LUKE SCHMIT
SPORTS REPORTER, KEEPING SCORE AND BIG SKY NOW PODCAST HOST
Luke Schmit leads the charge on our local and regional sports podcast shows. His coverage includes regional and college athletics connected to Montana and the broader Big Sky Conference. Schmit reports on major games, athletes, and sports trends affecting teams across the region. He also contributes interviews, analysis, and multimedia coverage for digital audiences. His reporting helps readers stay connected to the teams and athletes that shape Montana sports.
IMPACT: Luke’s work brings readers closer to the teams and athletes that define Montana’s sports culture.
Recent Stories
Brothers in stride: Austin and Tamret Savik bonded by sports
The first time Austin Savik met his brother Tamret Savik, it was at an airport.
Vikings, Wildkats bring heat at chilly Iceberg
COLUMBIA FALLS — On a chilly Saturday at Mike Nicosia Track and Field Complex, the Bigfork boys and Columbia Falls girls delivered standout performances at the Iceberg Invitational.
Wildcats erupt after early deficit, defeat Vikings
COLUMBIA FALLS — After falling behind in the first inning, Columbia Falls erupted for 12 runs across three innings, rolling to a 15-4 win in a clash between Northwest A foes on Tuesday evening.
Bulldogs race past Braves behind explosive start
Whitefish didn’t ease into Friday evening’s matchup against Flathead, scoring nine runs in the first inning to take a commanding lead and never let up in a 16-6 nonconference baseball victory at ABS park.
Softball: Young Northwest A teams set for fierce competition
Teams are built on speed, leadership and strong fundamentals, with underclassmen stepping into pivotal roles.
Whitefish, Bigfork girls bow out of State A
GREAT FALLS — It wasn’t the results either team wanted at the State A tournament, but the Bigfork and Whitefish girls gained vital minutes of postseason basketball for their programs at the Four Seasons Arena.
Ronan boys exit State A tourney
GREAT FALLS — Ronan’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion, as Butte Central’s Joshua Sutton converted an and-one opportunity with two seconds remaining in the Maroons’ 55-52 win Friday morning at Four Seasons Arena.
State A: Ronan boys drop opener to Lockwood Lions
GREAT FALLS — Kolby Finley and the Chiefs gave their all on Thursday morning, but the Blake brothers of Lockwood combined for 42 points, defeating Ronan 65-53 in the first round of the Class A state tournament at the Four Seasons arena.
State A: Bulldogs, Vals drop first-round games
GREAT FALLS — It was physical and eye-opening, but the young Lady Bulldogs officially have a state tournament game under their belts.
Keeping Score: Whitefish girls beat Bigfork in thriller — players and coach react after divisional win
The Whitefish Lady Bulldogs are headed to the Montana Class A State Basketball Tournament after a gritty 39–37 win over Bigfork in the Western A Divisional third-place game in Hamilton!
Bulldogs, Vals and Chiefs head to State A
Young, hungry, and tested. After a 16-6 season, the Lady Bulldogs out of Whitefish have grown into a contending team, earning a spot in the Class A State Tournament in Great Falls.
Saturday morning: Vals, Bulldogs rally to make State
HAMILTON — Trailing by eight points with just over four minutes remaining, Paeten Gunlock willed the Bigfork Valkyries to a 46-43 victory against Browning Saturday morning at the Western A Divisional.
Saturday morning: Browning, C-Falls boys bow out
HAMILTON — Butte Central and Frenchtown made it all-Southwest A boys consolation game with wins Saturday.
Western A boys: Dillon holds down Ronan in final
HAMILTON — They may have started their season ugly, but it was the third-seeded Dillon Beavers who held up the first-place trophy at the Western A Divisional, defeating Ronan 59-45 on Saturday evening.
Western A girls: Bigfork, Whitefish fall in semis
HAMILTON — Paeten Gunlock came out of the gates hot, but Jezzy Palmer and Mason Quinn turned it up a notch in the second half and the Frenchtown girls defeated Bigfork 43-34 on Friday evening.
