It was a big weekend for Flathead Valley runners at the annual Mountain West Classic cross country meet in Missoula, an event that featured more than 50 schools from Montana and Washington.
Makena Morley, a freshman phenom at Bigfork High School, was the top overall girls finisher at the large meet, winning by more than a half minute. Morley ran a 17:10.4. Billings Senior’s Dani Aragon was second at 17:43.9. Morley’s time was only 10 seconds off the all-time course record – 17:00.6 – achieved by Flathead’s Zoe Nelson in 2004.
I wrote about Morley and her family this summer. At the time, it seemed she was destined to have a special high school career and she’s clearly off to a good start. She hasn’t lost a race this year as a freshman and hasn’t even really been challenged.
In boys, Glacier junior Troy Fraley finished second behind Mead’s Andrew Gardner, who won his second straight Mountain West Classic. Fraley’s time was 15:01.5. Fraley is establishing himself as the most prolific runner in Glacier’s history.
And speaking of the best in school history, Columbia Falls senior Derrick Williams, who we recently profiled, broke his school’s all-time record at the Mountain West Classic with a 15:15.6, good enough for fifth place overall. The previous record was 15:39, set by Rob Macal in 1983.
The Sept. 24 race was held at the University of Montana golf course, the same place where the all-class state meet will be held on Oct. 22. A lot can change between now and then, but the performances at the Mountain West Classic suggest that we could be looking at some really fast times from Flathead Valley runners at the season’s final race.