Lady Bulldogs win again at state meet

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

Nobody can catch the Whitefish girls.

The Lady Bulldogs successfully defended their first-ever state championship cross country title from a year ago, posting a low score of 73 points to take another crown at the Missoula All Class Invitational meet on Saturday.

Five Whitefish girls placed in the top-15. Sophomore Jackie Cassidy fought for first place all race but finished second overall in 18:53. She was in the lead until the very end.

"I'm really happy for the team," Cassidy said. "My goal was to beat Kayla (Carlson, of Bigfork). I didn't know about the girl from Fergus. I got really dizzy during my kick. I was actually really tired, but it was a mind over matter thing."

Defending state champion Loni Hanson placed fifth at 19:13.

Sophomore Stella Holt sprinted to an eighth-place finish at 19:27. Sophomore Jessica Sagen came in 13th at 19:47, and sophomore Bailey Eaton earned a 15th place at 19:48.

Head coach Bill Brist said Cassidy, Hanson and Holt led the team out of the gate, while Sagen and Eaton followed closely behind.

"The plan was to get out quick and challenge the rest of the state's teams to keep up," he said. "Hamilton seemed up for the challenge as their top-five were right behind the Bulldog runners at the mile mark. It was then that the pack broke up and the front group, following Frenchtown's Emily Schall, began to pull away.

"At the two-mile mark, it was Kayla Carlson, of Bigfork, along with Schall in the lead by about 20 meters over Lewistown's Brook Rogers and our own Jackie Cassidy. Stella Holt and Loni Hanson were both close by running in the top-10, with Jessica and Bailey also running in the top-15."

Cassidy was in the lead, on her way to a state championship, up until the last 400 meters of the race. She couldn't hold off Rogers in the final kick, but Brist was still impressed with his young runner.

"Although Jackie wasn't able to hold off the finishing sprint of the Lewistown runner in the final stretch, she did a great job of racing," he said. "To be racing for an individual state championship in her first season is pretty amazing."

Having five runners finish in the top-15, earning all state, was fantastic, Brist said.

"We knew it was possible, but to actually accomplish it, that was our goal," he said.

Lewistown finished second with 89 points, while Hamilton ended up in third with 111 points.

"It was actually a very competitive meet," Brist said. "Last season, the second place team had 146 points. The other teams have improved a lot since last season. I know Hamilton was out to knock us off, and Lewistown has really come on since last season. I was thrilled to see that we could run up to our best at the most important meet of the season."

The Lady Bulldog cross-country team will ride a fire truck through downtown Whitefish on Friday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m. with a police escort.

The Whitefish boys finished in 12th place with only one runner, Drew Coco, in the top-15. Coco was the overall winner for all high school classes at 15:26 (see separate story).

"The boys team did a great job today. It was their best performance of the season," Brist said. "I felt that if we ran great, we could finish in the top 12. That's where we ended. The whole team did their best today."

Girls team results:

1. Whitefish 43

2. Lewistown 89

3. Hamilton 101

4. Glendive 121

5. Laurel 171

6. Dillon 193

7. Havre 243

8. Columbia Falls 246

9. Polson 255

10. Frenchtown 293

11. Belgrade 298

12. Hardin 309

Girls individuals

2. Jackie Cassidy 18:53 - All State

5. Loni Hanson 19:13 - All State

8. Stella Holt 19:27 All State

13. Jessica Sagen 19:47 - All State

15. Bailey Eaton 19:48 - All State

21. Natalie Kearns 20:19

25. Kelly Beiser 20:36

Boys team results:

1. Hamilton 77

2. Columbia Falls 125

3. Dillon 149

4. Lewistown 151

5. Havre 158

6. Browning 164

7. Frenchtown 217

8. Corvallis 229

9. Ronan 245

10. Laurel 255

11. Polson 299

12. Whitefish 311 * won tie breaker

Boy's individuals

1. Drew Coco 15:26 - All State (fastest time of all classes)

40. Patrick McGunagle 17:35

61. Nathan Knox 18:17

104. Kaleb Prestegaard 19:41

105. Daniel Rivera 19:42

109. Will Holdhusen 19:56

118. Dietrich Perchy 20:33