Knights, Bison race to AA titles

The State AA cross country landscape has its perennial powers, and it figured that Missoula Hellgate’s girls and Bozeman’s boys would run to state titles Saturday at Rebecca Farm.

The Hellgate Knights cruised to their second straight girls crown and third in six seasons. As for the Hawks, well, the Great Falls Bison boys had other plans.

While Bozeman’s Nathan Neil ran one of the fastest boys’ races in state history — 14 minutes, 45.47 seconds — Ryan Harrington (15:27.22) led a 2-4-8 finish by the Bison. The Unusual Suspects picked up Great Falls’ first boys title since 1979 and kept the Hawks from adding to their AA-best total of 15.

The Bison scored 68 points to 71 for Bozeman, and Helena snared the third-place trophy with 96.

Glacier and Flathead finished ninth and 10th, and each had one All-State (top 15) runner: Sophomore Owen Thiel for the Wolfpack and junior Robbie Nuila for the Braves.

Nuila and his family moved from St. Ignatius to Kalispell over the summer; he, along with his since-graduated brother Thomas, helped Mission win last year’s State B cross country crown.

Now he’s moved up a couple levels and seen some serious competition. For example, only Billings Skyview’s Jorn Grimsley (14:41.0) in 1993 has run a faster State AA race than Neil did Saturday.

“I have been very lucky to race against him several times this season,” Nuila said. “And it’s been crazy every time to see how fast he goes out. But it’s inspiring. Makes me run faster as well.”

Nuila set a personal record Saturday, clocking 15:51.3, though he said he wasn’t feeling strong midway through the race.

“Last night I was thinking top-five would be nice,” he said. “But I’m more than happy to have seventh. Out there I was questioning if I’d have a spot on the podium. I had to make some decisions in my head, and it worked out.

“We opened up pretty fast. I guess I wanted to see who wanted it. The last half-mile I picked up the pace. … and picked off a couple of spots and that was exciting.”

He was dragging Thiel along, as it turned out. The Glacier sophomore was very pleased to get his PR (15:54.0) and place as high as he did.

“I came in ranked 15th and I was just trying to hold that,” Thiel said. “I went out kind of slow and just wanted to see who would go out and kind of tire themselves out.

“When Robbie passed me, I was like, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ and I just followed him all the way to the finish line.”

Hellgate’s girls scored impressively — led by Stella Diaz the Knights finished 6-7-8-10-15 for 46 points. Gallatin, behind state champion Claire Rutherford and Bella Determan and Isabel Ross in fourth and fifth, was a close second at 54.

Bozeman took third with 80 and Flathead and Glacier were fourth and fifth, at 134 and 147.

Rutherford won in 18:06.58; in second was Glacier freshman Lauren Bissen, who ran stride for stride down the stretch with Bozeman freshman Kylee Neil.

Bissen clocked 18:13.88, and Neil was .10 behind.

This was the plan.

“She’s a great person. It’s been like that for a lot of races,” the bespectacled Bisson said of Neil. “She pushes me, so I run with her so she can push me and I can push her.”

Picking up her fourth All-State finish was Flathead’s Lilli Rumsey Eash, who ran a season-best time: 19:28.7. She and teammate Mikenna Conan (PR of 19:31.9) finished 12-13, giving Flathead two All-State runners. Josie Wilson in 18th gave the Bravettes a nice grouping and a firm hold on fourth place.

“It was great,” Flathead coach Jesse Rumsey said. “Lilli and Josie and Mikenna had the strongest team going through that entire race. That is a testament to their loyalties to their team. It’s the best showing of a collective group in the top 20 that I’ve had in years.”

State AA

GIRLS

Team scores — 1, Missoula Hellgate 46; 2, Gallatin 54; 3, Bozeman 80; 4, Flathead 134; 5, Glacier 147; 6, Helena 149; 7, Billings Skyview 228; 8, Billings West 243; 9, Helena Capital 254; 10, Belgrade 259; 11, Great Falls CMR 270; 12, Billings Senior 333; 13, Great Falls 353; 14, Missoula Big Sky 365; 15, Missoula Sentinel 440; 16, Butte 463.

Individual Top 15

Claire Rutherford, Gallatin 18:06.58

Lauren Bissen, Glacier 18:13.88

Kylee Neil, Bozeman 18:13.98

Bella Determan, Gallatin 18:32.86

Isabel Ross, Gallatin 18:437.27

Stella Diaz, Hellgate 18:52.48

Jamison Molloy, Hellgate 18:53.02

Gia Petrini, Hellgate 18:54.27

Natalie Nicholas, Bozeman 19:03.53

Rose Wiltse, Hellgate 19:20.89

Aizalyn Flaten, CMR 19:25.56

Lilli Rumsey Eash, Flathead 19:28.86

Mikenna Conan, Flathead 19:31.81

Tula Higman, Bozeman 19:32.12

Kaitlyn Skinner, Hellgate 19:32.26

Flathead — 12, Lilli Rumsey Eash; 13, Mikenna Conan; 18, Josie Wilson 19:48.37;

30, Afrton Wride 20:24.44; 61, Lindy Porter 21:29.22; 63, Marley Bain 21:30.66; 75, Hailey Hendrickson 21:57.12.

Glacier — 2, Lauren Bissen; 22, Anna Tretter 19:5202; 24, Bailey Gable 20:04.62; 43, Dacia Benkleman 20:56.43; 56, Alyssa Vollertsen 21:18.45; 59, Taira Howard 21:24.95; 70, Madison Terry 21:51.04.

BOYS

Team scores — 1, Great Falls 68; 2, Bozeman 71; 3, Helena 96; 4, Billings West 118; 5, Hellgate 128; 6, Sentinel 155; 7, Belgrade 205; 8, Gallatin 212; 9, Glacier 258; 10, Flathead 268; 11, Big Sky 277; 12, Skyview 305; 13, CMR 316; 14, Billings Seniors 372; 15, Butte 454; 16, Capital 475.

Individual Top 15

Nathan Neil, Bozeman 14:45.47

Ryan Harrington, Great Falls 15:27.22

Mason Moler, West 15:219.16

John Spinti, Great Falls 15:33.63

Quinn Newman, Sentinel 15:36.11

Jeremy Posdon, Bozeman 15:48.03

Robbie Nuila, Flathead 15;51.24

Ashtyn Rask, Great Falls 15:51.93

Owen Thiel, Glacier 15:53.91

Milo Kauffman, Helena 15:54.46

Elliot Stimpson, Helena 15:58.24

Wilson Derry, Hellgate 15:59.07

Miles Halvorsen, Bozeman 15:59.88

Ridley Key, Hellgate 15:59.95

Odin Berryman, Hellgate 16:00.17

Flathead — 7, Robbie Nuila; 54, Bauer Hollman 17:02.21; 61, Kasen Kastner 17:12.46; 71, Brodyn DeShaw 17:33.54; 75, Hunter Arriaga 17:38.18; 82, Ryker Zuffelato 17:49.90; 90, Chris Holland 18:17.93.

Glacier — 9, Owen Thiel; 51, Gabe Ackerly 16:58.98; 52, Jonas Kreitner, 16:59.14; 67, Jack Syverson 17:27.29; 79, Max Mangold 17:43.12; 86, Duncan Young 18:03.51; 91, Burton Ward 18:18.30.