA
Top 20
1, Leif Castren, F, 15:50; 2, Zach Perrin, F, 15:59; 3, Alec Surynt, F, 16:24; 4, Shawn Whitman, CF, 16:33; 5, Patric Jessat, CF, 16:38; 6, Hunter Schutt, F, 16:39; 7, Bridger Mahlum, BF, 17:00; 8, Justin Whitman, CF, 17:22; 9, Brett Harrison, F, 17:27; 10, Eric Patyk, F, 17:43; 11, Pascal Jessat, CF, 17:49; 12, Nathan Knox, WF, 17:52; 13, Justin Dusty Bull, R, 17:54; 14, Jerimiah Gaiser, F, 18:05; 15, Evan Jordt, BF, 18:09; 16, Joe Gross, CF, 18:17; 17, Jace Kalbfleisch, WF, 18:19; 18, Brady Oakland, R, 18:58; 19, Edmond Dupuis, R, 19:10; 20, Baxter Graham, WF, 19:11
Girls
Flathead 35, Whitefish 36, Columbia Falls 66, Ronan 123, Bigfork NA, Arlee NA
Top 20
1, Kayla Carlson, BF, 19:03; 2, Bailey Eaton, WF, 19:26; 3, Paige Bouma, F, 20:12; 4, Jessica Sagen, WF, 20:20; 5, Hannah Macfarlane, F, 20:51; 6, Loni Hanson, WF, 20:56; 7, Kathleen Barth, F, 21:05; 8, Hannah Weaver, WF, 21:15; 9, Rose Byrne, F, 21:22; 10, Nikki Moser, CF, 21:27; 11, Cheyenne Cook, F, 21:31; 12, Jinise Osborne, CF, 21:37; 13, Leesa Benner, CF, 21:38; 14, Madison Stolte, CF, 21:44; 15, Breanna Leggitt, F, 22:07; 16, Elizabeth Stevenson, WF, 22:27; 17, Cami Cassazza, CF, 22:39; 18, Anne Miller, WF, 23:08; Tessa Cowan, CF, 23:08; 20, Cristine Boles, F, 23:20