Due to changes in the way cross country meets are being run this year, the annual Flathead Invitational at Rebecca Farm was split into two meets last week, the Class AA Western Conference meet and the aptly named Pandemic Quad Hoopla Extravaganza featuring four Class A teams.
In the Class AA clash, the Hellgate girls took two of the top three spots to lead the Knights to a 33-point victory over Helena and Flathead. Freshman Lilli Rumsey Eash was the top finisher from the Flathead, leading the Bravettes with a time of 20:15 over the 5-kilometer course.
In the boys race, Glacier junior Sam Ells finished second in his heat to Hellgate’s Ignatius Fitzgerald, a favorite to win state this fall. Ells ran 16:55 and was the fifth fastest finisher on the course. The Sentinel boys won the meet over Hellgate and Capital, with Glacier finishing fifth.
At the Class A Hoopla, Columbia Falls swept the boys and girls races over Whitefish, Eureka and Libby. James Peterson and James Role took the top spots for the Wildcats, finishing in 17:24 and 17:28 respectively. Senior Lara Erickson, freshman Ally Sempf and junior Hannah Sempf took the top three spots for the Wildkats, with Erickson completing the course in just under 20 minutes.
Rebecca Farm is currently set to host the state cross country meets in October.