Whitefish runner Deneb Linton took top honors at the Libby Invitational Cross Country meet last week with a time of 17:06:81, nearly five seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Bauer Holloman of Flathead High. Linton, a junior, led the small Whitefish team of eligible runners at the Libby race.

“He (Linton) ran a very smart and confident race, showed his fitness level is high as we get into competition,” said Whitefish cross country coach Richard Menicke.

Whitefish senior Nate Ingelfinger ran a PR to finish in the top 10. Senior Henry Seigmund and freshman Koru Larimore also had solid showings.

Logan Peterson of Columbia Falls finished in third place overall while Wyatt Ehredt from Frenchtown claimed fourth place.

The team from Flathead High won the meet with 31 points. Columbia Falls took second place with 60 and Browning High, with a score of 81, came in third.

Whitefish fielded two runners for the girls varsity race. Junior Morgan Grube finished fourth overall and Menicke said she ran a great race. Junior Hazel Gawe ran to 19th place.

“(Grube) put a ton of training in over summer and it showed — I was especially happy to see her patience to pick her moves,” Menicke said. “Hazel Gawe was solid… fighting mightily despite not feeling her best. Proud of that girl to stick with it.”

Flathead’s Lilli Rumsey Eash finished in first place with a time of 18:50:93. Siri Erickson from Columbia Falls was in second and Madelaine Jellision from Flathead took home third place.

The Columbia Falls girls’ team won the meet with 30 points, Flathead High was second with 34 and the host team, Libby, finished in third place with a score of 88.

The Whitefish team only had six runners eligible to compete in Libby and Menicke says he is looking forward to Whitefish’s next race on Friday in Cut Bank, when he expects to have all but three athletes eligible to compete.

“Excited for the kids to have full squads at the starting line, they are ready to go,” Menicke said.

Whitefish will compete at the Cut Bank Time Trials on Friday. Starting time is still to be determined.

Whitefish Results:

Boys

1. Deneb Linton 17:06:81
2. Nate Inglefinger 17:46:77
3. Henry Seigmund 21:51:94
4. Koru Larimore 22:29:93

Girls

1. Morgan Grube 21:00:40
2. Hazel Gawe 23:58:87