Excitement Builds Around Flathead Valley Track and Field Talent
Once again, the Flathead Valley is poised to showcase some of the best track and field athletes in Montana. All-state distance runners Annie Hill, a junior at Glacier, and Bryn Morley, a junior at Bigfork, are back chasing several medals while the speedy boys relay teams in Kalispell and Columbia Falls are reloaded and ready for more success.
Glacier in particular boasts a large lineup of talent: senior Nikki Krueger is the reigning girls state champ in the discus and senior Brynn McChesney is the returning long jump champion. The Glacier boys short relay team has won back-to-back titles and returns all but one of the fleet-footed legs, Scout Willcut, Ethan Larson and Drew Turner.
At Columbia Falls, Sage Wanner is the reigning champ in the 3,200-meter race, and Logan Stephens, Logan Kolodejchuk and Braxton Reiten are three of the four legs returning from the state champion 400 relay team.
Bigfork is also loaded with young and emerging talent, including junior Haile Norred, who ran on the state champion long relay team a year ago with Alicia Kalenak and Jordan Nelson.
Flathead always produces all-state talent and features a strong collection of contenders, including Jaden Anderson, Eric Reyna and Trae Vasquez. For the Bravettes, junior Kaitlin Wride is one of the best distance runners and placed fourth in the 1,600 a year ago.
Flathead Valley Rugby Squad Ready to Defend Title
The Flathead Valley Black and Blue rugby team claimed the state championship in Missoula last June. The team, made up of local high school players, defeated the Missoula Mud Dogs 19-12 in the title match of the Montana Youth Rugby Association State Tournament, and finished the season 8-0-1. It was the team’s second title since 2012. This year, Kalispell is hosting the state tournament on May 12-13.
Lacrosse Teams Hit the Field in Pursuit of State Tournament
The local lacrosse teams have their sights on one destination in particular — Great Falls, which is hosting the high school state tournament. The boys competitive season got underway on March 26. The Whitefish-based Flathead Lacrosse Club plays next on April 6 against the Ten Sticks club at Smith Fields. The Kalispell-based Northwest Sharpshooters are also underway. The second annual Northwest Shootout Lacrosse Jamboree is scheduled for April 22-23 with games played at Kidsports Complex and Kalispell Middle School.
Columbia Falls Softball Returns Top Talent
With state titles in girls basketball and volleyball and a runner-up finish in football, this has been quite the successful year for Columbia Falls sports teams. This talented Wildkats softball team has its sights set on bringing home some more hardware. Several skilled players graduated from last year’s 19-9 team, but many more are back, including all-state pitcher KJ Schweikert and all-state outfielder Peyton Kehr. There’s also hard-hitting senior Sydney Hovde, who was second in the state for homeruns with eight.
Frenchtown is the reigning champ in Northwestern A and for all of Class A.
Polson also regularly produces a state contender under longtime coach Larry Smith, and this year’s team features only one senior but several talented underclassmen ready to fill in the starting lineup. The Lady Pirates finished 14-10 last year. Whitefish is seeking a rebound season after finishing 5-15 a year ago.
Glacier Softball Plays Inaugural Season on New Fields
Ten years after being established, Glacier High School is home to its own softball fields. The Wolfpack are playing their inaugural season at the Glacier Athletic Complex, which features two softball fields on the northwest corner of the school property. The new fields will welcome last year’s second-place team, which features several returning starters, including all-conference infielder Erin McHugh and honorable mention shortstop Anna Schrade. Glacier finished 22-7 overall a year ago and advanced to the state title game for the second year in a row. Great Falls CMR narrowly nipped the Pack to win the championship. The team’s home opener on the new fields is April 15 against Helena and Helena Capital.
Jack Foster, a former longtime head coach in Post Falls, Idaho, has taken over as head coach of the Flathead High School softball program. Foster is replacing Tasia Gates, who stepped down after two seasons at the helm of the Bravettes. Last season, Flathead was 6-16 overall and 2-10 in Western AA. They were 2-19 overall in 2015. A native of Coeur d’Alene, Foster coached softball at Post Falls High School from 1997-2005 and 2007-2014. He guided the 2010 Trojans to the softball championship in 5A, the largest classification in Idaho.
Lakers Hit the Diamond as Reigning State Runners-up
Patrick O’Connell and the Kalispell Lakers are back as the state’s reigning runners-up from a year ago. The Lakers AA team placed second a year ago, the best finish for the local legion club since 1978.
The Lakers are preparing for the new baseball season by holding tryouts starting April 3, which is later than usual due to weather and water conditions. The squad features several talented returning starters, including O’Connell, a senior at Glacier High School who was a first-team all conference third baseman last season. He had a .382 batting average with 25 stolen bases, 12 doubles and 11 triples. At the state tournament, he hit over .500.
Kalispell also returns standout pitcher Dawson Smith, utility player Jonas Neiman and outfielder Haydn Schlepp. The first game of the season is a two-game road trip against the Bitterroot Red Sox on April 23. The team’s home opener is April 27 against the Mission Valley Mariners, one of the state’s top Class A squads. This year, the Lakers have added a Class B squad, which will compete separately, similar to the Class A team.
The Kalispell Lakers are hosting their annual fundraiser golf tournament at Village Greens on April 29. The 18-hole tournament will feature a four-person team scramble format. To register, visit kalispelllakers.org.
The Glacier Twins, made up of local players in Whitefish and Columbia Falls, is also gearing up for another exciting campaign. The season kicks off with the annual Black and White game on April 17 at home followed by the official season opener against Helena on April 29.
This year’s Class A district tournament is in Whitefish, July 20-24.
Whitefish Girls Look to Defend Tennis Title
Last season, the Lady Bulldogs captured the school’s first Class A team title since 2004. With several players graduating, Whitefish will look to reload in time for the state tournament, which is in Kalispell this year. Bozeman is the reigning Class AA boys and girls champ. Billings Central won last year’s boys Class A title. Libby won the boys Class B/C title and Chinook captured the girls trophy.
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Montana Championship Chase
State Tournament Dates
Track
Class AA & Class B, May 26-27, Butte
Class A & Class C, May 26-27, Missoula
Tennis
Class AA, May 18-19, Kalispell
Class A, May 25-27, Kalispell
Class B/C, May May 18-20, Missoula
Golf
Class B, May 16-17, Shelby
Class C, May 16-17, Seeley Lake
Rugby
May 12-13, Kalispell
Lacrosse
June 2-4, Great Falls
Legion Baseball
Class AA July 26-30, Bozeman
Class A, July 27-31, Three Forks