Ronan hosts Class B race
<p>Mission’s Lindsay Johnson out-races a Thompson Falls runner to the finish.</p>
RONAN — Ronan cross country coach Noelle Decker didn’t expect her girls to keep up with Bigfork’s Makena Morley.
The Valkyries’ star runner won the Western B Divisional meet by more than two-and-a-half minutes (17:04) and ran from Mission Mountain Golf Course to the Dairy Queen in Ronan for a snack where the Bigfork team bus picked her up on the way out of town.
What Decker did expect was her senior-laden girls team to have a nice tune-up run for the state meet in Missoula this Saturday. With the Maidens’ third-place finish on Friday, consider that goal half-accomplished.
“They did alright. It was kind of funny. We had some kids do really well and we had some do not-so-well.”
Kiana Howell ran well for Decker’s club, finishing 11th at her home course with a solid 21:19. Fellow seniors Jade Gray and and Angela North Piegan also finished in the top 20 for Ronan, leading the Maidens to a third-place team finish in the meet.
Mission’s Kaylie Durglo also posted top-15 finish, the fastest of any Bulldog girls at 22:26.
“Kaylie had a great time and has improved over the season,” Mission coach Marc Cutler said.
Cutler had to be pleased on the boys side, as sophomore Tate Weingart turned in a personal best at 17:57, good enough for 11th place.
“I’m so proud of him,” Cutler said. “He’s been working very hard and it shows hard work pays off.”
Ronan’s boys team finished fourth, paced by a strong 13th-place run from freshman Jackson Duffey (18:07).
“He looked like it was a lot more effortless that it had been for a long time,” Decker said.
She was also pleased with the efforts she got from seniors Jarred Dupuis and J.T. Probst.
Decker said her team looks forward to racing on the somewhat strenuous course in Missoula on Saturday at states.
“They like this course at the university in Missoula,” Decker said. “They seem to run really well there. It’s not a real easy course, but the kids seem to like it.”
Decker hopes their enthusiasm results in a team finish they can all rejoice in. She also noted that Howell has an outside shot at a top-15 finish, which would mean all-state accolades.
“If she’s there mentally, she could do it … because she’s physically capable of it,” Decker said. “I don’t think she’s even tapped into what she can do physically.”