Why not Wilmot

There was a time when Whitefish burner Rachael Wilmot was a cross country runner, and her dad remembers it well.

A breakaway roper and her horse

When her horse, Monty, reared back in the breakaway roping box and pinned Anna Tretter to the back wall, the needle swung to “big mistake.”

Bravette backstop

Reese Conley leads Flathead at the plate, and behind it

Reese Conley hits at the top of the lineup for a team that made the last two State AA softball tournaments, but she and the Flathead Bravettes have a tougher road this year.

Things continue looking up for Phelps

Jack Phelps’ time through the 200 meters at the Iceberg Invitational on April 17 was 22.57 seconds, which tells you that the Columbia Falls sprinter can fly.

Legion: Experienced Loggers built better for 2025

There were way too many walks and errors and they added up in a 13-11 loss in their American Legion baseball opener. But in this version of the Libby Loggers, coach Kelly Morford found a lot to like.

Steady Influence: Cazz Rankosky leads Pack from behind plate

The dust was settling on Helena Capital’s 3-2 win over Glacier in the 2024 State AA softball championship last May, and DJ Rankosky found himself near the backstop, offering words of encouragement to his daughter Cazz.

Putting up zeroes

Glacier's Warriner leads sweep of Butte

Olivia Warriner threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings Tuesday, broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run single in the first game and helped Glacier sweep a home softball doubleheader from Butte, 6-4 and 5-0.

Olivia Squared

Gibbons, Warriner lead Pack to 15-1 Crosstown win

Down 1-0 out of the gate, the Glacier Wolfpack answered with their two Olivias — and those two did some serious damage on their home field.

I am here not to bury Donovan

On Nov. 25, 1985 a youngish reporter, in his Monday duties writing about Griz football for the Montana Kaimin student newspaper, traipsed into Larry Donovan’s office.

Dogged Pursuit: Libby's Ryan Beagle chases another title

Ryan Beagle started his tennis career early, in that Libby coach Kyle Hannah dragged the 6-year-old out to the courts for a few summer volleys.

Offenses highlight Maroon-Silver scrimmage

MISSOULA — The Montana Grizzlies’ annual spring game featured perfect weather, a respectable crowd and more than its usual amount of fireworks Friday.

Griz ready to wrap up spring drills

The final workout of Montana’s spring football drills is Friday evening, and takes the form of a scrimmage set inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium at 6 p.m.

AA Lakers start season Saturday

The Class AA Kalispell Lakers start their American Legion baseball season Saturday, and the games won’t be against some pushover.

Hurdler, he is

Glacier's Ethan Anderson has grown to love his signature events

The question for Ethan Anderson coming out of middle school was: Is he a hurdler, or isn’t he?

Is there an O-lineman in the house

Dillon Botner felt he had a good reason to step away from football after a senior season in which he made three starts on the offensive line: Med school.

Former Bravettes star Hildal dies in police shooting

The Flathead High School family received tragic news out of Ohio on Thursday that former basketball player Kesley Hildal died in a police shooting April 1.

Whitefish, Columbia Falls still powers in Northwest A track

Whitefish’s girls and boys track and field programs were second and third at the State A meet last year, and Columbia Falls’ boys were a narrow second to Corvallis.

Track and field: Building (to) Legends

Flathead, Glacier rebuild rosters

The Flathead and Glacier track teams have been salty of late, with Flathead’s boys taking second and Glacier’s fourth at last year’s State AA meet, and the Bravettes getting fourth on the girls side.

Columan: 'Only Game in Town' turns 20

This coming Sunday at Bozeman’s Historic Ellen Theatre, at 1:30 p.m. in its upstairs ballroom, Wally Kurth and Montana PBS will present a viewing of Class C: The Only Game in Town.

Prep tennis: Whitefish ready to battle tough Northwest A

Whitefish has proud tennis programs, with seven state titles for the boys and three for the girls, and the Bulldogs plan to cover all corners this spring.

Glacier’s Presley flips commitment to Montana State

Jackson Presley, the decorated Glacier High quarterback who will be a senior this fall, has flipped his college commitment from Boise State to Montana State.

2-time softball champion Wildkats reload

Columbia Falls went 25-4 last softball season, and four of the principals in the Wildkats’ heart-stopping repeat as Class A champs have departed: third sacker Haden Peters, pitcher Maddie Moultray, catcher Demye Rensel and coach Dave Kehr.

Column: Vegas lights and press box fights

The passing of Norm Clarke, the eye patch-wearing Terry native who spent a lifetime in newspapers, has brought a flood of eulogies and remembrances from across the state and country.

Valkyries’ ride ends with loss to Havre

BILLINGS — The rematch with Havre didn’t go any better, but the Bigfork Valkyries still had quite a ride.

