Lady Bulldog runners second at state meet

The Whitefish girls cross-country team surprised the field at the Class A state meet in Missoula on Saturday and brought home a well-earned second-place trophy.

The top five runners for Whitefish each finished within one minute of each other, helping the team edge Billings Central by three points. A loaded Corvallis team ran away with the state title.

“I knew it would come down to the girls all being together and within a few points of each other,” Whitefish coach Sara Brist said. “We’ve been working on packing. It’s a team effort.”

Junior standout Sarah Latcham led the way with a 19:51.67 to place 16th overall.

The pack of bright green jerseys from Whitefish followed close behind.

Katie Smith, Sloan Ellis, Sarah Perez and Peyton Twete crossed the finish line in a steady stream, each in the top-30.

Brist said the girls exceeded expectations from the start of the season. The team steadily improved and turned it on in October to win their home meet and then a divisional title.

“The girls definitely earned it and worked hard for it,” Brist said.

The boys team placed fifth overall at state with three runners in the top-30. Hamilton crushed the field to win the state title.

Brist said it just wasn’t the Whitefish boys’ day in Missoula.

“The other teams ran strong and wanted it,” she said. “Our boys ran well, but they just didn’t run their best. Going in, we all had an equal chance.”

Senior runner EJ Havens led the way with 16:35.90 for 16th place overall, marking a strong finish for the first-year runner.

“Having EJ join the team this year helped us a lot,” Brist added.

Keaton Grove and Caleb Knox each broke the 17 minute mark to help in the scoring.

“Both the teams had a great season and we’re looking forward to next year,” Brist said.

Whitefish cross-country is poised for a strong season in 2014 with a number of returning runners on both sides.

“The girls are young and talented,” Brist said. “Another year of experience will help both teams.”

BOYS

Team scores – Hamilton 48, Corvallis 129, Laurel 137, Browning 161, Whitefish 164, Hardin 180, Lewistown 181, Miles City 251, Glendive 258, Belgrade 268, Havre 278, Frenchtown 337, Dillon 344, Columbia Falls 381, Livingston 399, Billings Central 406, Polson 430, Butte Central 447, Anaconda 464, Libby 639, Sidney n/a.

Whitefish results

16. EJ Havens 16:35.90

23. Keaton Grove 16:49.20

24. Caleb Knox 16:54.20

42. Thomas Henson 17:24.83

59. Keaton Nicholson 17:44:00

GIRLS

Team scores – Corvallis 29, Whitefish 126, Billings Central 129, Havre 166, Hamilton 169, Polson 183, Glendive 217, Columbia Falls 253, Livingston 273, Miles City 276, Dillon 281, Belgrade 289, Browning 289, Laurel 330, Hardin 340, Lewistown 351, Frenchtown 565, Libby 589, Anaconda, Butte Central, Sidney and Stevensville n/a.

Whitefish results

16. Sarah Latcham 19:51.67

24. Katie Smith 20:37.74

27. Sloan Ellis 20:41.39

29. Sarah Perez 20:46.27

30. Peyton Twete 20:46.27

43. Annika Gordon 21:28:00

48. Maya Gordon 21:38:00