They haven’t been stopped by weather, albeit slowed a bit. Team illness and injuries have been and are being taken care of. And excused absences have played a factor.

Despite these obstacles most teams no doubt face as the cross country honors times approach, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks and Lady Hawks are looking strong to the finish.

Nowhere so far this season was that perhaps most evident than this past Tuesday’s Arlee Hatchery Run. And they put a stamp of emphasis on that showing with another strong effort this past Saturday in the Libby Wilderness Run.

The Baxter girls, paced by senior standout Ellie Baxter led the way in Arlee, with Ellie Baxter winning the 5,000 meter run over a mostly flat but hot course in an around the Arlee area.

Baxter covered the distance in 21:34 and was almost two minutes ahead of race runner-up Meela Mitchel of Anaconda, who recorded a time of 23:14.

And more good news for the Lady Hawks at Arlee was the third-place finish and the fourth-place showing of eighth-grader Aubrey Baxter (23:19) and junior Faith Palmer (23:48).

The T Falls girls had another runner in the top 10 finishers, Kylee Huff, also an eighth-grader.

Only two teams, Two Eagle River (first) and Anaconda (second) had enough runners to qualify for team honors at the Arlee meet.

The T Falls boys also had a good meet, paced by the second-place finish of junior Cael Thilmony, who registered a time of 18:59 over the Arlee course. Other T Falls boys who ran were: JT Taylor (20:51, good for 11th); Blake Schusterman (22:44); Simon Armstrong (22:57); Wesley Powers (25:51); and Jakob Molina (26:35).

“Tuesday at Arlee was a very, very hot race,” said XC head coach Sarah Naegeli. “Mostly flat, some pavement and a little bit of downhill by the hatchery trees. It was generally a slower race for all participants”.

Saturday at the Libby Wilderness Run was a different race under pretty much different conditions, Naegeli added.

In that race, with Ellie Baxter sitting it out so she could play with the school volleyball team for whom she also participates, Aubry Baxter was the top girl finisher for the Hawks, taking seventh place with a time of (21:10). That race covered three miles. Huff finished in 18th with a time of (26:50), while JV runner Kellyn Carr covered the distance in (34:03).

On the boys side of the Libby event, Thilmony took fourth with a time of 17:45 to help the T Falls boys place fifth in the team competition. Columbia Falls won the boys team title.

Other Blue Hawks runners who took part in the meet included: Brock Ryan, with a personal best time of 19:11; Taylor, also a PR (20:08); Schusterman (a PR time of 21:41); Armstrong (21:50); Powers (23:45); and Molina, another PR time of 25:04.

“Saturday’s race was over a very hill cross country ski trails course at Flower Lake,” Naegeli said. “It had rolling hills, steep hills and lots of ups and downs. But it was a beautiful, cool fall morning for racing.”

Naegeli said the three-mile course at Libby, when converted to meters, produced several personal best times among the T Falls runners.

Next on the schedule for Thompson Falls is this Saturday’s (Oct 8) Mission Shadow event in Polson. The following Wednesday (Oct 12) they will take part in the Western B/C Invitational in Thompson Falls.