Nystuen, Brown, Grossman, Cowan win Boogie titles

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Carl Nystuen, Carly Brown, Seth Grossman, Cassi Cowan, Jake Kerr and Andrea Brunz earned division wins in the 2008 Heritage Days Boogie to the Bank on Saturday in Columbia Falls. The event was sponsored again this year by Glacier Bank.

The event drew a record 362 participants, compared to 298 last year.

Nystuen repeated as the men's 5-kilometer champion. His time was 15:14.8. That was 40 seconds faster than his winning time last year.

"I've done more training and college running," said Nystuen, a Lakeside resident who will be a sophomore competing in cross country and indoor and outdoor track at Montana State University.

The 19-year-old Nystuen finished a minute, 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Shawn Whitman of Columbia Falls.

"You have to zone it out and push it as hard as you can," Nystuen said of not being challenged late in the race.

Whitman — who will be a CFHS junior — ran the race in 16:37.3, which was his best 5K time by about 30 seconds. He said he trains three to four days a week, running three to five miles a day.

According to Whitman, the pace set by Nystuen helped his time.

Brown, 21, of Kalispell, won the women's 5K title in her first Boogie to the Bank. Her time was 18:09.8. Fifteen-year-old Heather Fraley of Kalispell was second in 18:35.9. Loni Hanson of Whitefish was third (19:30.4).

Brown said she normally runs 6K races, and her last competition was last November. She's now in training to return for her senior year in cross country and track at Northwestern University of Chicago.

"Normally, I don't race in the summer," she said after the race. "I decided I wanted to get a race in."

Grossman repeated as the men's 10K champion at Boogie to the Bank. His time was 34:39.3, a little slower than last year.

"I haven't been doing as much speed workout as last year," said Grossman, who will be a sophomore at the University of Wyoming this fall.

He said his freshman season went well as he finished seventh in the 10K at the conference meet in track and field.

Grossman won his portion of the 6.2K Glacier Challenge, his only other race this summer.

Michael Bestwick of Whitefish was second in the Boogie 10K; his time was 36:59.8.

Cowan, 27, of Kalispell took the women's 10K crown Saturday, turning in a time of 41:42.3. Niki Dezzani of Columbia Falls was second in 45:13.8.

In the walking divisions, the 12-year-old Kerr, of Columbia Falls, was the male champion. His time of 30:33.7 was nine minutes faster than runner-up Jim Corbett, also of Columbia Falls.

Brunz, 37, of Columbia Falls won the female 5K walk in 31:01.8. That was 13 seconds faster than Leyi Brunz of Columbia Falls, who was second.