Rams overtake Ronan for third

BILLINGS — For two and a half quarters Ronan had the momentum Saturday night, in its rematch battle with Billings Central in the State A boys basketball consolation game.

Lockwood holds off Browning in A semifinal

BILLINGS — The burst belonged to the Lockwood Lions Friday.

Ronan Chiefs stay alive at State A

BILLINGS — The Ronan Chiefs got Chad Higgins back, unleashed Wade Qualtier and lived to see another day at the State A boys basketball tournament at the First Interstate Arena Friday.

Vals stay alive; C-Falls' Kemppainen sets record

BILLINGS — The Bigfork Valkyries weren’t ready to go home, especially Braeden Gunlock.

Blue Ponies slow Bigfork girls offense at State A

BILLINGS — The Bigfork Valkyries’ hunt for a fourth straight trophy got a little tougher Thursday, thanks to another perennial power: The Havre Blue Ponies

Runnin' into the semis

Reevis, Browning heat up to beat Red Devils

BILLINGS — Browning grinded it out and got the burst; Ronan needed a couple more boards or fewer sailed passes.

Column: Missing out on magic of Divisionals

There are plenty of compelling reasons why there are no divisional basketball tournaments in Class AA. Dustyn Franchini-White, Avery Chouinard and I have our reasons why there should be.

Northwest teams to be tested in Billings

Three more days will decide our state basketball champions and over in Billings, the Class A is going to be a test for the Northwest entrants.

The unusual launch of an All-American

Hannah-Gray Petro’s journey to the University of Vermont was, more or less, launched from a trampoline.

Missoula's 3 AA schools adding flag football

The Kalispell flag football teams are getting new neighbors.

Dankers resigns as Glacier wrestling coach

Ross Dankers, the wrestling coach at Glacier High School the last 12 seasons, has resigned from that position, Glacier activities director Mark Dennehy announced Thursday.

Double-Koss'd: Siblings lead Lions, Lady Lions

It figured that the Eureka Lions boys basketball team, coming off an 18-6 season bolstered by seven seniors, would get younger.

Column: Fulfilling trip to Western B for Trojans

When Cody Orr was asked the last time the Troy boys basketball team made divisionals, he understandably hit a bit of a dead zone.

Ramey aims for success

Three years ago Reese Ramey was part of a youth movement in the Glacier girls basketball program, one of six freshmen on the Wolfpack’s junior varsity/varsity roster, with a few — Ramey, Charlotte Osler, and Kenedee Moore — getting quite a few varsity minutes.

Column: Painting a pretty volleyball picture

Jaimie Nelson might seem like an unlikely pick to be Glacier High’s next volleyball coach, in that it’s her first varsity coaching job at the age of 48.

Mac Roche approved as Flathead grid coach

The Flathead Braves have their new football coach, and he started building his pedigree not far from Legends Stadium.

In Smith, Bravettes have 155-pound trail blazer

The sport of wrestling may have started as a nice diversion for Bridget Smith but now — three years in — the Flathead athlete has become a family trailblazer.

For Ahner it's an honor to wrestle, at any weight

To understand how things could be different for Mark Ahner, take a look at his freshman, sophomore and senior wrestling seasons.

Brawlers, Wolfpack wrestlers set for divisionals

Flathead High is the host with the most times two this weekend, as the Western AA Divisional takes over the gym Friday and Saturday.

Column: Sherwood caught the bug early

Basketball fans in Kalispell should remember that George Sherwood was a centerpiece of the Flathead Braves team that made a surprising run at the 2012 State AA championship.

Powerful Lyric

Flathead senior Ersland is putting up big numbers

There are a handful of reasons Lyric Ersland is having the season he’s had so far for the Flathead basketball team, but the biggest is he decided something had to change.

Butte holds off Glacier girls

Sophomore Cadence Graham led all scorers with 26 points and guided the Butte Bulldogs to a road victory of the Glacier Wolfpack 61-52 at the Wolf Den Friday night.

A Top 10 full of dudes and dudettes

So much happened that I was a witness to, this thing had to be written.

Fast, if not furious

Diesel Thompson is a senior go-captain for the Brave Brawlers

The Flathead Brave Brawlers wrestling program has been blessed with many Thompsons through the years, including veteran coach Jeff and his recently graduated sons, Anders and Gunnar. To this list we add Diesel Thompson, a senior co-captain wrestling at 126 pounds who intends to place at state for a fourth straight season.

Crosstown Duals action begins at 4:30 p.m.

It’s time for the Crosstown Wrestling Duals, with Flathead High putting its mat under the spotlight to battle the Glacier Wolfpack.

Bobcats built 15-0 record by getting sturdy in trenches

When North Dakota State played upstart Montana State on Jan. 10, 2022 for the FCS title, the Bison emphatically won their fourth championship in five seasons (and ninth in 11), 38-10.