RUNNING: Glacier's Annie Hill wins Foot Locker West regional

by The Daily Inter Lake
| December 5, 2015 10:47 PM

WALNUT, Calif. — Glacier sophomore Annie Hill ran out front all day, winning the Foot Locker West cross country regional for the second straight year on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College. The win advances Hill to the Foot Locker National Championships next weekend in San Diego.

The Mt. SAC course was short work for Hill, who won the race in 18 minutes, 12.6 seconds to break the tape. She held off a strong run from Provo, Utah’s Kate Hunter, who finished in second a second behind in 18:13.8.

The rest of the lead pack finished well back, Salt Lake City’s Olivia Hoj crossing in third in 18:21.1, with five other runners finishing within 1.5 seconds behind her.

The top 10 runners earned an invite to the national championships. Hill finished in eighth place at nationals as a freshman last season.

Missoula runners Ella Degrandpre (37th in 19:23.2) and Elliee Becker (61st in 19:48.6) also competed in the race.

Garek Bielaczyc won the boys race in 15:21.6.

Flathead senior Jake Perrin, the Class AA state champion this fall, finished in 24th place in 16:16.9, as the second fastest Montanan in the race. Helena’s Aidan Reed finished 13th in 16:05.1.

Three other local runners competed in the boys race. Glacier senior Logan Harmon finished in 17:19.6, Flathead junior Derek MacFarlane in 19:23.7 and Flathead junior Robert Hafemeyer in 19:59.9. Hamilton’s Cameron Meikle was the only other Montana runner in the race, finishing in 17:23.5.

Hill ran the West regional instead of the other nationally elite race taking place at the same time, the Nike Cross Country Nationals in Portland, Ore. In that race, Billings’ Tiahna Vladic was the top finisher in 23rd place, crossing the line in 17:38.2. Billings’ Christina Aragon finished 35th in 17:57.1. The Bozeman girls finished 19th as a team, led by a 55th place finish from Piper Meuwissen in 18:18.2.

The top Montana finisher on the boys side was Bozeman’s Riley Collins, who finished 43rd in 15:45.3 to lead the Bozeman team to an eighth place finish at the meet.