Catching up with college cross country runners
Several Mission Valley harriers transitioned into the collegiate ranks after culminating their prep careers with area high school programs upon graduation. Under ordinary circumstances, these runners would have competed in a full complement of meets. But because of the prevalence of the current Coronavirus pandemic, several colleges across the nation deferred typical fall sports schedules until spring, while others cancelled their seasons altogether by skipping a year, granting deprived athletes an extra year of eligibility.
But some opted to instead modify their scheduling with an abridged version that took into account health precautions while maintaining a semblance of a season, holding some meets while cancelling others.
With the calendar turning to the final month of Fall, many colleges still competing held their annual conference cross-country championships.
From our Mission Valley area, Carroll's James Normandeau (Ronan, class of 2019) and former Arlee Scarlet Natalie Yocum both finished among the top ten of the Frontier Conference XC Championship. Yocum's sixth place finish helped the Carroll Fighting Saint women to the first place team crown, while Normandeau's fifth place run paced the Carroll men to a second place finish. Also competing were Rocky's Quin Stewart (Polson, class of 2019) and Tech's Karolyna Buck (Mission, class of 2019).
Normandeau was twice all-state, four-time all-conference with the Ronan Chiefs XC program. Stewart was all-state in 2017 and twice all-conference (2017-16) with the Polson Pirate harriers. Buck was 2019 Western B champion last season. Yocum transferred from Arlee to Frenchtown at the end of her sophomore season.
Rocky's Jackson Duffey (Ronan, class of 2017) did not compete as he is taking a red shirt season to mend. Duffey was all-state as well as 2016 Western B champion for the Chiefs as a senior, placing fourth last season at the 2019 Frontier Conference championships for All-Frontier honors.
Also running from our area this fall was Dawson Community College Buccaneer Jonah DuCharme (Polson, class of 2019), whose meet times qualified him to compete in the NJCAA JUCO Nationals in Iowa.
One would be remiss to not mention Polson protege Beatrix Frissell, who was twice State A champion as well as twice Western A champion with the Lady Pirate XC program before extending her running career with the University of Montana Grizzlies. The Griz have deferred their fall sports to the spring. But in Frissell's inaugural collegiate debut at the Clash of the Inland Northwest last fall, she took top of the podium honors. Frissell finished among the top ten at her first five collegiate races, culminating with 2019 All-Big Sky honors with a tenth place finish in the Big Sky Conference XC Championships at Greeley, Colorado. Last February, Frissell placed fifth in the 5K race at the Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships.
2020 Frontier Conference championships
MSU-Northern, Havre, Friday, Nov. 6
M8k, W5k
Men
5, James Normandeau (Ronan), Carroll 27:04.30;
32(31), Quin Stewart (Polson), Rocky 30:02.20;
Women
6, Natalie Yocum (formerly Arlee), Carroll 19:36;
30(26), Karolyna Buck (Mission), MTTech 21:29.90
Parenthesis ( ) denote place adjustment for team tally tabulation.
2020 UM-Western Bulldog Open
Dillon, Friday, Oct. 23
M8k, W5k
Men
16(10), James Normandeau, 27:49.30;
Women
4(3), Natalie Yocum (formerly Arlee), Carroll 19:20;
36(30), Karolyna Buck (Mission), MTTech 22:28.60
2020 NJCAA XC National Championship
Iowa Central CC, Fort Dodge, IA, Saturday, Nov. 14
D2 Men 8k
Men
137, Jonah DuCharme (Polson), DawsonCC 34:13.40