Page 62 - Flathead Beacon // 10.28.15

MONTANA SIDELINES
A ROUNDUP OF LOCAL SPORTS NEWS
BY DILLON TABISH
BE TOBACCO FREE. RED RIBBON WEEK Oct. 26 - Oct. 31
Fact: 4,000 kids try tobacco every single day.
Fact: 90% of regular smokers start before age 18.
Fact: Tobacco companies spend $36 million per day on advertising.
Celebrate by... talking to your kids about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Teaching your kids to stand up against negative influences, and role modeling healthy behaviors for your kids.
• Free Counseling
• Free Information
• Free Nicotine Replacement
• Reduced Cost Prescription Cessation Aids
Hill Breaks All-Class State Cross Country Record
On a day that showcased the Flathead Valley’s running pedigree, Annie Hill ran herself into the record books.
The Glacier sophomore clocked the fastest three-mile time in Montana his- tory and captured her second consecutive Class AA cross country state champion- ship on Oct. 24 in Great Falls.
Hill ran 16:30.71, surpassing the previ- ous all-class state record of 16:33.20, set last year by Bigfork’s Makena Morley. Hill also took over the Class AA state record held by Flathead’s Zoe Nelson, who ran 16:50 as a sophomore in 2002.
Hill crossed the finish line 45 seconds faster than last year, when she claimed her first state championship in 17:11.88.
Entering Saturday’s race, Hill was the 12th ranked runner in the nation. Her impressive time likely vaulted her up the ranks even further and puts her in position to vie for regional and national accolades.
Hill will compete at Nike Cross North- west in Boise, Idaho on Nov. 14 before traveling to Walnut, California for the Foot Locker Cross Country Champion- ships West Regional on Dec. 5. A year ago, Hill placed fourth at the Foot Locker regional race and finished eighth at Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.
Flathead’s Kaitlin Wride placed sixth at state on Saturday, clocking 17:29.74.
The Bozeman girls, who placed three runners in the top 10, won their ninth straight team championship, scoring 52 points.
Logan Morley Defends Boys Title
Logan Morley ran away with one more state championship medal.
The Bigfork senior earned his sec- ond consecutive Class B title, clocking 15:36.02 on Saturday in Great Falls.
Morley ended his illustrious prep cross country career with two titles as well as second-place and third-place medals from the state meet.
Morley held off Manhattan’s Leonard McComas, 15:43.
Jamie Good of Lincoln County placed 13th in 16:51. Teammate Brian Stur- devant was 16th, 16:57.
Manhattan won the team trophy with 33 points, putting four runners in the top seven. Broadwater was second with 123 and St. Labre Catholic was third, 133.
Bryn Morley Captures Championship
Bryn Morley has officially stepped out of the shadow of her older sister, Makena. The Bigfork sophomore claimed her first Class B girls state championship in Great Falls on Saturday, running 17:26.15
to win by a minute and a half.
Morley, who placed second last year
behind Makena’s all-class state record performance, also helped Bigfork claim
the team trophy for the first time since 2002.
The Valkyries had four runners in the top 13 and tallied 63 points. Freshman Anya Young placed third in 19:07. Matty McAnally placed eighth, 19:50.91. Alicia Kalenak was 13th, 20:08. Gabby Eaton was 38th, 21:25.
Manhattan placed second with 88 points. Lincoln County was third with 161.
Tyann Totten of Lincoln County earned 14th, 20:09.
Whitefish, Gray Place Second in Class A
Barrett Gray finished runner-up in the Class A girls race and helped Whitefish bring home a second-place trophy from the state meet in Great Falls.
The Whitefish senior clocked 19:15. Jaycie Schmalz of Hamilton won in 18:26.22. Whitefish’s Sara Perez placed 12th, 19:56.
The Lady Bulldogs earned 114 points to bring home the second-place trophy for the third year in a row.
Polson’s Ryan Harrop placed sixth, 19:36, and Malia Seeley earned 1oth, 19:55. Molly Sitter was 16th, 20:02. Pol- son earned fourth as a team with 156 points.
Hardin placed third as a team with 152 points.
In the Class A boys race, Sage Wanner of Columbia Falls placed sixth, 16:05. Cameron Miekle of Hamilton claimed the championship, 15:26.
Corvallis won the team trophy with 70 points. Fergus and Hardin tied for second with 104 points apiece.
Flathead’s Perrin Wins AA Title
In only his second cross country sea- son, Jake Perrin achieved championship glory.
The Flathead senior followed in his older brother Zach’s fast footsteps and won his own Class AA state title in Great Falls on Oct. 24, clocking a personal-best 14:47.
Perrin’s time was the fastest for a Class AA state champion since 1999, when Flat- head’s David Vidal won in 14:42. The state record is 14:41 set by Jorn Grimsley of Billings Skyview in 1993.
Perrin held off Helena’s Aidan Reed, the reigning state champion who placed second in 14:57.
Perrin’s freshman brother, Ben, placed 17th, clocking 15:51.
Glacier’s Logan Harmon placed sev- enth in 15:30.98.
The Bozeman boys, with four run- ners in the top eight, won their seventh straight team championship with a remarkable 33 points. That is tied for the eighth best team score in state history. Flathead placed fourth with 122 and Gla- cier was fifth, 127.
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OCTOBER 28, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM