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Flathead High to Honor 2001 State Champion Bravettes

By Beacon Staff

Basketball season is underway for our local high school teams and it’s shaping up to be an exciting few months of action.

The last time Kalispell had a Class AA state champion basketball team was 10 years ago. The Flathead Bravettes repeated as state champs with a five-point victory over Billings West on Dec. 1, 2001.

That 2001 title team and its coaching staff are being honored at halftime of this Saturday’s game at Flathead. The Bravettes host Libby at 6:30 p.m.

Between 1985 and 1994, the Bravettes played in four Class AA state championships, but fell just short of winning a title each time. The ’88 Bravettes lost by only one point to Missoula Big Sky. The ’85 team lost to Missoula Sentinel by eight.

The title drought finally ended in 2000 when Flathead edged Helena by three points. A year later, despite losing a number of veteran starters, the team successfully defended its title.

Here’s a list of the players on that 2001 team: Amanda McCready, Valissa Sneck, Stephanie Dotson, Jenni Shandorf, Katy Svennungsen, Lisa Walterskirchen, Ashley Bradford, Katie Holliday, Tess Saunier, Becky O’Neil, Halladay Quist, Katie Regier, Jyndia Schiable and Tiffani Wilson.

The coaching staff was made up of head coach Dennis Latimer, Gary Moen, Fred Febach, Doug Hashley and Kim Elliot.