The Glacier Wolfpack have range. 

Sophomore Lauren Bissen and junior Owen Thiel both claimed 3,200 state titles Friday, during the first day of the State AA track and field championships at Legends Stadium.

Bissen passed defending champion Claire Rutherford of Gallatin on the third lap and won in 10 minutes, 57.69 seconds. Rutherford, a senior, was second in 11:02.55. 

Then Thiel churned through his eight laps in 9:16.70, comfortably ahead of a group of six runners who all set personal records. Helena’s Elliot Stimpson was second at 9:23.69. 

For Bissen, it was kind of a surprise. 

“Honestly, I was just here to try my best,” she said. “And I was going to happy with whatever happened. But I was really excited to compete against Claire. I was really happy to have it play out where we kind of cued off each other, and sort of work together. It was a fun race.” 

The two hadn’t competed against each other all season; last year at state Rutherford won in 11:07.82; Bissen was third in 11:18.24.  

On Friday, “I passed her and I was in the lead from then on, but I could feel her at my back,” Bissen said.  

Thiel was a bit of a mystery. He ran the 3,200 in 9:08.32 at the Arcadia (Calif.) Invitational on April 11; he qualified for state in a dual with Missoula Sentinel on April 25, pacing himself under the 10-minute cutoff and finishing third behind teammates Gabe Ackerly and Jude Sparkman. 

Then he ran it at state, and he had a strategy. 

“Follow the first mile and the second mile, make it hurt,” he said. “And it hurt really bad. 

“I was expecting kind of a slower first mile, in the 4:40s, and planned on really hammering the second mile, trying to get in the 4:30s or high 20s. I executed perfectly today; exactly how I wanted. I’m really happy with it.” 

Glacier has had its share of strong distance runners since opening its doors in 2007; Thiel is the first to win a boys 3,200 title. He was not terribly surprised.  

“Winning state is no small feat, but I’ve been envisioning all week what it would be like today,” he said. “And it’s amazing. It’s awesome.” 

Bissen’s win is Glacier's first in the girls 3,200 since Annie Hill, who won it in 2017 (and 2015). She happily gave credit to her distance coaches: Cody Moore, Brooke Padron, Lauren Smith and Pete Frank.  

Thiel could do the same, of course — and take inspiration from Bissen. 

“Lauren won first,” the junior said. “I’m just following her example.”

    Glacier's Lauren Bissen placed first in the girls' 3,200 meter run at the Class AA state track and field meet at Legends Stadium on Friday, May 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider