Gaiser wins seniors division in Le Grizz run

A record 99 runners out of 103 starters completed the 32nd Le Grizz 50-Mile Ultramarathon foot race on Saturday, Oct. 12.

Columbia Falls High School principal Scott Gaiser of Kalispell was first in the Seniors Division (over 50 years old), posting 6:55:45. This was his second time in the Le Grizz, and he came in seventh overall.

Columbia Falls runners included Mark Foust, 16th, in  7:55:08; Mark Tarr, 22nd, in 8:19:10; Kellly Hamilton, 41st, in 9:35:21; Annie Gustafson, 65th, in 10:12:08; and Gary Sparr, 71st, in 10:32:18.

This was Tarr’s 21st running of the Le Grizz, which he has won 13 times.

Overall winner was Andy Prevost of Great Falls in 6:24:10. Jed Rogers of Missoula took second in 6:25:34. Martin Hack of Rockhampton, Australia, took the Masters Division (40-49 years old) in 6:47:57.

Among the women, Masters runner Debbie Gibson of Helena was the overall winner in 7:17:56. Rachel Bucklin of Spokane, Wash. posted 8:00:31 to take the Open Division. Barbara Brown of Sandpoint, Idaho, in her first 50 mile completion, won the Seniors Division in 9:41:34.

Prevost won the men’s Open Division, and Kelli Swanson of Helena was the first woman in 8:49:50. Masters winners were Tor Gudmundsen of Helena (6:56:10) and Gibson.

This year’s run was held in the North Fork, beginning and ending in Polebridge, after the Forest Service permit for the usual Hungry Horse Reservoir course was canceled due to the federal funding shutdown.

Mike Mustari of Edmonds, Wash., was awarded the 10 Bears award, a plaque clock for completion of 10 Le Grizz runs.

The Chief 10 Bears Lifetime Achievement Award was presented for completion of 20 Le Grizz runs to Jim Ballard of Klamath Falls, Ore.

Le Grizz is USA Track & Field’s 50 Mile Championship for Montana runners. Thirty-six of the starters had never run 50 miles before, and 35 of them finished.

The Cheetah Herders Athletic Club of Seeley Lake sponsored the event, assisted by the Kalispell Special Olympics, North Valley Search & Rescue, Polebridge Mercantile and local volunteers. For more information, visit online at www.cheetahherders.com.

Results:

