Ells among top runners at 7-on-7

by Daily Inter Lake
| October 7, 2021 11:47 PM

HELENA — Sam Ells of Glacier won his race and ran the fastest time, breaking up the perennial cross country powers at the Helena 7-on-7 meet held Thursday at Bill Roberts Golf Course.

Ells, a senior, won the first race in 15 minutes, 51.65 seconds over a group that included Finneas Colescott of Missoula Hellgate (15:56.02) and Tanner Klumph of Missoula Sentinel.

Sentinel, getting firsts from Chase Green (16.23.93 in Race 2) and Jacob Sriraman (17:34.56 in Race 7), tied Hellgate for first in the meet, with 18 points.

The Knights got firsts from Jackson Triepke in Race 3 and Wilson Derry in Race 6.

The meet runs seven races in staggered starts, leaving runners to compete against opponents with similar season-best times. Forty-four teams competed from all over the state, and Bozeman — getting firsts from KJ Popiel (Race 4) and Graves Kelly (Race 6) — was third in the boys’ meet at 28 points.

Great Falls was next at 42 and Class A power Hamilton was fifth at 49.

Flathead (82) was eighth on the boys side; Glacier (117) tied for 17th.

Gabriel Felton was 11th in Race 1 for the Braves, running 16:53.91; Reilly Johnson was ninth in Race 6 and Caden Masa took eighth in Race 5.

Behind Ells, Glacier’s top finisher was Eric Firestone, who was 12th in Race 2.

Whitefish was 12th, with three racers getting top-six finishes: Deneb Linton (fourth in Race 3), Mason Genovese (third in Race 4) and Landon Brown (sixth in Race 6).

Bozeman won the girls’ race with 15 points, followed by Hellgate (20) and Billings West (33).

Bozeman’s Lucia McCormick (Race 4) and Nomi Friedman (Race 5) won; Hellgate had firsts from Kensey May (18:02.05 to win Race 1), Emmaline Derry (Race 6) and Kaitlyn Skinner (Race 7).

Flathead’s girls were seventh with 70 points, and Columbia Falls was 12th — the second best among Class A schools at the meet, behind Hardin (eighth, 80 points) while Glacier was 21st.

The Bravettes got solid races from Lilli Rumsey Eash (seventh, Race 1), Josie Wilson (sixth, Race 3), Afton Wride (sixth, Race 5) and Bailey Wride (seventh, Race 7).

Columbia Falls was led by Siri Erickson (20:06.0, 10th in Race 1) and Hannah Sempf (20:09.63, third in Race 2). Erickson had the fastest time among Class A runners.

Whitefish was 16th, with Paetra Cooke finishing seventh in Race 3.

Glacier’s best finisher was Bailey Gable, who was 18th in Race 2.

Complete results can be round at competitivetiming.com.

BOYS

Team scores — 1 (tie), Missoula Sentinel and Missoula Hellgate, 18; 3, Bozeman 28; 4, Great Falls 32; 5, Hamilton 49; 6, Helena Capital 53; 7, Gallatin 70; 8, Flathead 82; 9, Hardin 86; 10, Billings West 90; 11, Manhattan Christian 96; 12 (tie), Whitefish and Corvallis 105; 14, Belgrade 108; 15, Laurel; 16 (tie), Three Forks and Glacier, 117; 18, Columbia Falls 125; 19, Butte 134; 20, Helena 137; 21, Billings Skyview 151; 22 (tie), Billings Senior and Livingston, 152; 24, Manhattan 162; 25 (tie), Dillon and Great Falls CMR, 176; 27, Boulder 180; 28, Browning 191; 29, Loyola Sacred Heart 200; 30, Red Lodge 203; 31, Townsend 213; 32, Cut Bank 216; 33, Belt/Centerville 225; 34, Drummond 226; 35, Anaconda 230; 36, Lewistown 236; 37, Whitehall; 38, Twin Bridges 241; 38, Butte central 2487; 39, Stevensville 250; 40 (tie), Sunburst and Big Timber, 250; 42, Deer Lodge 252; 43, Frenchtown 253; 44, East helena 256.

GIRLS

Team scores — 1, Bozeman 15; 2, Hellgate 20; 3, Billings West 33; 4 (tie), Helena and Gallatin 48; 6, Helena Capital 65; 7, Flathead 70; 8, Hardin 80; 9, Townsend 82; 10, Billings Skyview 89; 11, Great Falls CMR 93; 12, Columbia Falls 105; 13, Manhattan 106; 14, Red Lodge 116; 15, Corvallis 120; 16, Whitefish 126; 17, Hamilton 131; 18 (tie), Lewistown and Belgrade, 143; 20, Three Forks 147; 21, Glacier 149; 22, Laurel 151; 23, Sentinel 152; 24, Dillon 161; 25, Manhattan Christian 162; 26, Great Falls 170; 27, Butte 182; 28, Sunburst 190; 29, Belt/Centerville 202; 30, Livingston 204; 31, Big Timber 208; 32, Billings Senior 209; 33, Frenchtown 212; 34, Deer Lodge and Browning, 213; 36, Twin Bridges 215; 37, Boulder 216; 38, Stevensville 217; 39, Anaconda 218; 40, Cut Bank 223; 41, Missoula Loyola 228; 42, East Helena 235; 43, Butte Central 237; 44, Whitehall 239.