Libby, Troy x-c runners enjoy stellar week

Libby, Troy runners shine at Whitefish Invite

Libby and Troy harriers had standout performances at the Whitefish Invite on Sept. 23 at Whitefish Lake Golf Course, with runners from both programs breaking into the top tier of competition.

For the boys, Libby’s Cody Watson placed third overall in 16:57, one of the fastest times of the day. He was backed by strong performances from Colter Anderson (24th, 18:58), Samuel Erickson (27th, 19:04), Cody Katzer (28th, 19:07), and Jake Rusdal (30th, 19:29). Levi Nick (38th, 19:55) and Jack Hayven (54th, 21:56) rounded out a deep showing that put the Loggers firmly in the mix against powerhouse teams from Glacier and Browning.

On the girls’ side, Libby’s Capri Farmer stole the spotlight, surging away from the pack to win the race in 19:23. She was followed by Alli Clemons in 11th with a personal-best 21:24 and Hailey Misner in 15th at 22:15. Rylee Thompson (34th, 25:49), Lillian Bailey (35th, 26:04), and Kyla Lausen (39th, 29:03) completed the Logger lineup, giving the team valuable depth.

For Troy, Benjamin Hughes led the way with a strong 17:32 finish for 11th overall. Teammates Colin Hickman (20th, 18:33), River Traina (21st, 18:42), Jacob Hayes (40th, 20:06), Ryan Melton (44th, 20:22), and Bohdy Hagedorn (52nd, 21:21) showed consistency in the mid-pack.

Libby’s Watson fifth at Thompson Falls; Troy posts PRs 

Libby and Troy put up headline results Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Thompson Falls Invite, highlighted by a top-five from Libby standout Cody Watson and a string of personal bests across both programs.

Watson clocked 16:58.60 for fifth overall in the boys race, setting the tone for Libby’s scoring five. Samuel Erickson notched a PR in 35th (19:00.28), with Levi Nick 49th (19:26.02, PR), Jake Rusdal 55th (19:43.11) and Cody Katzer 63rd (19:54.95). Jack Hayven (102nd, 21:50.42, PR) and Adrien Holzer (105th, 22:13.54, PR) added depth as the Loggers continued to trend downward in season-best times.

Libby’s girls once again rode front-running and balance. Alli Clemons placed 11th in 21:44.31, backed by Hailey Misner in 15th at 22:27.97. Lillian Bailey (47th, 24:47.77, PR), Rylee Thompson (59th, 25:38.84, PR) and Kyla Lausen (70th, 27:09.20, PR) packed well to secure scoring support.

Troy celebrated podium-adjacent finishes and personal bests. Daisy Williams placed 28th in the girls race at 23:31.92 (PR), with Jaylee Meyers 35th (23:56.19) and Jenika Meyer 71st (27:28.53). For the boys, Kai Brownell ran 19:03.05 for 37th, Dmitrii Walenter set a PR in 54th (19:40.32), and Michael Gillespie added a PR in 108th (22:54.90).

Libby is back in action Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Mission Shadow Duals in Polson.

Troy ran at Eureka Thursday.