Whitefish hangs tough at Mountain West Classic

The Mountain West Classic brought together hundreds of the region’s top high school cross country runners Saturday, and Whitefish athletes turned in gritty efforts on the challenging 5,000-meter course.

For Whitefish, Kendall Dye (222nd, 22:38) and Sierra Gibb (224th, 22:39) crossed the line just seconds apart, pacing the Bulldogs in the deep field. Sophie Douglas added another solid mark at 24:16, while Addie Nerdig finished close behind in 24:29, giving Whitefish a tight pack presence among Montana’s larger programs.

In the boys race, Whitefish placed three runners in the 400s of the 590-runner field, led by Carver Brown, who clocked 19:28 to place 331st overall. Mason Loeffler was close behind in 19:43 for 353rd, while Noah Oaks (20:37, 415th), Logan Hyland (20:34, 414th) and Henry Boysen (20:48, 424th) all finished within a tight pack to round out the Bulldogs’ effort. Koru Larimore added a 21:09 finish, giving Whitefish steady team depth.

With hundreds of varsity athletes toeing the line, the Classic provided valuable experience for Whitefish.