Every so often a school is blessed with an elite athlete, somebody who pushes his or her self beyond the boundaries of others, an athlete who is feared by the conference and just as well known across the state.
    Havre High seems to house an athlete like that every year in one program or another. But in the sport of Class A cross country, Kendall Murie has filled that role for the last four years.
    Entering his senior year, and final season as a Blue Pony cross country runner, Murie was primed to have his best season yet. But with an already stunning resume of accomplishments, having a career season will be anything but an easy feat for the four-year varsity superstar.
    As a freshman, Murie ran at the state meet and finished with a time of 18:35 for a No. 65 finish. But as a sophomore, he improved by leaps and bounds, finishing over two minutes faster (16:25) and earning All-State honors with a No. 5 finish. And as a junior, Murie returned to an All-State level, finishing No. 10 at the state meet with a time of 16:42.
    Murie has also been recognized on a bigger scale — a much bigger scale.
    Last summer, Murie was part of a select few. And in a once in a lifetime opportunity, he made a trip to Australia to compete in the International Sports Specialists Inc. Down Under Games, where he competed with other high school runners from all over the United States.
    “It was a good experience,” Murie said. “I enjoyed it a lot. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. There were some really great athletes there, but I think I did pretty good.”
    Murie did better than good. He was a standout runner finishing amongst the leaders in both races.
    In the Gold Coast 5K run Murie was No. 13 out of nearly 100 runners, finishing with a time of 17:01. And in the Down Under All-American Meet, Murie finished in the No. 21 spot with a time of 17:54.
    It is Murie’s love of cross country running which has propelled him to such great heights.
    His love for the sport pushes him to work harder than most during the season, and even harder during the offseason. It means running every day if at all possible, and just continuously pushing his limits. 
    “That’s probably the most crucial part of personal training,” Murie said. “When I am training I try to push myself everyday and push myself out of my boundaries, while I try to build off that and continue to get better.
    “I love (cross country) because the versatility of it,” Murie added. “Anyone can run cross country, it’s basic and fundamental, it’s just movement.”
    And what Murie has accomplished over the last four years is leading up to one last race.
    Saturday in Helena Murie and the rest of the Blue Ponies will compete at the Class A state meet. And while Murie is already a two-time Class A All-State runner, there is still plenty to be accomplished. This year already, Murie took the No. 1 spot at a meet for the first time in his career, that coming last month in Malta. And now with the approach of the last high school race he will compete in, he is looking to just keep progressing.
    Murie just wants to run to the best of his abilities. He wants to finish in the best position possible, as well as do whatever it takes to help his team succeed. And while another All-State finish would be the perfect ending to his career, he is making no predictions.
    “I always just want to beat my personal best and go beyond that,” Murie said. “It just depends on my training and how I am feeling, but we will have to see this weekend at state.”