Ryan Divish
Havre Daily News Sports Editor
rdivish@havredailynews.com
Although there were no official team scores kept at the Cut Bank Time Trials last Friday, all of the cross country coaches still kept track of what their teams would have scored. For new Havre High cross country coach Tim Ranes, the results were very good for the season.
According to his calculations, the Pony girls team would have won the meet, besting Class AA schools CMR and Great Falls High, while his boys team would have finished third, behind Great Falls High and defending Class A state champion Browning.
"It actually went pretty well," Ranes said of his team's first meet of the season. "Everybody ran hard and the times were pretty good for early in the year."
Darci Briere paced the Pony girls with a second place finish and a time of 20:23. She finished 18 seconds behind Cut Bank's Delyssia Tromblee, who won the girls individual race with a time of 20:05.
"I think Darci could have probably finished first," Ranes said. "She just went out a little fast on her first mile. It's something we can fix."
Havre had three more runners place in the top 10. McKayla Patterson was fifth with a time of 20:50, Kristine Keltgen was eighth with a 21:16, while Christina Armstrong was ninth with a 21:27.
"Kristine had a great race," Ranes said. "Her time was a minute faster than last year. Christina also had a good race."
Mandi Nystrom was just out of the top 10, finishing 12th with a time of 21:47. Meredith Hanson earned a varsity spot, placing 22nd with a time of 22:42. Danika Patterson was just behind her in 24th with a 22:47.
"Meredith had a great race," Ranes said. "She is going to move up to varsity and has been working very hard."
The Pony boys were led by Marcus Campbell's 10th-place finish with a time of 17:53. Teammates Jade Nystrom, C.J. Leeds and Andrew Keim finished just out of the top 10. Nystrom was 13th with a time of 18:03, Leeds was 15th with an 18:14 and Keim finished 16th with an 18:14.
"I was really surprised by some of our boys," Ranes said. "For some of them, it was their first race ever and they ran well. We had three kids finish just above 18 minutes and hopefully we can get them to break that 18-minute barrier in the next race."
Jeff Hedstrom would have completed the team scoring with a 24th-place finish and a time of 18:52.
It was a solid way to start the season for the Ponies. This weekend will be much tougher as they travel to Belgrade for the Belgrade Invitational, which will be held in Bozeman on Saturday.
The race will feature the best cross country teams in Class AA and teams from Class A and Class B.
"It will be good experience for our kids," Ranes said. "There will be some very good teams and individual runners there. It's definitely a race that will prepare us for the Mountain West and state."
Class AA powers Billings West and Billings Senior along with Bozeman and Helena Capital should provide stern tests for the Pony girls. Still, Ranes has high expectations for them.
"We should definitely be the highest-placing Class A team there," he said. "The AA schools are tough, but I think we can finish in the top three."
Ranes also expects the HHS boys to be one of the top Class A teams there. The race, which features a larger number of runners, will be a learning experience for some of the Pony boys.
"I just want to see what we can do against the other Class A schools," Ranes said.
Cut Bank Time Trials
Girls
1. Delyssia Tromblee, CB 20:05; 2. Darci Briere, HAV 20:23; 3. Brianna Seubert, SHE 20:29; 3. Alicia Cobb, CAS 20:49; 5. McKayla Patterson, HAV 20:50; 6. Kirsten Jensen, CMR 20:54; 7. Kendra Little, GFH 20:58; 8. Kristine Keltgen, HAV 21:16; 9. Christina Armstrong, HAV 21:27; 10. Kirsten Svennungsen, SHE 21:40.
Other Havre finishers
12. Mandi Nystrom, HAV 21:47
22. Meredith Hanson, HAV 22:42
24. Danika Patterson, HAV 22.47
33. Jaleesa Barthel, HAV 23:20
34. Kelsey Malsam, HAV 23:30
35. Jessica Obrecht, HAV 23:36
49. Kelsey Lodge, HAV 25:10
54. Amanda Hedstrom, HAV 25:24
57. Becka Stone, HAV 25:45
58. Megan Toldness, HAV 25:45
59. Lindsey Siebrasse, HAV 25:48
61. Samantha Boucher, 25:54
78. Katy Wilson, HAV 27:59
80. Sabrina Rhines, HAV 28:15
85. Mara Malsam, HAV 28:47
Boys
1. Riley Reardon, GFH 16:38; 2. Terran Guardipee, GFH 16:52; 3. Marlin Black Wolf, BRO 17:12; 4. Kenny Bird Rattler, BRO 17:14; 5. John Michaelson, CMR 17:22; 6. Matt Robertson, GFH 17:26; 7. Matthew Bull Child, BRO 17:29; 8. Jeremy Johnson, BRO 17:40; 9. Ben Jacobsen, CB 17:47; 10. Marcus Campbell, HAV 17:53.
Other Havre finishers:
13. Jade Nystrom, HAV 18:03
15. C.J. Leeds, HAV 18:12
16. Andrew Keim, HAV 18:14
24. Jeff Hedstrom, HAV 18:52
43. Richard Jarvis, HAV 20:01
45. Justin McLeod, HAV 20:11
50. Clay Nottingham, HAV 20:28
61. Nolan Holden, HAV 21:26
82. Anthony McLain, HAV 24:34;
86, Jeff McCormick, HAV 26:00
