Glacier freshman Annie Hill will be looking to put an exclamation point on what has been a fabulous first season for her at the same time Bigfork senior Makena Morley aims to end her illustrious career with another record-setting performance at Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena.

The all-class state cross country meet in Helena begins today at 11 a.m. with the AA girls on the starting line first.

The rest of the schedule is as follows: 11:35 A girls; 12:10 p.m. AA boys; 12:40 A boys; 1:10 B girls; 1:45 C girls, 2:20 p.m. B boys and 2:50 C boys.

Hill burst onto the cross country scene with a flashy season debut at the Libby Invitational on Aug. 30. Eight weeks later she is looking for her first individual state title at the Class AA level.

Morley, on the other hand, already has easily captured three Class B championships. Last year she set the all-class state record with a time of 16:35.51 at the University of Montana golf course in Missoula. That bettered the old mark, held by Flathead’s Zoe Nelson, by nearly 15 seconds.

Hill and Morley are heavy favorites.

“It’s going to be sad and happy at the same time,” Bigfork coach Sue Loeffler said of watching her star athlete compete in her final prep meet.

“I feel she will go out in a blaze of glory.”

A victory would put Morley in an elite group of Montana runners. Only three have won four state championships. The last to do that was Nelson.

“She still has a lot of running to do,” Loeffler said of upcoming Foot Locker events and college.

“I will remember her as a person first, a runner second. She’s an amazing young lady. Sometimes people don’t see that side of her.”

What else will Loeffler miss?

“That giddy smile,” she said.

“And how she talks a mile a minute.”

On the team front, Flathead, Glacier and Whitefish will also be in contention for team trophies.

The Bozeman boys and girls are defending Class AA champions.

“She’s extremely gifted,” Glacier coach Mike McLean said of Hill.

“She’s still a young kid so how she matures will determine her career in the future.”

Right now, that looks very promising.

“She has a super strong motor, a gazelle body,” McLean said.

“She has the perfect body for running.”

Hill won the Libby event with a time of 17:31.35. Her margin of victory was a minute.

She came right back to dominate the Carroll Invitational in 17:44.2. She won that race by 2:16.

Hill did lose the following week to freshman Bryn Morley of Bigfork at the Flathead Invitational, but Hill has not lost since then. Bryn Morley posted a time of 17:11.9 on the invitational course at Rebecca Farm and won by 16 seconds.

“The Flathead Invite I was not very mentally prepared,” Hill said.

“I was really nervous. I didn’t have the right attitude for that meet and did not do so well. I have learned a lot from that and it helped me for the next one.”

That was the Mountain West Classic in Missoula.

Hill cruised to a winning time of 16:39.64 to beat Makena Morley, 16:48.84, and Bryn Morley, 17:04.61.

The Morleys finished second and third.

Hill also beat Makena Morley at the 7 on 7 Meet in Helena at Bill Roberts. Hill finished in 16:57.92, 22 seconds ahead of her.

“I didn’t really know what to expect coming into the season,” Hill said.

“I’ve been a little more competitive than I thought I would be.

“I had some (season) goals for time and I really wanted to break 17 (minutes),” she added.

“’The competition has really helped.”

Namely the Morleys.

So, what sets Hill apart from other runners?

“I don’t know,” she said.

“My dad and mom say I have mental grit. That’s something that makes me better.”

Regarding what she hopes to accomplish today ...

“I wanna finish and know I gave everything I had in the race,” she said.

“It has been really fun (so far).”

McLean is expecting big things from Hill today.

“If she’s smiling before the race, you better watch out,” he said.

“If she has fun, she’ll do great.”

McLean also has high hopes for his boys squad.

“They have all the ability in the world to win the meet, but the Bozeman team and (Missoula) Hellgate team is very strong,” he said.

“All the boys are ready to go.”

Kade McCutcheon and Brock Sandry, both seniors, have been the Wolfpack’s leading runners.

McCutcheon was fourth at state last year.

McLean said the Glacier girls could finish as high as third or as low as fifth. Much of that may depend on how Bailey Smith and Corinne Hamilton, the team’s No. 2 and 3 runners, finish.

Bozeman, Hellgate and Flathead are the main contenders.

The Flathead girls have been led by Kaitlin Wride, Lauren Clark and Elizabeth Thompson.

“Yes, the girls are looking good, feeling confident,” Flathead girls coach Jesse Rumsey said.

“The girls have created a tight team bond.”

Mackenzie Bouma has been No. 4 runner for the Bravettes.

Rumsey said the team’s 4-5-6-7 runners “are right together.”

That tight packing could be the deciding    factor on whether on not the team earns its first state trophy since 2004. The Bravettes finished third that year.

Prior to that, the FHS girls won four straight championships.

 For the Flathead boys, senior Sylas Schutt and juniors Jake Perrin and Jacob Calles have set the fastest pace for the Braves.

“To place high, the boys will have to run close together, probably within 30 seconds from our top runner through No. 5,” Flathead boys coach Paul Jorgensen said.

“Also, we need to have our top five in the mid to low 16-minute range.”

The Whitefish girls, second last year, are primed for another top-three finish.

“We have a solid group of girls who run together,” Whitefish coach Sarah Brist said.

“Because they pack well, that will help us.”

 Seniors Sarah Latcham and Peyton Twete and junior Barrett Gray have been the three leaders for the Bulldogs.

Latcham just missed out on Class A all-state honors last year, placing 16th.

The top 15 placers are named all-state.

The Whitefish girls won state in 2010.

Brist said the main goal for the Whitefish boys is to match last year’s state showing. They were fifth.

“Maybe do a little better,” she said.

Senior Keaton Grove, 23rd at state last year, should be a top 15 performer.

“I think he has a good chance of doing that,” Brist said.

Grove has enjoyed a solid season and won the Northwestern A divisional title earlier this month.

Ethan Potthoff, a sophomore, has been the team’s No. 2 runner the last two outings.

Ethan Lannaghan, a junior, has been holding the No. 3 spot.

Other names to watch for today are: Logan Morley of Bigfork, Samantha Mundel of Columbia Falls and Alex Barthmess of Eureka.

Morley finished second at state in Class B in 2013. Last year’s champ — Tyus Mendoza of Colstrip — and the third-place finisher — Logan Beck of Red Lodge — also return. Those three were separated by just nine seconds.

Mundel is the Northwestern A divisional champion. She finished ninth at state last year.

Barthmess was fifth in Class B at state a year ago.