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Cross Country

Richard Menicke Named Coach of the Year

Whitefish coach honored as top Montana Class A boys cross country mentor

By Micah Drew
Whitefish High School coach Richard Menicke reacts to the results of the Class B State Championship cross country meet in Missoula on Oct. 22, 2022. Micah Drew | Flathead Beacon

Whitefish coach Richard Menicke has been named the 2022 Class A Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association after guiding the Bulldogs to their first podium finish in a decade.

Menicke led a deep Whitefish roster to the school’s first trophy since 2012 behind two all-state finishers. Deneb Linton, a junior, led the team and crossed the line seventh overall at the state meet, followed closely by junior Mason Genovese (11th). Senior Nate Inglefinger (20th), sophomore Ethan Amick (23rd) and senior Ruedi Steiner (29th) rounded out the Bulldogs scoring squad. The Bulldogs narrowly lost the team title, finishing runner up with 90 points to Park County’s 78.

“There’s a quiet focus these guys have that’s pretty remarkable,” Menicke said of his team this fall. “They’re hungry for it, which makes it pretty effortless on the coaching side.”

The Montana Coaches Association names its coaches of the year across all sports and classifications at the end of each high school sports season. This school year’s winners will be honored at the 2023 MCA Awards, July 27 at C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls.

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