Cross country squad has mix of veterans and young talent

The Columbia Falls cross country teams have a good mix of young talent and veteran experience, notes first-year head coach Jim Peacock.

“It’s a great mix of returning experience and young kids with energy and high enthusiasm,” he said.

This year the team has 45 athletes, up about 15 runners from last year.

On the boys side, the top runner is senior Sage Wanner, who took the state title in the 3,200 meters in track last spring and was third the in 1,600. Wanner also was eighth in the state cross country meet last year. He’s joined by Winfield West, Will Nelson, Gabe Knudsen and Biff Bennett. Wanner’s brother, Dillon, also joins the squad as a sophomore and looks solid after two weeks of practice. Wanner played soccer as a freshman.

Peacock expects good things from Knudsen.

“He’ll surprise the heck out of people by October,” he said.

On the girls side, the top returning runner is Genevieve DeLorme, who took 23rd at state last year. She’s joined by returning runners Raina Crowell, Hailey Peacock, Raychel Hoerner, and Lacy Johns.

But freshman Kimberly Peacock will likely make her mark early. Peacock was third at the Mountain West Classic among junior high runners in Missoula last year and runs a 5:43 mile. Another freshman, Kara Mohr, has also looked solid in practice, coach Peacock noted.

“The girls side has really good depth,” Peacock said.

Peacock has long been an assistant coach at Columbia Falls.

He has coached the long-distance track runners for the Wildcats since 2011 and coached junior high cross country for three years before that. He was the assistant coach of the cross-country team last year under Richard Menicke, who resigned to coach in Whitefish. Peacock has also been an assistant basketball coach under Cary Finberg for the past 11 years. He teaches biology and earth science at Columbia Falls.

The kids know him and what to expect. In addition to track, they’ve also been running together most of the summer.

“I’m really excited about being a head coach,” he said. “They understand my experience and philosophy. They’ve all have a can-do attitude.”