1   Andy Prevost   35   6:24:10   Great Falls   

2   Jedediah Rogers   34   6:25:34   Missoula   

3   Heath Wiltse   38   ID   6:29:58   Coeur d’Alene   

4   Jesse Langner   31   6:45:10   Bozeman   

5   Martin Hack   42   AUS   6:47:57   Rockhampton   

6   Jeff Rome   24   6:53:56   Livingston   

7   Scott Gaiser   51   6:55:45   Kalispell   

8   Tor Gudmundsen   49   6:56:10   Helena   

9   Benjamin Bucklin   35   WA   7:13:01   Spokane   

10   Jason Carter   40   ID   7:15:35   Eagle   

11   Debbie Gibson   48   7:17:56   Helena   

12   Tyler Bucklin   37   7:30:31   Conrad   

13   Kevin Plumage   44   7:39:38   Missoula   

14   Austin Allen   32   7:50:20   St. Ignatius   

14   Bryan Johnson   37   7:50:20   Helena   

16   Mark Foust   47   7:55:08   Columbia Falls   

17   George Erickson   39   7:55:33   Missoula   

18   Rachel Bucklin   35   WA   8:00:31   Spokane   

19   Patrick Lupton   40   8:10:55   Bozeman   

20   Kevin Davis   42   8:15:06   Livingston   

21   Erica Swanson   40      8:15:49   Helena   

22   Mark Tarr   51   8:19:10   Columbia Falls   

23   Matt Beard   37   WA   8:19:35   Spokane   

24   Michele Anderson   44   8:20:22   Livingston   

25   Andrew Matulionis   48   8:22:08   Whitefish   

26   Tom Halverson   53   8:24:46   Missoula   

27   Aaron Moss   36   WA   8:26:48   Bothell   

28   Ben Venter   30   8:34:29   Bozeman   

29   Craig Urton   46   AB   8:34:34   Edmonton   

30   Christopher Dingman   31   WY   8:39:35   Dubois   

30   Nathan Travers Smith   38   AB   8:39:35   Cardston   

32   Johanna Blanchard   29   OR   8:40:40   Klamath Falls   

33   Matthew Bucklin   34   8:42:06   Missoula   

34   Mario Festival   59   AB   8:43:59   Calgary   

35   John Cushma   39   GA   8:47:06   Norcross   

36   Kelli Swanson   36   8:49:50   Helena   

36   Amanda Steichen   34   8:49:50   Helena   

38   Maggie Keating   31   8:51:39   Missoula   

39   Anne Johnson   49   AK   8:52:19   Juneau   

40   Gary Williams   46   AB   9:07:58   Calgary   

41   Joseph Peters   28   WA   9:10:37   Spokane   

42   Robert Glass   28   CA   9:17:00   Kensington   

43   Chris Bergman   42   9:19:09   Missoula   

44   Chris Owens   50   OR   9:19:21   Dallas   

45   Stacy Trosine   37   WA   9:22:10   Colbert   

46   Craig Stahl   45   UT   9:26:03   Providence   

47   Richard Dingman   64   WY   9:27:52   Dubois   

48   Chris Purvis   22   VA   9:30:32   Fredericksburg   

49   Jeff Burgess   39   ID   9:32:01   Coeur d’Alene   

50   Kelly Hamilton   41   9:35:21   Columbia Falls   

51   Barbara Brown   55   ID   9:41:34   Sandpoint   

52   Jeff Metsky   32   9:43:10   Whitefish   

53   Chad Fisher   43   ID   9:47:24   Boise   

54   Gunhild Swanson   69   WA   9:47:44   Spokane Valley   

55   Mickael Rose   29   BC   9:48:19   Burnaby   

56   Alex Rykken   28   MN   9:48:35   St. Paul   

57   Angela Smith   44   9:49:38   Billings   

58   Bill Travis   65   ID   9:54:05   Coeur d’Alene   

59   Tara McGovern   27   9:59:25   Kalispell   

60   Cameron Gehrman   21   10:00:12   Bozeman   

61   Charlo Brandon Crumpacker   31   WA   10:03:03   Wenatchee   

62   Aaric Bryan   38   10:07:38   Missoula   

63   Brian Kathol   54   AB   10:07:48   Calgary   

64   Samantha Forrest   22   10:09:14   Bozeman   

65   Annie Gustafson   30   10:12:08   Columbia Falls   

66   Sarah Caffrey   27   10:19:00   Missoula   

67   James Derby   49   WA   10:28:53   Spokane   

68   Melanie Dayton   41   10:30:20   Helena   

68   John Dayton   42   10:30:20   Helena   

70   Sarah Slanger   39   10:30:27   Helena   

71   Gary Sparr   64   10:32:18   Columbia Falls   

72   Nathan Hein   35   CO   10:33:28   Westminster   

73   Ben Russell   32   WA   10:34:15   Ferndale   

74   David Smith   54   WA   10:36:24   Walla Walla   

75   Rebecca Johnson   26   CO   10:38:09   Golden   

76   Jeff Stowell   52   UT   10:42:30   Salt Lake City   

77   Quinn Lear   25   ID   10:43:42   Rexburg   

78   Adriana McKenzie   46   10:49:52   Missoula   

79   Chad Aubin   35   WA   10:51:28   Port Angeles   

80   Todd LaValley   49   10:54:07   Spokane   

81   Jamie Nott   39   AB   10:55:42   Calgary   

82   Patty Spencer   53   AB   10:57:28   Calgary   

83   Mike Jones   28   NC   11:05:38   Morganton   

84   Rich DeSimone   61   11:05:39   Helena   

85   Mary Ann Clute   61   WA   11:10:25   Spokane   

86   Matt Glew   34   WA   11:11:58   Newcastle   

87   Phil Kilbreath   30   11:33:40   Troy   

88   Charles Steele   58   11:39:11   Bozeman   

89   Blake Gerke   24   11:47:11   Great Falls   

90   Brian Travis   41   WA   11:50:33   Wenatchee   

91   Davina Jackson   34   ID   12:01:12   Nampa   

92   Mike Otterberg   68   12:29:21   Fort Peck   

93   Kathie Lang   64   OR   12:29:41   Klamath Falls   

94   Tim Marchant   55   12:40:52   St. Ignatius   

95   Jim Ballard   63   OR   12:41:35   Klamath Falls   

96   Stuart White   66   OR   13:01:51   Portland   

97   Deborah French   38   WA   13:18:30   Nine Mile Falls   

97   Kim Dotson   50   WA   13:18:30   Spokane   

99   Mike Mustari   65   WA   13:43:52   Edmonds