Can cross country three-peat?
Columbia Falls cross country boys run near the football fields during practice last Tuesday. Left to right: Michael Kokkinos, Seth Umbriaco, PH Bailey Sjostrom, Colin Smith. (Teresa Byrd/Hungry Horse News)
Both the Columbia Falls boys and girls cross country teams should be solid again this year. The boys won the state A title last year and they should be right in the mix again this year, head coach Jim Peacock said. The boys lost Joe Lamb to graduation and Aidan Jarvis, who looked to be one of the top runners in state, moved to New Mexico.
Still, the Wildcats have a solid core of returning athletes including James Role, Seth Umbriaco, James Petersen, Bailey Sjostrom, T.J. Jacoby, and Colin Smith. Frosh runners Quinn Clark, Logan Petersen and Alex Branstetter are also in the mix for a starting spot on the varsity squad.
Even with the loss of Jarvis, “we’re going to be competitive again this year,” Peacock said.
Peacock noted that running isn’t just about the fastest person on the course.
“There’s a huge part of running that’s mental. Race intelligence goes a long way,” he said.
The fifth-year head coach is excellent at getting the best of out of his teams. The team won the state title in 2018 as well.
Role was seventh at state last year and Petersen was 11th.
On the girls side, the Cats will look to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish. Lara Erickson leads the squad. Erickson gutted out the end the state meet last year to take 12th, after being in the hunt for second or third throughout most of it.
She comes back a stronger and wiser runner this year.
The girls also have solid runners in Hannah Sempf, a junior who took 17th at state last year. Her younger sister, Allie, joins the squad as a freshman.
Last year’s girls squad
was young and inexperienced, Peacock noted. If they stay healthy, they should be right in the mix with the top teams in the state.
They also have solid runners in senior Alyssa Blankenship, Siri Erickson, who is Lara’s younger sister and Azlyn Caldwell, who ran at state last year.
The schedule is an odd one, however. Gone are the big races with AA squads this year due to coronavirus concerns. Peacock said he was trying to set up some home meets with neighboring schools to fill the gaps.
Under Montana High School Association rules, only 28 runners can line up at the starting line for any one race. That limits races to four schools, or means they’ll have to have staggered starts.
Competitive Timing, a company that times major races across the state can do staggered starts, but it gets trickier when a race is done by volunteers and coaches with stop watches.