Rumsey Eash, Ells lead the pack at Whitefish Invite
Glacier's Sam Ells and Whitefish's Deneb Linton race down the final straightaway before the finish at the Whitefish Invite on the South Course of Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Glacier's Ells took home the win. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Columbia Falls' Hannah Sempf and Siri Erickson compete at the Whitefish Invite on the South Course of Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish boys Deneb Linton (4519), Jacob Henson (4517) and Mason Genevese placed second, fifth and fourth at the Whitefish Invite on the South Course of Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Gabriel Felton took third place at the Whitefish Invite on the South Course of Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Whitefish's Morgan Grube (4523) and Paetra Cooke (4521) compete at the Whitefish Invite on the South Course of Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead's Lilli Rumsey Eash lead from start to finish at the Whitefish Invite on the South Course of Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Tuesday, Sept. 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
WHITEFISH — Sam Ells of Glacier was again supreme, but the host Bulldogs had the best boys team at the Whitefish Invitational cross country meet Tuesday at Whitefish Lake Golf Course.
Flathead, with Lilly Rumsey Eash winning her race by nearly a minute, cruised to the girls team title.
Ells, a senior, won his second straight race and third in 19 days, clocking 16 minutes, 33.02 seconds over 5,000 meters. In second was Whitefish’s Deneb Linton, who ran a personal-best 16:33.4 to lead a 2-3-5 Bulldog finish with Mason Genovese and Jacob Henson (PR of 17:33.97).
Whitefish, with Barrett Garcia 17th in a personal best 18:00.7, had 50 points. Flathead, led by Gabriel Felton’s third-place finish and a sixth from Bauer Hollman, was second at 56. Hollman, a sophomore, ran his best time: 17:25.6.
Glacier was third at 85 points, followed by Columbia Falls and Eureka at 106.
Rumsey Eash, a sophomore, clocked her best time and third win of the season while winning in e19:03.73. Columbia Falls’ Hannah Sempf (19:56.91) and Siri Erickson (19:57.93) were second and third, followed by Browning’s Kiara Iron Heart and Flathead’s Josie Wilson and Madelaine Jellison.
Jellison ran her personal best, in 20:41.7, and the Bravettes scored 39 points to 56 for Columbia Falls and 89 for Whitefish. In a talented field Flathead finished 1-5-6-13-14, with sophomores Mikenna Conan and Afton Wride completing the group.
Sempf and Erickson also ran their best times, as did Iron Heart (20:33.2). Columbia Falls’ Julia Martin had her best time while finishing 11th.
The Whitefish girls were led by Paetra Cooke, who had her best time of 21:08.7 and finished eighth.
Whitefish Invitational
Tuesday
Whitefish Lake Golf Course
BOYS
Team scores — Whitefish 50, Flathead 56, Glacier 85, Columbia Falls 106, Eureka 106, Polson 141, Cut Bank 187, Browning 189, Ronan 227.
Team 20 Individuals
1, Sam Ells, Glacier, 16:33.02; 2, Deneb Linton, Whitefish, 16:33.35; 3, Gabriel Felton, Flathead, 16:50.02; 4, Mason Genovese, Whitefish, 17:04.92; 5, Jacob Henson, Whitefish, 17:11.38; 6, Bauer Hollman, Flathead, 17:25.54; 7, Logan Peterson, Columbia Falls, 17:33.97; 8, Eric Firestone, Glacier, 17:36.88; 9, Gavin Bates, Eureka, 17:40.02; 10, Isaac Reynolds, Eureka, 17:40.83; 11, Drifter Skillicorn, Polson, 17:53.13; 12, Ryan Dupuis, Polson, 17:54.88; 13, Jeff Lillard, Glacier, 17:55.56; 14, Samuel Aczas, Flathead, 17:57.59; 15, Caden Masa, Flathead, 17:58.54; 16, Preston Iron Heart, Browning, 17:59.53; 17, Barrett Garcia, Whitefish, 18:00.68; 18, Peter Wilson, Flathead, 18:04.37; 19, Reilly Johnson, Flathead, 18:06.56; 20, Jacob Buckingham, Eureka, 18:10.76.
GIRLS
Team scores — Flathead 39, Columbia Falls 56, Whitefish 89, Glacier 103, Polson 112, Eureka 173, Ronan 175, Browning 185, Cut Bank 210.
Top 20 Individuals
1, Lilli Rumsey Eash, Flathead, 19:03.73; 2, Hannah Sempf, Columbia Falls, 19:56.91; 3, Siri Erickson, Columbia Falls, 19:57.93; 4, Kiara Iron Heart, Browning, 20:33.14; 5, Josie Wilson, Flathead, 20:39.97; 6, Madelaine Jellison, Flathead, 20:41.68; 7, Ashtyn Wagner, Polson, 20:50.80; 8, Paetra Cooke, Whitefish, 21:08.65; 9, Olivia Heiner, Ronan, 21:09.37; 10, Isabella Lane, Glacier, 21:26.77; 11, Julia Martin, Columbia Falls, 21:27.50; 12, Halle Heninger, Polson, 21:35.84; 13, Mikenna Conan, Flathead, 21:38.87; 14, Afton Wride, Flathead, 21:40.32; 15, Morgan Grube, Whitefish 21:49.97; 16, Bailey Gable, Glacier, 21:52.83; 17, Courtney Hoerner, Columbia Falls, 21:56.75; 18, Rachel Wilmot, Whitefish, 22:07.92; 19, Adison Carlson, Polson, 22:12.91, Polson; 20, Hazel Gawe, Whitefish, 22:19.18.