Page 72 - Flathead Beacon // 10.29.14

72 | OCTOBER 29, 2014 STATE CROSS COUNTRY
HELENA // OCT. 25
CLASS B // BOYS
LOGAN MORLEY 1. BIGFORK
LOGAN BECK 3. RED LODGE
SPORTS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Makena Morley (64) and her sister Bryn (63) lead runners during the start of the Class B race. Makena and Bryn finished first and second, running 16:33.20 and 16:59.28, respectively.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
2.
TYUS MENDOZA COLSTRIP
4.
PAUL BIELAWSKI SHELBY
A.J. ECKMANN JEFFERSON
7. RUSSELL KUJALA PLAINS
LIAM GILDEHAUS RED LODGE
HUNTER FLYNN WHITEHALL
MANHATTAN 17:15.21 CLASS B // GIRLS
MAKENA MORLEY 1. BIGFORK
TAMIA TWO MOONS 3. LEM DEER
5. ALEXANDRA BARTMESS LINCOLN CO.
7. BAYLEE GREEN ROUNDUP
5.
9.
11.
13.
15. ANTONIO KROGSTAD
Morley Goes Out in ‘Blaze of Glory’
BIGFORK SENIOR BREAKS RECORD AT FINAL XC STATE MEET; LOGAN MORLEY CLAIMS CLASS B BOYS TITLE
Ruby Yellowtail of Lodge Grass (1989-92) and Kathy Jarvis of Havre (1982-85).
“I’m so happy Makena got to go out in a blaze of glory,” longtime Bigfork cross country coach Sue Loeffler said. “I wanted to see her go out in glory because I know she’s an amazing runner. Everybody knows that, but she struggled a little bit this year. She’s an amazing person. She’s just incred- ible.”
Morley isn’t done yet. She’s now headed to Nike Regionals in Boise in three weeks before competing at the Western Regional Foot Locker Cross Country Championship, where she hopes to win for the second year in a row and make a run at winning a na- tional championship.
Regardless of how she does at those elite out-of-state meets, the future University of Montana runner has ensured her legacy in her home state will be a memorable one.
The state hasn’t seen the last of the Morleys either. Bryn finished second in the Class B state race, clocking 16:59, one of the fastest times in state history. She became only the third girl to break 17 minutes at the state meet, alongside her sister and Nelson.
“I was really happy I got to run with Makena,” Bryn said. “I was just trying to stay with her for as long as I could.”
The Morley sisters led Bigfork to a third-place team trophy, with 134 points. Xiaoxiao Strong placed 22nd (21:12.20), Gabby Eaton was 54th (22:52.31) and Kath- erine Mischke was 55th (22:53.14.
The Morleys’ brother, Logan, captured his own trophy.
The Bigfork junior won the Class B boys state championship in 15:29. He won by 30 seconds a year after placing second.
“It feels really good to win. That’s what I came out here to do,” he said. “I felt really relaxed and really strong out there today.”
Is there added pressure having two speedy sisters?
“It makes me really inspired when I see them do well,” he said. “It really helps me go faster.”
10. TANNER LAWS TFALLS
12. VANCE THUESEN RED LODGE
TOMMY FROST TOWNSEND
14. TRISTEN GONE HARLEM
15:29.18
15:59.92
16:32.01
16:35.21
6.
KRYN DYKEMA RED LODGE
16:41.41
8.
DAVID SACHMAN MANHATTAN
16:41.44
16:49.69
16:60.65
16:54.69
17:00.06
17:00.66
17:00.69
17:12.39
17:13.00
2.
BRYN MORLEY BIGFORK
16:33.20
4.
KIMBERLY EARHART PLAINS
16:59.28
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
A
years of constant, rigorous training; after achieving her long list of towering goals, including the fastest times in state history, Makena Morley arrived at the final stretch of her brilliant high school cross country career.
As she charged over the hill in Helena last Saturday, all alone, she could see the finish line.
Hundreds of spectators roared to life.
Those who had watched her along the way, from a wide-eyed freshman four years ago to Montana’s greatest female distance runner, had seen extraordinary feats of speed and endurance.
But they had never seen anything like this.
The Bigfork senior crossed the fin- ish line in 16:33.20, breaking the all-class state record and winning her fourth Class B championship. The victory was two sec- onds faster than her winning time last year in Missoula, which had set a new all-class mark by 15 seconds.
When it was over, she let out a gasp. Re- lieved. Surprised. Flooded with emotion, she embraced her mother, Jill, and father,
Steve.
Bryn, Makena’s younger sister and
the heir apparent in Class B, joined them shortly after in an emotional family gathering.
In storybook fashion, Makena saved her best for last.
She had struggled earlier in the season, losing her first-ever race in Montana to Gla- cier’s Annie Hill.
When it came to the final in-state cross country race in her storied career, she left nothing to chance. Her pace was ambitious and ferocious — 5:31/mile. Even her speedy sister couldn’t keep up. No other female distance runner in Montana history could have.
“I was really relaxed today,” she said. “I just wanted to run as fast as I could. I didn’t put any time goals out there; just went out there and ran as fast as I could.”
Crossing the finish one last time, reality set it.
“I started crying as I saw (the time at the finish line),” she said. “I didn’t really know on this course if I would get the state record ... The state record was in the back of my mind but I didn’t really think about it too much.”
Morley became only the fourth high school girl to win four state championships, alongside Flathead’s Zoe Nelson (2001-04),
18:59.04
ADDIE POORE RED LODGE
ANNA LOSASSO MANHATTAN
13. AMANDA WOLFF GLASGOW
15. KIM PARSELL
SHELBY 20:30.75
9.
11.
19:10.68
fter running countless miles, either alone in the Swan or alongside her brother, sister and father; after four
6.
GRACE WYSE TOWNSEND
8.
JOSIE BRAATEN GLASGOW
10. SIERRA SUMMERS WOLF POINT
19:11.03
19:27.81
19:50.61
19:52.09
19:55.41
20:04.44
12. HANNAH MADSEN MANHATTAN
20:05.00
14. SOPHIA STILES MALTA
20:13.31
20:24.37
20:30.61
2014