Since the start of the season, Chiefs-Maidens head coach Noelle Weinbrenner knew her best chance at having an individual all-state placer at the end of the cross country season was James Normandeau.

Normandeau proved to Weinbrenner and his teammates what they’ve known all along when he earned all-state accolades with a sixth-place finish in Class A Montana High School Association Class A State Meet Saturday at the University of Montana Golf Course in Missoula.

Normandeau recorded a time of 16 minutes, 53.76 seconds, and was edged by Corvallis’s Will Flowers out of a top-five finish.

The Chiefs, who placed in the top 10 of the MHSA Class A team scores registering a team total of 262 points, had some help for his teammates.

Ronan’s Brant Heiner, who finished 34th, recorded a time of 17:53.43. Zarec Couture had an 18:21.56, and Michael Irvine finished 76th in 18:52.31.

Another Chiefs runner that capped the season just out of the top-100 runners in the state was Michael Koehler, who finished with a time of 19:30.29, and Dillon Omeasoo, a 19:52.53.

Pirates cap season just outside of the top-10

For the past couple of seasons, Polson boys’ cross country team has looked to shed its potential label, and in the MHSA Class A State Cross Country Meet, they successfully did that by finishing 11th in the state meet.

The Pirates’ Mason Sloan captured all-state accolades with a 10-place finish, registering a time of 17 minutes, 9.48 seconds.

Quin Stewart finished 29th in 17:44.77, and Jonah DuCharme was 70th in 18:49.13.

Polson’s Kellen Norman finished 75th (18:51.04), and Andrew Reed was 90th (19:12.55).

Kasen Heninger finished 103rd (19:34.52) and Makauly Morrison was 114th (20:7.27).