Local runners fare well on chilly fairgrounds course

Western A cross country runners competed on a challenging course of meandering terrain complete with hay bale obstacles and cattle gates at the Polson Fairgrounds on Saturday. They also battled the elements that included wildfire smoke intermixed with drizzling rain. The event had to be delayed four hours due to lingering wildfire smoke that thinned with the approaching storm system. Hamilton and Frenchtown had been originally slated to attend, but the inevitable time shift altered their plans.

For the boys, Brant Heiner of Ronan took top honors, his third top finish this season. Other top 10 finishers for the Chiefs were Michael Irvine and Zarec Couture. Elijah Tonasket came within 5 seconds of cracking the sub-20-minute time barrier.

Polson senior Mason Sloan made the top 10, while fellow teammate Ryan Dupuis finished among the top 15.

On the girls side, Olivia Heiner of Ronan placed fifth for a top 10 finish, while fellow Maidens Brogan Youngen and Kaona Trahan both squeezed into the top 15.

The Polson girls were paced by a royal flush finish led by all-conference athlete Halle Heninger and Karli Owens, with Ashtyn Wagner rounding out the top 10. Fellow Lady Pirate frosh phenoms Maddilyn Huffine, Adison Carlson and Katelyn Smith all finished among the top 15.

Polson head coach Matt Seeley said 17 of 21 Pirates recorded new season bests. Ashtyn Wagner shaved nearly 3 minutes off her previous personal best, while Noah Roberts turned in the fifth-fastest time among the boys with his top 10 finish in the JV race.

Polson was originally slated to run with Ronan, Mission and Charlo in Thompson Falls on Thursday, but those plans have been revised to attend a cross-country wilderness run in Libby on Saturday. Ronan and Polson are also slated to run in Whitefish on Tuesday.

The St. Ignatius XC Invitational that was cancelled this past Tuesday on account of poor air quality has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, where Arlee and Charlo runners will join Mission along with several other schools in attendance.

2020 Polson Fairgrounds XC Invite

Saturday, September 19

Girls

Team scores

1, Columbia Falls (CF) 16; 2, Polson 50; <5: Ronan (R), Whitefish (W).

Individual varsity finishers

1, Lara Erickson (CF) 20:20; 2, Hannah Sempf (CF) 21:18; 3, Ally Sempf (CF) 21:33; 4, Emma Upton (CF) 22:11; 5, Olivia Heiner (R) 22:18; 6, Alyssa Blankenship (CF) 22:31; 7, Siri Erickson (CF) 22:31; 8, Halle Heninger (P) 22:34; 9, Karli Owens (P) 22:53; 10, Ashtyn Wagner (P) 23:20; 11, Maddilyn Huffine (P) 23:22; 12, Adison Carlson (P) 23:44; 13, Katelyn Smith (P) 24:07; 14, Brogen Youngren (R) 24:35; 15, Kaona Trahan (R) 25:22; 16, Courtney Hoerner (CF) 25:30.

Team finishes

POLSON – 8, Halle Heninger 22:34; 9, Karli Owens 22:53; 10, Ashtyn Wagner 23:20; 11, Maddilyn Huffine 23:22; 12, Adison Carlson 23:44; 13, Katelyn Smith 24:07; 3jv, Isabel Seeley 25:07; 5jv, Sami Dolberry 26:28; River Shoemake dns; Zoe Crowl dns.

RONAN – 5, Olivia Heiner 22:18; 14, Brogen Youngren 24:35; 15, Kaona Trahan 25:22; 9jv, Nichole Koehler 29:04.

Boys

Team scores

1, Columbia Falls (CF) 39; 2, Whitefish (W) 50; 3, Ronan (R) 53; 4, Polson (P) 87.

Individual varsity finishers

1, Brant Heiner (R) 17:07; 2, Jacob Henson (W) 17:40; 3, James Role (CF) 17:48; 4, Michael Irvine (R) 17:56; 5, James Petersen (CF) 18:05; 6, Zarec Couture (R) 18:07; 7, Mason Sloan (P) 18:10; 8, Seth Umbriaco (CF) 18:12; 9, Deneb Linton (W) 18:43; 10, Ruedi Steiner (W) 18:46; 11, Bailey Sjostrom (W) 19:05; 12, TJ Jacobi (CF) 19:06; 13, Ryan Dupuis (P) 19:06; 14, Zack Dunnagan (W) 19:33; 15, Gabe Lund (W) 19:46; 16, Quinn Clark (CF) 19:48; 17, Logan Peterson (CF) 19:48; 18, Landon Brown (W) 20:02; 19, Elijah Tonasket (R) 20:05; 20, Drifter Skillicorn (P) 20:15; 21, Aiden Gfroerer (P) 20:20; 22, Jack McDaniel (W) 20:21; 23, Dillon Omeasoo (R) 20:46; 24, Landon Bishop (R) 20:59; 25, Silas Phelen (R) 21:03; 26, Sean Stewart (P) 21:11; 27, David Bjorge (P) 21:22; 28, Kai McDonald (P) 21:26.

Team finishes

RONAN – 1, Brant Heiner 17:07; 4, Michael Irvine 17:56; 6, Zarec Couture 18:07; 19, Elijah Tonasket 20:05; 23, Dillon Omeasoo 20:46; 24, Landon Bishop 20:59; 25, Silas Phelen 21:03; 14jv, Gabe Brown 21:36; 18jv, Keyan Pretty On Top 22:00; 22jv, Beau Decker 22:40; 27jv, Nicholas Dresen 24:16; 28jv, Ian Dillard 24:16; 32jv, Xavier Nolen 25:21; 34jv, Brett Myers 26:41; 44jv, Ridge Barney 33:50; Lucas Delaney dns.

POLSON – 7, Mason Sloan 18:10; 13, Ryan Dupuis 19:06; 20, Drifter Skillicorn (P) 20:15; 21, Aiden Gfroerer (P) 20:20; 6jv, Noah Roberts 20:53; 26, Sean Stewart 21:11; 27, David Bjorge 21:22; 28, Kai McDonald 21:26; 24jv, Brandt Heninger 22:50; 29jv, Kai Clifford 24:57; 35jv, Aiden Murdock 27:12; 40jv, Tommy Williams 28:45; 41jv, Wica Brown 28:52; Xavier Pierre dns; Hayden Clairmont dns.