As the Class AA cross country season opens up — the Coaches Invitational will bring Flathead and Glacier to Missoula today — it still stands that perennial powers Missoula Hellgate and Bozeman have a few lengths on the competition.

The Flathead Bravettes have high hopes, though.

Fourth at the State AA meet at Rebecca Farm in 2020, Flathead returns four girls that have run and run well — including Lilli Rumsey Esch, who was seventh at state as a freshman.

Senior Kya Wood, sophomore Mikenna Conan and junior Nora Iams all competed at state, and coach Jesse Rumsey figures sophomores Afton Wride, Elley Alvord and Aurora Baker will push that group along with freshman Josie Wilson.

“We’ve got a good solid group of girls kind of vying for the top seven each week,” Rumsey said. “The girls had a good summer. We’re looking pretty young, but I’m excited about the potential they have.”

Rumsey is equally as optimistic about her boys’ team, which finished 12th a year ago but returns most of its 2020 talent.

“I have a huge senior class,” she said. “The boys are looking stronger this year than this group has ever looked. Good miles this summer, and everybody is healthy.”

Gabe Felton (21st at state as a junior) and Pete Wilson (69th) lead a senior group that includes Sam Aczas, Kesler Hughes and Cadan Masa. All of them ran at state last year, as did junior Reilly Johnson. Rumsey also looks at junior Ethan Bay, sophomore Bauer Hollman and freshman Kasen Kastner to push the established runners.

Glacier’s boys were seventh at state a year ago, with seniors Sam Ells (30th) and Jeff Lillard (34th) leading the way, and McGregor Adkins (47th) not far behind.

Beyond that trio coach Cody Moore is looking at Marius DeVries, Finn Davidson, Carson Kiem and Eric Firestone to push their way onto the course.

“We ended up getting quite a few freshmen out,” Pack coach Cody Moore said. “We have a strong senior class, and they’re already awesome leaders that are going to huge pulling up the young talent coming in.”

Missoula Sentinel broke Bozeman’s 12-year run of boys’ state titles, and figures to be near the top along with the Hawks and Hellgate Knights.

The Wolfpack girls were 10th at state and have a quintet of experienced runners back in Isabella Lane (31st in 2020), Bailey Gable, Holly Skelton, Zephy Hanson and Sabrina McDonnell.

They’ll also be trying to gain ground on the likes of Bozeman (14 girls titles in 15 years), Hellgate (broke Bozeman’s run in 2018) and Helena High — not to mention Flathead, which would love to bring home a top-three trophy.

“That’s always the goal,” Flathead’s Rumsey said. “It will be another battle this year, for sure.”