Grant wins biking national title
ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Columbia Falls cyclist Rose Grant overcame a series of injuries to win her fourth consecutive USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships on Iron Mountain on Sunday.
Grant outsprinted Massachusetts’ Crystal Anthony in three hours, 46 minutes and 55 seconds to collect the Stars-and-Stripes jersey at the finish line. Anthony finished with the same time and Colorado’s Amy Beisel was third in 4:05:32.
Grant is less than a year removed from seriously injuring her knee and a week recovered from a dislocated shoulder.
She will compete again next weekend at the Grand Junction Off-Road on May 20.
Payson McElveen won the men’s race in a sprint finish over Howard Grotts in 3:16:47.
Gash-Gilder to sign at Endicott
Flathead senior Matt Gash-Gilder will sign a National Letter of Intent to play rugby at NCAA Division III Endicott College for former Flathead Black and Blue coach Dave Kenkel.
Gash-Gilder, a captain for the Black and Blue, was also a three-time all-state wrestler for Flathead High, finishing third in the state at 205 pounds this winter.
He has been accepted to the art program at Endicott and is also interested in journalism.
“I chose Endicott because the east coast is where everything big in rugby is happening,” Gash-Gilder said. “Endicott is a great school and has a great team and I wanna show the east coast what Montana rugby is all about.”
Kenkel, who helped lead the Black and Blue to a state championship in 2012, began as head coach at Endicot before this season. Former Flathead and Black and Blue athlete Nick Iavicoli is currently a senior at Endicott after beginning his career at Division I Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.
The Gulls went 5-2 this season in 15s play and are currently 11-5 in sevens this spring.
Flathead, Glacier hoops coaches to host camp
The combined staffs and athletes of Glacier and Flathead high schools will be offering a basketball camp this summer for all boys entering grades K-5 next year. Athletes from any school are welcome to attend. Camp dates are June 12-15 at Kalispell Middle School from 9-11 a.m. for grades K-3 and 12-3 p.m. for grades 4-5. Camp registrations can be found at the Flathead High School home page or www.gopackhoops.com. If you have questions contact Mark Harkins at 261-5077 or Ross Gustafson at 788-7607.
Montana Elite baseball to play at USA Baseball championships
The Montana Elite Baseball team will compete at the USA Baseball 14U National Team Championship West for the third straight year beginning in July in Arizona.
The 15-man traveling team consists of two Northwest Montana players: Eureka’s Danny Dunn and Kalispell’s Blake Franklin.
Montana Elite will compete against other teams from across the Western U.S. at spring training facilities in the Phoenix area.
Spint aces at Whitefish Lake GC
Mike Spint hit a hole-in-one at Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Wednesday, acing the 143-yard 15th hole on the North Course. Don Fleming was a witness.
Grizzly Golf Classic on Friday in Bigfork
Montana football coach Bob Stitt and athletic director Kent Haslam are among the attendees scheduled to headline this year’s Grizzly Golf Classic on Friday at Eagle Bend Golf Club in Bigfork.
A total of eight coaches from Grizzly athletic programs as well as five members of the Grizzly Athletics administration will be on hand at the annual fundraiser for the Flathead Chapter of the Grizzly Scholarship Association (GSA).
The fee is $130 per golfer in a six-person scramble format. Fees include golf, cart, tee prizes, lunch and a barbecue following the tournament. The tournament is scheduled to tee off at noon.
More information about the Grizzly Golf Classic can be found at http://www.gogriz.com/news/2017/5/4/gsa-griz-spring-roadshow-underway-next-week.aspx.