Keeping Score: High school Rodeo champs, Legion baseball, and Glacier's Gibbons signs to swim

Welcome everybody to the Keeping Score podcast presented by Corwin Motors, I am your host, Josh Amick. This week I hope you got your boots strapped tight as we are taking part of this episode to highlight what happened at the Rodeo championships, then we will jump into some Legion ball and where their season stands as well as highlighting some seniors who have committed to playing at the next level. So, without further ado, giddy up. 

The Montana High School Rodeo Association Finals finished up Saturday at Majestic Valley Arena, and a trio of Browning boys got it done.  

Randon Boyce had a ride of 74.5 points to win Saturday’s championship round in saddle bronc, and he is one of two Browning products to qualify for the National Finals in Rock Springs, Wyoming, July 13-19. 

Bull riding champion Tahj Wells is the other. Wells was chosen as our poster player of the week for scoring 107.5 in the bull riding champion to win the crown and advance to Nationals. 

Behind him was Octavious Christianson of Columbia Falls who scored 104 which also put him in the qualifiers for Nationals.  

Wace Williams of Browing finished in third place with a score of 47 for bareback riding in the championship and finished with 77 points overall to reach Nationals.  

On the girls side Isabella Moran of Kalispell competed in barrel racing and finished with a score of 169.50 overall which also put her in Nationals. It was an exciting weekend at the Majestic Valley Arena. Congratulations to all of those who competed and advanced. Also, our photographer Casey Krieder has amazing photos of this event, so head to the Daily Inter Lake to check out the slideshow.  

Moving onto baseball, Pitcher Bryce Buckmaster was sharp while getting into the seventh inning; Kaeden Kahler tripled and scored a run, and the Kalispell Lakers beat Missoula 5-1 in Class AA Legion baseball Tuesday evening. 

Teagan Dixon hit an RBI single and was part of a double steal that scored Reggie Sapa with the go-ahead run in the second inning at Lindborg-Cregg Field.    

Buckmaster allowed three hits and a walk in 6 1-3 innings; Luke Nikunen came on and worked around a hit and a walk before fanning the next two Mavericks to end it.   

On Monday, the Lakers lost a doubleheader on the road to the Billings Scarlets, losing 9-2 in game one and 5-1 in game two to bring their record to 17-7 on the season. 

Jaxon Meyer pitched a complete game, allowing six hits, two earned runs and striking out six in game one for Billings win. Meyer held the Lakers offense scoreless over the first five innings, giving up a run each in the sixth and seventh inning 

Hunter Fann led the Lakers offense with two hits. Oscar Kallis recorded a double, and Luke Nikunen walked twice, scoring a run. Ostyn Brennan and Kaeden Kahler drove in the lone runs.    

In game two, Oscar Kallis hit a single that scored a run and tied the game 1-1 in the fourth inning, but the Lakers' bats went quiet the rest of the way, totaling just three hits as the Scarlets completed the sweep.  

The Glacier Twins out of Whitefish dropped a pair to Mission Valley Mariners 6-4 and 8-4. 

Landon Shoemake hit a homer and drove in two runs in each game for the Mariners, and Holden Emerson collected five hits over the two games. Trenton DeRosa led the Twins with two hits and drove in a run. Reed Boyer and Derek Juntunen added the other RBIs.   

Elsewhere, congratulations to Glacier High School standout Olivia Gibbons as she officially signed her letter of intent to swim for the University of Mary last Tuesday, in a ceremony at the school. 

The NCAA Division II Marauders, centered in Bismarck, North Dakota, compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.   

Gibbons won the 100-yard freestyle at the 2025 Montana State swim meet in Great Falls; she was also second in the 100 breaststroke. A multisport athlete, Gibbons hit .412 for the State AA softball champion Wolfpack this spring, with seven home runs and 34 runs batted in.  

In other news, Faith Howard of Helena was named as the Gatorade Player of the Year for her performance in softball. The senior right-handed pitcher led the Bengals to a first-place finish in the AA Western Conference and a trip to the AA state tournament. Howard went 15-2 in the circle with a 1.42 earned-run average 

That is going to wrap up this week’s episode of the Keeping Score podcast presented by Corwin Motors. Thank you all for tuning in and congratulations to all those who moved onto Nationals as well as Olivia and Faith for their great seasons and bright futures. We will see you all next time on the Keeping Score podcast, take care.  

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