Williams, Osborne lead way for C-Falls runners
<p>Columbia Falls senior Derrick Williams crosses the finish line in first place at the Whitefish Cross Country Meet on the Whitefish High School Campus Course on Saturday morning. Williams won by 31 seconds with a time of 15:31.</p>
<p>Columbia Falls senior Jinise Osborne placed first in the Whitefish Cross Country Meet at Whitefish High School on Saturday. Osborne won by four seconds with a time of 19:32.</p>
WHITEFISH - Columbia Falls snapped up both individual titles and a team trophy on a near-perfect day for the Wildcats/Wildkats at the Whitefish Cross Country Meet on Saturday at the WHS Campus Course.
Derrick Williams of Columbia Falls blasted the 16-minute barrier with a fast time of 15 minutes, 31 seconds to dash off with individual honors. He finished 31 seconds ahead of runner-up Carter Montgomery of Plains.
Jacob Thomas of Libby was third, 16.25.
Jinise Osborne of Columbia Falls turned in the best time for girls, finishing the three-mile course in 19:32. Unlike Williams, she was pushed. Nicole Brist of Whitefish was four seconds back in second place.
Meredith Stolte of Columbia Falls finished third, 19:59.
Osborne and Stolte helped the Wildkats claim the girls team title by a four-point margin over Whitefish.
"Our girls team ran exceptionally well," Columbia Falls coach Richard Menicke said.
"They are coming around as a team. It's a fun thing to watch evolve."
Whitefish slipped past Columbia Falls by one point for team honors on the boys side.
"It was one of those races where you were looking at the kids coming in and trying to figure places," WHS coach Bill Brist said of the boys race.
"You knew it would be close. We were lucky to come out on top. We were happy with that."
On Williams ...
"He had some company with the Plains kids," Brist said.
"The last mile, he (Williams) walked away with it. He's pretty dominant in our division."
Brist said Whitefish's Jace Kalbfleisch, fourth in 16:28, and Fischer Gangemi, fifth in 16:29, both had season best times.
"They're coming along at the right time," he said.
Columbia Falls and Whitefish both had three runners crack the top 10.
The Columbia Falls girls had five break into the top 10 to Whitefish's four. That was the difference in that team battle.
"They were a little better than us today," Brist said of the Wildkats.
"The girls (Whitefish) ran really well. We have a little more work to do. The important meets are coming up and that's what we're aiming for."
Those meets are divisionals, next Saturday in Polson, followed by state Oct. 22 in Missoula.
"It was pretty good," Brist said of the battle between Osborne and his daughter Nicole Brist.
"Jinise did all the work. Nicole was keeping her company.
"Our girls, the top seven, ran up to their potential today," he added.
"We were happy with all of them."
WHS Cross Country Meet
Saturday
Whitefish High School Campus Course
Boys
Team Totals
Whitefish 45, Columbia Falls 46, Ronan 98, Plains 121, Libby 125, Frenchtown 126, Thompson Falls 135, Eureka 216
Top 20 Individuals
Derrick Williams, Columbia Falls 15:31
Carter Montgomery, Plains 16:02
Jacob Thomas, Libby 16:25
Jace Kalbfleisch, Whitefish 16:28
Fischer Gangemi, Whitefish 16:29
James Ratzloff, Columbia Falls 17:09
Austin Dumay, Columbia Falls 17:17
Keaton Grove, Whitefish 17:21
Blake Normand, Frenchtown 17:22
Brady Oakland, Ronan 17:29
Logan Naegeli, Thompson Falls 17:30
Colton Crismore, Libby 17:31
Elias Taylor, Whitefish 17:32
Zayne Brunz, Columbia Falls 17:39
Will Holdhusen, Whitefish 17:42
Danny Romero, Ronan 17:51
Devin Kadrmas, Frenchtown 17:52
Kyle Hudson, Columbia Falls 17:55
Waylon Roberts, Whitefish 17:59
Thomas Henson, Whitefish 17:59
Girls
Team Totals
Columbia Falls 28, Whitefish 32, Ronan 86, Frenchtown 90
Top 20 Individuals
Jinise Osborne, Columbia Falls 19:32
Nicole Brist, Whitefish 19:36
Meredith Stolte, Columbia Falls 19:59
Rebecca Holdhusen, Whitefish 20:16
Maya Gordon, Whitefish 20:23
Samantha Mundel, Columbia Falls 20:39
Ashley Grandchamp, Ronan 21:00
Tori Price, Columbia Falls 21:02
Emma Marchetti, Whitefish 21:02
Carlee Brown, Columbia Falls 21:16
Cami Casazza, Columbia Falls 21:21
Alex Bartness, Eureka 21:23
Peyton Twete, Whitefish 21:35
Maja Holmquist, Frenchtown 21:36
Torrey Coe, Whitefish 21:41
Autumn Fisher, Whitefish 21:54
Laura Breidenback, Frenchtown 21:57
Nicole Rehbein, Plains 22:00
Jade Gray, Ronan 22:02
Alyssa Griffith, Whitefish 22:09