Western A boys: Ronan to face Dillon for title
HAMILTON — Matiya Nenemay and Kolby Finley combined for 35 points as Ronan defeated Butte Central 58-51 in the Northwest A Divisional semi-finals on Friday evening.
Keeping Score: Gunlock’s impact — leadership, skill and unmatched drive
Paeten Gunlock has spent her senior season at Bigfork carving out her own identity — on the court and beyond.
Forging her own legacy: Paeten Gunlock shines in spotlight for Vals
The name Gunlock has echoed through Bigfork in the last few years. For Paeten Gunlock it started first as a coach’s daughter, then as a sister, and now as something entirely her own.
Capital pulls away late, outlast Glacier girls
The scoreboard said 50-40 in favor of Helena Capital, but it didn’t look or sound like that inside the Wolf Den Saturday afternoon.
Keeping Score: Columbia Falls dominates Whitefish in Cat-Dog showdown
On this episode of Keeping Score, we break down the Cat-Dog rivalry doubleheader with postgame reactions from Columbia Falls players and coaches, plus insight into what these wins mean for the conference race.
Crosstown: Defense fuels Pack boys; Bravettes romp
The Braves intensity was impressive to start, but the Wolfpack’s athleticism and defensive effort was dominant against Flathead in a 57-42 Crosstown boys’ basketball win Thursday. In the nightcap of the doubleheader, the Bravettes never trailed in a 66-42 win over their rival.
Cat-Dog: Whitefish girls notch landmark victory
COLUMBIA FALLS — 1,810 days.
Gunlock, Vals outscore Ronan Maidens 68-44
BIGFORK — The Maidens fought hard on both ends Tuesday night, but Paeten Gunlock was simply spectacular for the Valkyries.
C-Falls sweep Cat-Dog hoops Friday
WHITEFISH — Alexa Friske and Jory Hill each led their team in scoring and splashed three triples, leading Columbia Falls to a sweep over Whitefish in a Northwest A basketball doubleheader Friday evening.
Vikes best Browning, jump to top of Northwest A
The Savik brothers left it all on the court for Bigfork in a battle with Browning for the boys Northwest A conference lead, combining for 31 points to lead Vikings over the Indians 59-50 on Tuesday.
Physical Capital downs Flathead boys
Helena Capital raced out to a 17-point first quarter and used their physicality to defeat Flathead 58-35 in Western AA boys basketball on Saturday afternoon at Flathead High School.
Bengals overcome Braves' hot start Friday
The Braves came out the gate swinging with five 3-pointers in the first quarter, but Tyse Todorovich and Seth Lieberg combined for 41 points to lead Helena High past host Flathead 58-44 in Western AA boys basketball on Friday evening.
Ronan roars in 2nd half
BIGFORK — It was a complete team effort from the Chiefs Tuesday evening.
Sentinel basketball sweeps Wolfpack
The Glacier girls came out swinging led by Karley Allen, while the boys stayed tasked with a hot-shooting night from Sentinel’s Lincoln Rodgers and Beau O’Reilly leading to a Spartans sweep of the Wolfpack in a hard-fought Western AA boys and girls basketball doubleheader.
Austin Savik’s Buzzer-Beater Lifts Bigfork Past Polson
BIGFORK — Austin Savik scored 21 points and hit a buzzer-beater to lift the Bigfork boys past Polson 44-42 in Northwest A basketball on Tuesday evening.
Gutzman’s second-half surge lifts Gallatin past Flathead
Ben Reichner was big for the Braves, but Gallatin’s Bobby Gutzman scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half to lift the Raptors over Flathead 63-57 in a non-conference boys basketball matchup Friday evening.
CMR bests Glacier girls in season opener
Kiera Mapes and Ella Cron combined for 25 points to lift Great Falls CMR past the Glacier girls 70-40 on Friday evening.
Keeping Score: Inside Flathead girls and boys basketball
Flathead High School boys and girls basketball are officially back, and Keeping Score takes you inside both programs ahead of opening weekend.
Keeping Score: Glacier Wolfpack prepare for the big show
Keeping Score is on the practice field for an inside look at how the undefeated Wolfpack are preparing for their biggest test yet against Billings West.
