Before his final race Zach Perrin said he wanted to try his best to represent Flathead High and its strong cross country tradition. The Brave senior did exactly that. Perrin became the ninth Flathead runner, and first since 2003, to win the Class AA state title last weekend. He clocked 15:08.7 on a cold, windy day at the Bill Roberts course in Helena. Missoula Hellgate’s Adam Peterman was second, 15:17. Glacier senior Troy Fraley was third, 15:25.
Perrin became the first Flathead boys state champion since Matt Parker in 2003. Perrin joins an elite group of former Brave state champs — Parker (2003), Kurt Michels (2001), Seth Watkins (2000), David Vidal (1999, 1998), Shane Ackerly (1996), Noah Zahrobsky (1992) and Scott Menghini (1985).
Both Perrin and Fraley finished their impressive prep cross country careers with their best finishes at state. As Flathead’s Hall of Fame running coach told the Beacon recently, Perrin, Fraley and Peterman should be remembered as three of the state’s best distance runners ever, as they proved all season long.
“Over the course of my tenure I’ve seen some pretty good runners but I don’t think I’ve seen three that good together in the same year,” Jorgensen recently said of Perrin, Fraley and Peterman. “Somebody might argue with me about that, but I’m looking at their times.”
Hellgate’s Paige Gilchrist won the girls title in 17:47. Bozeman swept the team championships yet again. The girls won their sixth straight title and the boys won their fifth straight. The Flathead boys placed fourth with 136 points and Glacier was fifth with 137. It was the Wolfpack’s best finish as a program. The Flathead girls placed ninth with 261 and Glacier was tenth with 265.
Class A
Led by two strong seniors and four finishers in the top 25, the Whitefish boys won the program’s first cross country state championship. A year after placing tenth with 250 points, the Bulldogs scored 96 points to edge Hamilton by 12. Fischer Gangemi placed fourth with 16:10.2 and teammate Jace Kalbfleisch was fifth, 16:26.8. Caleb Knox was 20th, 17:17.6 and Keaton Grove placed 23rd, 17:28. Thomas Hanson was Whitefish’s fifth runner, earning 44th in 18:01.
Layne Lantis from Dawson County won the individual title in 16:01. Polson placed 12th as a team with 303 points. Columbia Falls placed 14th with 392 points.
For girls, Columbia Falls’ Samantha Mundel earned all-state, placing 15th with 20:04. The Wildkats placed eighth with 226 points. Polson was sixth, 160. Whitefish was ninth, 244. Sadi Henderson of Corvallis won the individual title in 18:37.
Class B
Bigfork sophomore Makena Morley successfully defended her state title and remains unbeaten in Montana races. Morley battled windy conditions and finished in 18:13.1. Chiara Warner from Broadwater was second, 18:33.9. The unfavorable conditions hampered Morley’s attempt to break her own state record set last year when she clocked 17:44. This season she had already surpassed 17 minutes on the Helena course. Nevertheless, Morley has a flawless race record in an already remarkable career.
Morley’s teammate Chelsey Olson earned all-state honors, placing eighth, 20:45.
For boys, Logan Morley placed third, 17:07.5 and helped Bigfork earn fifth place as a team. The Vikings scored 200 points, four behind third-place Cut Bank.
Kyle Olson from Rocky Boy won in 16:12.3.
Highlanders
With another successful cross country season in the books, I always find myself wandering back to the question — What’s the secret to the Flathead Valley’s long history of running success? In my mind, the Highlander youth running programs are a big answer. For over 30 years the Highlander Track program has helped young kids find an athletic outlet in the form of running. And along the way the program has shaped some of our great athletes over the years. Four years ago Flathead distance coach Paul Jorgensen and Jesse Rumsey founded a similar Highlander Cross Country program. Like the track program, the cross country program is coached by high school athletes who volunteer to mentor the future generations from across the valley. It’s catching on, too. Last season there were 73 youngsters involved. This year it spiked to almost 200.
“I think the word has spread and people are starting to become more active in the valley and run more and get more involved,” Rumsey said.
That’s good news. Our local tradition has a bright future ahead.