Lady Dogs race to first at Whitefish Invitational
Miles Vrentas fights through the final stretch during the Whitefish Invite last Tuesday at Whitefish Lake Golf Club. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
Jacob Bailey and Bridger Gaertner keep pace with a Wildcat runner during the Whitefish Invite last Tuesday at Whitefish Lake Golf Club. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
Paetra Cooke keeps pace with Wildcat and Pirate runners during the Whitefish Invite last Tuesday at Whitefish Lake Golf Club. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
Jessica Henson separates from the pack around the two mile mark during the Whitefish Invite. Henson took second overall. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot)
The Lady Dogs defended their home meet with a first place finish as a team and two of the top three runners individually.
Whitefish beat out second-place Columbia Falls and third-place Selkirk at their home Whitefish Invite at the Whitefish Lake Golf Club last Tuesday.
Jessica Henson took second overall (21:15.14) while Paetra Cooke came in just behind at third (21:32.60).
Lara Erickson of Columbia Falls led the race with a big gap, taking first by nearly 42 seconds (20:33.57).
Josephine Vardell was the next highest Bulldog, taking seventh (21:47.91), followed by Alie Simpson at eighth (21:55.35).
The boys took fifth overall, edged out by first-place Columbia Falls, Eureka, Ronan and Polson.
Miles Vrentas was the fastest Bulldog. He finished ninth (17:48.43).
Bridger Gaertner (18:36.86) and Jacob Bailey (18:39.52) rounded out the top 25 at 18th and 21st respectively.
Then over the weekend the team traveled down to Missoula for the Mountain West Invite.
Neither boys nor girls had an individual placer in that competitive meet. The girls took 15th as a team.
The team has this week off, as far as competition goes. The following Thursday, Oct. 10, they’ll head north for the Eureka Invite, which starts at 3:15 p.m.
Whitefish Invitational
at Whitefish Lake Golf Course
Tuesday’s Scores
Boys
Individual
9. Miles Vrentas 17:48.43 Whitefish
18. Bridger Gaertner 18:36.86 Whitefish
21. Jacob Bailey 18:39.52 Whitefish
28. Ruedi Steiner 19:14.67 Whitefish
29. Jacob Henson 19:16.34 Whitefish
Team Scores
Columbia Falls 32; Eureka 85; Ronan 88; Polson 102; Whitefish 103; Browning 143; St Ignatius 189; Cut Bank 207; Libby 223; Two Eagle River 294.
Girls
Individual
1. Lara Erickson 20:33.57 Columbia Falls
2. Jessica Henson 21:15.14 Whitefish
3. Paetra Cooke 21:32.60 Whitefish
7. Josephine Vardell 21:47.91 Whitefish
8. Alie Simpson 21:55.35 Whitefish
14. Maylani Horton 22:52.44 Whitefish
Team Scores
Whitefish 34; Columbia Falls 59; Selkirk (B.C.) 69; Polson 80; Browning 99; Eureka 144; Ronan 164.
Mountain West Classic
at the University of Montana, Missoula
Saturday
Boys
Team Scores
Bozeman 65; Hellgate 94; Lewis and Clark 149; Central Valley 154; Gonzaga Prep 167; Sentinel 257; Helena 276; Billings Senior 317; Glacier 342; Fergus 363; Columbia Falls 381; Century 394; Billings West 396; Hardin 415; Corvallis 437; Joel Ferris 459; Eureka 553; Manhattan Christian 568; Charles M Russell(Great Falls) 591; Great Falls 598.
Girls
Team Scores
Bozeman 40; Hellgate 78; Post Falls 125; Lewis and Clark 127; Helena 138; Central Valley 197; Flathead 246; Sentinel 277; Billings West 327; Joel Ferris 348; Hardin 373; Deer Park 438; Manhattan 445; Helena Capital 457; Whitefish 459; Laurel 480; Lake City 522; Columbia Falls 542; Gonzaga Prep 572; Corvallis 585.