Bissen, Thiel hit PRs at Bozeman Invite

BOZEMAN — Glacier stalwarts Owen Thiel and Lauren Bissen ran strong Saturday at the Bozeman Invitational cross country meet, but a pair of athletes were just a bit faster.

Bozeman’s Miles Halvorsen won the boys individual title in 15 minutes, 5.37 seconds while Thiel was second at 15:12.13; Billings Central’s Addison Kegel won the girls race in 17:31.90, a blistering time for a freshman, while Bissen was second with a personal-record time of 18:02.30. 

Bissen’s teammate Ada Thiel, another freshman, was third at 18:19.54. 

Both Bissen and Owen Thiel had won the first two meets they entered this season.  

Flathead, Glacier, Missoula Sentinel and Missoula Hellgate were the lone Western Montana teams at the 28-team meet held at Bridger Creek Golf Course. 

Bozeman won the boys team title with 45 points; Sheridan, Wyoming was next at 109 followed by Hellgate at 120 and Glacier at 168. Flathead was eighth at 186. 

Glacier’s Jude Sparkman was 17th, setting a personal record of 16:03.32. Duncan Young and Nathan Turner also hit PRs for the Wolfpack. 

Carson Thorne of Flathead was 14th in the boys race, in 15:57.91. His closest teammate was Chris Holland, 27th at 16:27.79. Both Braves ran PRs Saturday, as did teammate Ty Vandervelden. 

Bozeman’s girls completed a sweep of the team titles, scoring 51 points. Gallatin was next at 119, followed by Helena (155), Kelly Walsh out of Casper, Wyoming (168) and Glacier (171). Flathead was 15th. 

Ada Thiel, Dacia Benkleman (20th, 19:50.82) and Anika Ackerly all hit PRs while scoring for the Wolfpack. 

Flathead’s top finisher was Everett Holland, 36th in 20:25.09. Fellow sophomore Emery Eash was 39th. 

Full results can be found at athletic.net. 

Columbia Falls sweeps in Browning

BROWNING — While Bigfork’s Toren Wenz and Browning’s River Race were the fastest individuals, Columbia Falls had the groupings. 

Ashley Andrews, Findley Dezzani and Hazel Alexander finished 3-4-5 Friday to lead the Wildkats to the team title at the Browning Invitational cross country meet. 

River Blazejewski followed Browning’s Racine (16 minutes, 37.66 seconds) across the finish line, leading a 2-5-7-12 finish for the Wildcats, completing a Columbia Falls sweep. 

Blazejewski clocked 16:53.35; Libby’s Cody Watson was third at 17:10.37. Browning’s Koen Calf Robe was sixth, in between Columbia Falls’ Mason Colliander and Aiyers Powell. 

The Cats scored 34 points to 40 for Browning, 98 for Bigfork and 108 for Whitefish. Eleven schools completed, including six full boys teams. 

Columbia Falls won the girls title with 24 points; Browning was second at 62, and Whitefish third at 65. The meet brought in nine schools, though just five full girls teams competed. 

Joel Svennungsen was eighth for Columbia Falls as well; Whitefish’s Sophie Douglas was ninth and Peyton Eaglefeathers of Browning was 10th. 

Full results can be found at athletic.net.