Lake County Cross Country: Ready for state

Lake Cross Country teams are geared up and good to go for the

state championship this Saturday in Helena. Lake Cross Country

teams are geared up and good to go for the state championship this

Saturday in Helena.

LAKE COUNTY - Lake Cross Country teams are geared up and good to go for the state championship this Saturday in Helena.

"It's huge, every team can run seven runners," Arlee head coach Katea Dreiling said.

She has high hopes that her team can improve on ninth place finishes the previous two years and that senior Jesse Pfau can go all-state in Class C.

"I know that he trained hard all year," Dreiling said. "His mind seems in the right place."

Both Polson and Ronan competed in the Northwestern A Conference Championship meet last weekend in Libby. Both took away positives that should carry over to the state meet. Polson placed third in the boys and second in the girls. Head coach Matt Seeley estimated that if freshman Aja Starkey had run the race (she is being cautious with a foot injury), the Lady Pirates could have overtaken Whitefish for first.They didn't do too shabby without Aja, as Polson freshman Claudia Hewston placed second (18:14) while senior Mesa Starkey placed third (18:39).

"Mesa has been on the podium twice at state, but her time was still a lifetime best," Seeley said.

For the Polson boys, the big three were at it again. Sophomore Jimmy Bjorge was fifth (16:29), senior Travis Hayes was sixth (16:31) and junior Alex Nystrom was seventh (16:33).

Ronan had great performances by junior Ashley Grandchamp who broke the 21-minute barrier and placed 11th (20:48). The boys had junior Cody Johnson finish 11th (16:47) along with senior Kevin Wroblewski in 16th (17:21) and sophomore Danny Romero in 17th (17:29).

"It's a tune up meet for state," Ronan head coach Gale Decker said. "Our goal is to run our best this week."