Cross Country Flathead, Bigfork's Morley dominate Libby Invite

Flathead’s cross country season is off to a fast start.

The Braves and Bravettes captured both team titles and junior Ben Perrin took the top spot in the boys race to highlight a marquee performance at the Libby Invitational on Saturday.

Perrin bested Frenchtown’s Brock Rugg by 14 seconds to win the 5k race in 16:26, leading five Braves in the top 10.

Flathead scored 24 points to take the team competition, and Frenchtown was a distant second with 66 points.

Keaton Fischer, Parker Noland-Gillespie, Griffin Fischer and Kyle Calles placed in the top 10 for the Flathead boys.

Columbia Falls’ Gabe Knudsen finished seventh to lead the Wildcats, who placed third as a team.

The Bravettes also grabbed the team title, edging Whitefish by 10 points, as Bigfork’s Bryn Morley took individual honors by an impressive margin.

Sadie Wilson, who finished in 20:09, and Tori Noland-Gillespie finished third and fourth, respectively, to lead Flathead.

Morley won in 17:59, a minute and a half faster than the runner-up, Morley’s teammate Anya Young.

Whitefish’s Jessica Henson finished eighth, two spots ahead of teammate Katie Arterburn, to pace the second-place Bulldogs.

Columbia Falls’ Gene Delorme and Lara Erickson placed sixth and seventh, respectively, to lead the Wildkats to a third-place team finish.

Libby Cross Country Invitational

Saturday

Boys

Team scores

1, Flathead 24; 2, Frenchtown 66; 3, Columbia Falls 95; 4, Browning 115; 5, Whitefish 118; 6, Eureka 141; 7, Thompson Falls 164. No score: Bonners Ferry, Arlee.

Individual Top 10

1, Ben Perrin, Flathead, 16:26.41; 2, Brock Rugg, Frenchtown, 16:40.32; 3, Keaton Fischer, Flathead, 17:07.87; 4, Tyler Schmautz, Frenchtown, 17:28.32; 5, Parker Noland-Gillespie, Flathead, 17:34.11; 6, Griffin Fischer, Flathead, 17:39.34; 7, Gabe Knudsen, C. Falls, 17:39.61; 8, Luke Lutz, Frenchtown, 17:40.34; 9, Kyle Calles, Flathead, 17:44.56; 10, Phillip SunRhodes, Browning, 17:46.42.

Girls

Team scores

1, Flathead 51; 2, Whitefish 61; 3, Columbia Falls 86; 4, Frenchtown 135; 5, Browning 162; 6, Libby 166. No score: Bigfork, Selkirk, Thompson Falls, Arlee.

Individual Top 10

1, Bryn Morley, Bigfork, 17:59.80; 2, Anya Young, Bigfork, 19:29.81; 3, Sadie Wilson, Flathead, 20:09.14; 4, Tori Noland-Gillespie, Flathead, 20:17.15; 5, Sydney Wilson, Selkirk, 20:41.60; 6, Gene Delorme, C. Falls, 21:03.64; 7, Lara Erickson, C. Falls, 21:12.04; 8, Jessica Henson, Whitefish, 21:16.61; 9, Lizzy Mattson, Frenchtown, 21:20.34; 10, Katie Arterburn, Whitefish, 21:28.51.