Every once and a while everything comes together and an entire team has a productive weekend. That was the case for the Havre High boys and girls cross country teams this weekend, in what was the second race of the season.
Friday the Central A Blue Ponies were in Malta for the Malta Invitational. And coming away with two No. 1 finishes, the HHS boys were first with 52 points, while the HHS girls were first with 32 points.
On the boys side of competition, Dodson finished second with 71 points, with Glasgow finishing third with 97, Wolf Point finishing fourth with 121 and Poplar finishing fifth with 156. On the girls side, Glasgow finished just behind the Ponies with 33 and Malta finished third with 77.
And it was already a huge weekend for the Pony runners, but making it even more special, this was the first time the Pony girls have won a meet in the four years Kyle Fisher has been head coach.
“It was a huge weekend for us overall,” Fisher said. “It was a big weekend to build our kids’ confidence. And we haven’t won a meet with the girls since I have been here, we have definitely had some good weekends, but to win this meet this weekend was huge. It really showed our girls where they can compete, the Glasgow team has been a powerhouse for many years and it was just good to see where our girls are at right now.”
The Pony girls were led by Katie Christianson, Jess Wiken, Trisha Kinsella and Ashlynn Van Voast, and this weekend they led yet again.
Christianson took the No. 2 spot with a time of 20:59, while Wiken was No. 5 with a time of 21:22, Kinsella was No. 6 with a time of 21:25 and Van Voast was No. 8 with a time of 22:06. The Ponies narrowly edged out the Scotties on Friday, and with the talent they have, and with Glasgow placing five girls in the top 10, that was not easy to do.
“It took all of those girls stepping up. Even if one of our girls would have gotten beat the scores would have flipped. If a Glasgow girl would have beat our top five, it could have easily gone them 32 and us 33, so that was just huge. We have been stressing it for four years, beat somebody at the end of a race and that is exactly what the kids did,” Fisher said.
Newcomer Chanal Standing Rock finished just outside the top 10 in the No. 11 spot for the Ponies, recording a time of 22:17. And rounding out the HHS girls was Shelby O'Neil (22:24), Larissa Price (23:17), Darlena Bradley (25:12), Kiana Robertson (25:14), Paige Sedahl (26:22), Megan Rainey (26:23), Skylah Morsette (26:51), Shebi Brough (26:53), Mckenna Barkus (26:54), Neya Bischoff (30:36).
A handful of HHS boys also stepped up.
Garrett Aguillard grabbed the No. 3 spot overall in the boys race, and led the Ponies with a time of 17:48. Marc Klimas also maintained the solid start to the season he had, grabbing the No. 6 spot overall with a time of 18:20. Dolan Tuss also finished in the top 10 with a time of 18:59 as the ninth finisher. The three led the Ponies last weekend and led the Ponies to an overall victory this weekend.
Desmond Fialkosky also finished fourth with a time of 19:36 while two freshmen, Dylan Stewart (20:22) and Alec Drew (20:24) also stepped up and finished as the Ponies fifth and sixth runners.
Other finishers for Havre included Derek Van Dessel (20:26), Marvin Spotted Bird (21:11), Dillon Seely (21:24), Matt Hanley (21:56), Nick Rhines (22:10), Cole Milligan (23:41), Austin After Buffalo (24:55), Dakota Christianson (25:01) and Dustin Seely (25:48).
“They are doing a nice job for us,” Fisher said. “That boys team is really coming together like we knew they would. It was just huge, it was a good weekend from our young kids all the way up to our older kids.”
Moving forward, the Ponies still have their work cut out for them as they get set for the rest of their schedule. On Friday the Ponies are back to business as usual, this time in Lewistown where they will see the entire Central A as well as a good portion of the Eastern A schools.
“We just have to do the same thing we have been doing,” Fisher said. “Just working hard day in and day out. That is why our teams are getting better, they are competing in practice and getting hungry each weekend.
Malta Invitational
BOYS
Team scores – 1. Havre 52; 2. Dodson 71; 3. Glasgow 97; 4. Wolf Point 121; 5. Poplar 156.
Top 10 - Kyle Olson, Poplar, 16:58; Jimmy Martin, Dodson, 17:44; Garrett Aguillard, Havre, 17:48; Austin Green, Glasgow, 18:12; Nick Bear, Dodson 18:16; Marc Klimas, Havre, 18:20; Skyler Speak Thunder, Harlem, 18:30; Teague Jones, Harlem, 18:48; Dolan Tuss, Havre, 18:59; Walt Dalbey, Glasgow, 19:19.
Individual Havre Results
Garette Aguillard- 17:48
Marc Klimas- 18:20
Dolan Tuss- 18:59
Desmond Fialkosky- 19:36
Dylan Stewart- 20:22
Alec Drew- 20:24
Derek Van Dessel- 20:26
Marvin Spotted Bird- 21:11
Dillon Seely- 21:24
Matt Hanley- 21:56
Nick Rhines- 22:10
Cole Milligan- 23:41
Austin After Buffalo- 24:55
Dakota Christianson- 25:01
Dustin Seely- 25:48
GIRLS
Team scores – 1. Havre 32; 2. Glasgow 33; 3. Malta 77.
Top 10 - Nicole Arnold, Malta, 20:45; Katie Christenson, Havre, 20:59; Josie Braaten, Glasgow, 21:04; Jamie Johnson, Glasgow, 21:21; Jess Wiken, Havre, 21:22; Trisha Kinsella, Havre, 21:25; Rachael Zeiger, Glasgow, 21:55; Ashlynn Van Voast, Havre, 22:06; Amanda McDonald, Glasgow, 22:12; Emma Fewer, Glasgow, 22:14.
Individual Havre Results
Katie Christianson- 20:59
Jess Wiken- 21:22
Trisha kinsella- 21:25
Ashlynn VanVoast- 22:06
Chanal Standing Rock: 22:17
Shelby O'Neil- 22:24
Larissa Price- 23:17
Darlena Bradley- 25:12
Kiana Robertson- 25:14
Paige Sedahl- 26:22
Megan Rainey- 26:23
Skylah Morsette- 26:51
Shebi Brough- 26:53
Mckenna Barkus- 26:54
Neya Bischoff- 30:36