Big Sky Now: Inside the Brawl of the Wild with interviews of former brawl players
Big Sky Now, host Luke Schmit sits down with former Montana linebacker Ryan Tirrell and former Montana State safety Rylan Ortt to talk about what it’s really like to compete in the Brawl of the Wild.
Keeping Score: Interviews with Glacier players and coach after semi-final win
We catch up with Asher Knopik, Dylan Banzet, and head coach Grady Bennett moments after the win.
Keeping Score: Inside the Wolfpack's semifinal push
The Glacier Wolfpack are one win away from the Class AA state championship, and reporter Luke Schmit caught up with Kaleb Fuehr, Wayne Cox and Maverick Diede ahead of their massive semifinal showdown with Gallatin.
Wildcats fall short in Class A quarterfinals
COLUMBIA FALLS — The Columbia Falls Wildcats failed to convert a fourth-and-goal on their final drive, and their season ended with a27-20 loss to the East Helena Vigilantes in the Class A football quarterfinal on Friday evening.
Heart of Whitefish: Cole Moses embodies the Bulldog spirit
Under the cottonwoods that tower above the Whitefish football field, senior Cole Moses pauses to take it all in, amid the noise of the Dog Pound.
Whitefish rallies past Bigfork for No. 2 seed
BIGFORK — Whitefish clawed back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Bigfork 22-21 Friday night.
Keeping Score: Bulldogs bite back
In this episode of Keeping Score, host Luke Schmit of the Daily Inter Lake breaks down the intense, physical match that sent Whitefish to the next round and features postgame reactions from Jonson, teammates Wyatt Carlson, Jack Oehlerich, and Gavin Sibson, plus head coach Eric Sawtelle.
Girls soccer: Bruins snap Pack's streak
Glacier falls 2-1 in OT in AA playoffs
A season of resilience and growth came to a heartbreaking end for the Glacier Wolfpack girls' soccer team on Tuesday, as Helena Capital escaped with a 2-1 overtime victory in the Class AA playoff matchup at Legends Stadium.
Ah Yat, Wortham go big for Griz
QB throws for 5 TDs against Sacred Heart
MISSOULA — Keali’i Ah Yat put together his best performance wearing the Maroon and Silver, and Montana defeated non-conference opponent Sacred Heart at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday.
Ross scores 3 TDs, C-Falls routs Polson
COLUMBIA FALLS — Tripp Ross was a hard guy to bring down Friday, accounting for 212 yards and three touchdowns in Columbia Falls 46-13 victory over Polson on Friday evening.
Whitefish soccer defeats Bigfork in first round
Kyler Jonson scored a hat trick, including a pivotal penalty kick in the 25th minute, to lead Whitefish to a 3-1 victory over Bigfork in a Class A boys soccer play-in game on Tuesday afternoon.
Keeping Score: Columbia Falls stuns Whitefish in Cat-Dog comeback
Columbia Falls pulled off one of the most thrilling comebacks in Cat-Dog rivalry history. We recap the stunning finish with postgame reactions from head coach Kelly Houle, quarterback Banyan Johnston, and wide receiver Easton Brooks.
C-Falls scores 19 unanswered points, defeat Whitefish
Banyan Johnston threw three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rally the Columbia Falls Wildcats to a 19-18 victory over the Whitefish Bulldogs in the annual Cat-Dog game Friday.
Bigfork dominates Libby on Homecoming
Bigfork football showed its full potential on Friday night, rolling to a 46-9 victory over Libby with an all-around team performance.
Keeping Score: On the sidelines with CFalls Wildcats after their Homecoming victory
It was a special night in Columbia Falls as the Wildcats earned their first win of the season — under the lights of homecoming. Coach Kelly Houle breaks down the 27–13 victory over Bigfork, while quarterback Banyan Johnston and wide receiver Jory Hill share insights on leadership, big plays, and what it means to start conference play 1–0.
Football: Whitefish picks up win over Eureka
WHITEFISH — In a game dominated by defense, the Whitefish Bulldogs found a way to win after a pair of late interceptions, including a pick-6, to seal a 14-7 non-league football victory over the Eureka Lions on Friday night.