Sports Briefs
Mitch Gilman, 9, of Whitefish, will compete in the first-ever Sports Illustrated For Kids 2006 Next Snow Search All-Stars event on Jan. 27 and 28. The event will bring together the elite members of the 2004 and 2005 Next Snow teams and the winners of this year's Super Qualifiers for two days of competition at Colorado's Keystone Resort. A one-hour show featuring the Sports Illustrated For Kids Next Snow Search "All-Stars" will air on NBC Sports on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 12-1 p.m.
Big Mountain invites young skiers to improve their skills every Saturday in the Tommy Moe League competition series. The race league began six years ago to introduce ski racing to children ages 5 - 12. The race league is targeted towards both kids who have raced and those who are interested in racing. This is the first year three freestyle competitions will be added to the traditional racing series. Registration takes place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fireside Room in Moguls. Competitions begin at 1 p.m. with free coaching scheduled prior to the competitions from 10 a.m. to noon. The fee is $5 per athlete. Scheduled races include: Jan 29, bumps; Feb 5, slalom or GS; Feb 12, slopestyle; and Feb 19, dual slalom. For more information, call 862-2909.
The Tommy Moe Kids' Ski League slalom race was held Jan. 22. Overall winners — 1, Parkin Costain, 57.05; 2, Madison Grady, 58.19; 3, Emma Marchetti, 58.53; 5-to-6 year girls — 1, Pixie Moore, 65.48; 2, Julia Matelich, 68.00; 3, Sophie Marchetti, 96.92; 5-to-6 year boys — 1, Parkin Costain, 57.05; 2, Jaques Eve, 71.25; 3, Ladd Costain, 75.15; 7-to-8 years girls — 1, Maggie Voisin, 62.26; 2, Cassidy Grady, 62.47; 3, Addie Elm, 66.84; 7-to-8 years boys — 1, Walter Sobba, 63.29; 2, Lakota Lee Wright, 63.52; 3, Nick Matelich, 64.61; 9-to-10 years girls — 1, Madison Grady, 58.19; 2, Emma Marchetti, 58.53; 9-to-10 years boys — 1, Hayden Eaton, 59.97; 2, Scott Kahle, 67.59; 3, Garrison Reese, 72.45; 11-to-12 years girls — 1, Juliana Pesavento, 60.11; 2, Klaire Taylor, 78.65; team competition — 1, Austria, Jaques Eve, Sage Wright, Elisabeth Pesavento, Addie Elm, Emily Dardis, Scott Kahle, Emma Marchetti and Hanna Reese, 72.20; 2, France, 76.60; 3, Jamaica, 84.29; 4, Switzerland, 87.21.
The 27th annual Snow Joke Half Marathon race will take place Feb. 25 at Seeley Lake. The 13.1-mile footrace is sponsored by the Cheetah Herders Athletic Club. Last year, a record 304 entrants completed the course. The course record is 68 minutes 10 seconds.
Iron Horse, the private Tom Fazio-designed golf community, was ranked 14th in Travel + Leisure Golf magazine's list of America's Top 100 Golf Communities in the January, 2006 issue. This recognition follows Iron Horse's elevation in 2005 to the number one golf course in Montana, according to Golf Digest magazine. Iron Horse was built in 1998 by Discovery Land Co.
Mike McCracken, a Whitefish High School senior, has made a verbal commitment to play football for the Bobcats at Montana State University, in Bozeman. McCracken was named all-state as an offensive guard and linebacker on defense.