Bulldog runners fly through finish at home invite
JULIE ENGLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 1 month AGO
Julie Engler covers Whitefish City Hall and writes community features for the Whitefish Pilot. She earned master's degrees in fine arts and education from the University of Montana. She can be reached at jengler@whitefishpilot.com or 406-882-3505. | October 5, 2022 1:00 AM
The Whitefish Lake Golf Club hosted the Whitefish Invitational cross country meet last week and with temperatures in the 70s, it was a lovely day to race.
“Great day for the boys team,” Whitefish Coach Richard Menicke said. “Our top five finished in the top-eight, scoring 24 points as a team, our best team performance of the season.”
The team’s stellar performance led the Bulldogs to crush the competition, while Flathead finished in second place with 69 points and Columbia Falls was third with 76.
“Our top five ran so smart and confident, it was cool to watch,” said Menicke. “Numbers three through five ran really well as a group. That was key to their place in the pack… strength in numbers.”
Whitefish’s Deneb Linton outkicked his teammate Mason Genovese for the individual victory. Nate Ingelfinger, Ethan Amick and Ruedi Steiner finished in sixth, seventh and eighth places, less than four seconds apart.
“Shout out to senior Bowdrie Krack, who PRd on a tough course to lead the JV runners,” added Menicke.
The Whitefish girls team finished in fourth place overall, and second in Class A. Columbia Falls won the meet, followed by Flathead and Glacier. The Bulldogs’ top five runners achieved their season’s lowest spread in time.
“The girls ran very strong as a group,” Menicke said. “Maeve Ingelfinger paced the girls, followed by Maggie Pulsifer, both in the top 20. They ran together and that worked well.”
Coach said that freshman Maci Brennan had a new personal best on the tough north course.
“She's running well and has a lot left in the tank,” he said. “I can't wait to see where she goes in the coming weeks.”
The team has one more race before the postseason begins and Menicke said they will use this time to build fitness levels with some key workouts but also let injuries heal. He said the team’s main goal is to be at its best for the Montana All-Class State Meet on Oct. 22.
The Bulldogs will run in the Helena 7x7 on Oct. 6.
Results
Boys Team: 1. Whitefish 24. 2. Flathead 69. 3. Columbia Falls 76. 4. Browning 90.
Whitefish Boys: 1. Deneb Linton 17:21. 2. Mason Genovese 17:22. 6. Nate Ingelfinger 17:55. 7. Ethan Amick 17:55. 8. Ruedi Steiner 17:58 29. Azure Stolte 19:37. 42. Zachary Chiarito 20:08
Girls Team: 1. Columbia Falls 33. 2. Flathead 42. 3. Glacier 63. 4. Whitefish 127.
Whitefish Girls: 18. Maeve Ingelfinger 23:05. 20 Maggie Pulsifer 23:10. 26. Maci Brennan 23:50. 33. Madison Ward 24:48. 39. Kellie Klepper 25:32.
