The Wolfpack runners are on the hunt for the podium in 2025.

A year ago they brought home a pair of individual third place finishes at the state meet in Missoula thanks to junior Lauren Bissen on the girls side and senior Owen Thiel for the boys.  

Both return — they won the individual titles at the Libby Invitational on Saturday — as the Wolfpack grew a year wiser and stronger thanks to a strong spring and summer. 

“Their leadership is great, growing culture and doing the things that need to be done to help the team,” Wolfpack coach Cody Moore said. 

After helping Glacier to a fourth-place finish in 2024, Bissen nabbed a state championship in the 3,200 meters and a third in the mile during the spring. 

“She took a ton of confidence away from track season, she found some speed that wasn't there in her freshman year,” Moore said. 

Another leader for the Wolfpack girls is senior Dacia Benkelman, who Moore says made big strides in the offseason and bought into being a cross-country runner. 

The youth looks strong for Glacier as well; Moore notes a big group of new runners joining the squad for 2025. 

One freshman who stuck out early is Ada Thiel, Owen’s sister, who showed her abilities at the middle school level and now joins the Wolfpack. Thiel came home second in Libby behind Bissen. 

Another freshman making a splash is Caitryn Vander Vloedt, who was fourth best of the Wolfpack runners in Libby and 22nd overall. Sophomore Hailey Fiala came in 27th to power Glacier to the team title with 56 points. Post Falls finished second at 99 points. 

As for the Wolfpack boys, who finished fifth at state in 2024, Owen Thiel moves up as the senior leader after a strong spring track season. 

“He grew a lot in track season and won a state title in the 3,200,” Moore said. “He is super jazzed in the new season. He is doing all the right things.” 

Joining Thiel as a leader of the Glacier squad is Jude Sparkman, who ran a 17:18.2 in the state meet last year. 

“I’m impressed with how he is as a young man; he stepped in as a leader from day one and continue to grow,” Moore said. 

In Libby, juniors Max Mangold and Charlie Zlogar brought home top-25 finishes to open the season. Sophomore Nathan Turner came home 28th as the Wolfpack finished tied for second as a team with Flathead at 78 points, only behind Sandpoint at 70 points. 

The Wolfpack runners will show their abilities Friday when Glacier competes at the Flathead Invitational at Rebecca Farm. A number of AA schools will be in attendance. 

Moore says they are taking the season one week at a time but have two big meets circled on the calendar: Mountain West and State. 

Like last season, those two are slated to be held on the same course at the University of Montana Golf Course in Missoula. 

For now, it’s about building the kids up mentally and physically. 

“It depends a lot on the athletes,” Moore said about how the team treats early season meets. “For some of our young kids it's just building experience, sometimes we ask them to do a little different race strategy, sometimes to do things as a team and grow as a unit.”