Boys win X-C title; girls earn second

For the first time in 17 years, the Columbia Falls High School boys are the cross country conference champions.

The Wildcats ran away with the team title at the Conference Championships on Saturday at the Whitefish Lake Golf Club, totaling 29 points and all five of their scorers in the top 10. Polson was second with 61 points, followed by Ronan with 64, Whitefish 80 and Libby 127.

CFHS' girls also had a banner day, capturing second place — behind only Whitefish. The Bulldogs, with five harriers in the top 10, compiled 24 points. The Kats had 64, Polson 68, Ronan 81 and Libby 150.

"We set high goals for last week's Conference Championship and we exceeded those expectations," an elated CFHS coach Stephen Gasche said. Those goals were to win their first conference title since 1991 and place all their scorers in the top 10.

Junior Shawn Whitman earned All-Conference honors for the second straight year, leading the Cats with a second-place finish in 16:17. Senior Patric Jessat made All-Conference for the third year in a row, coming in third. His time of 16:20 launched him into the CFHS cross country Hall of Fame with the sixth fastest time in school history. Whitman is already in the Hall of Fame. Freshman Justin Whitman was seventh (16:55), senior Tripp Gimbel ninth (17:04) and senior Michael Kruse 10th (17:11). They all earned All-Conference honors.

Shawn Whitman missed his personal best by just three seconds, and everyone else had PRs, according to Gasche.

Finishing in the top 20 for the Cats were Pascal Jessat (12th, 17:19), Joe Gross (16th, 17:40), Kodiak Gimbel (17th, 17:48) and Tim Chopper (18th, 17:58). Jacob Silva was 23rd (18:49). Pascal Jessat, Gross, Kodiak Gimbel, Silva and Coby Hutchens all had season-best times.

Drew Coco of Whitefish was the boys champion with an impressive time of 15:09.

Freshman Leesa Brenner led the Wildkat girls, earning ninth place (20:06) for All-Conference honors. She was just four seconds away from making the Hall of Fame. Finishing in the top 20 were Nicki Moser (15th, 20:58), Dannah Turner (16th, 21:03), Alexas Young (17th, 21:07) and Madison Stolte (20th, 21:20). Tessa Cowan was 21st (21:23) and Jinise Osborne 23rd (21:25). They all had season-best times, a key to the Kats' second-place finish — ahead of Polson.

"The girls also had an amazing day," Gasche said.

Other girls running season-best times were Nikki Elek, Dezi Brunz, LE McDaniel and Laura Burgess.

Kayla Carlson of Bigfork was the girls champion in 18:39, edging Jackie Cassidy of Whitefish by three seconds.

Gasche said the CFHS harriers are setting very high goals for Saturday's State Championships at the University of Montana Golf Course in Missoula.

"Both our boys and girls teams are poised to place in the top three if they can improve their times just a little more," the coach projected. "These could be the two toughest teams we have ever fielded at state."

CFHS has never placed a boys team at state, but that could change Saturday, according to Gasche. Running for the Cats will be the Whitman brothers, the Jessat brothers, Tripp Gimbel, Kruse and Gross.

The last time the Wildkat girls placed at state was 2001, when they were third, and they are capable of earning a trophy again this year. On the state team will be Benner, Moser, Turner, Young, Stolte, Cowan and Osborne.

The Class A girls race starts at 1:45 p.m., and the Class A boys race begins at 2:50 p.m.

"It could be a very historic weekend," Gasche said.