Briefs: FVSEF racers excel at Big Sky

BIG SKY — Parker Retz of Whitefish won all three Super Gs he competed in, highlighting the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation’s efforts at the Lone Peak Speed Series last weekend. 

Reitz won his three races at U18 men; other highlights included Greta Lund of Polson (U18) winning one race and taking second in another; and Sydney McPhie of Whitefish (U18) taking two seconds and a third. 

In U14 boys, Adelyn Danley of Whitefish and Theo Elliott of Kalispell had a fourth-place finish; Elliott’s came in his first SG race. Calire Graham of Whitefish had a fifth-place finish in U16 girls. 

Lone Peak Speed Series 

SG 1, 2, and 3 

U14 Girls 

Kessa Drendel 7th, 9th, 8th 

Adelyn Danley 8th, 8th, 4th 

Lucy Love 9th, 12th, 9th 

Mia Lengacher 10th, 13th, 11th 

Evelyn Barnett 15th, 19th, 17th 

Cadence Ackerschott 19th, 21st, 19th 

Emerson Prezeau 22nd, 20th, 18th 

U14 Boys 

Theo Elliott 4th, DNF, 6th 

Nolan Shaw 7th, 5th, 7th 

Owen Grace 9th, 10th, 11th 

Edmund Dickson 10th, 6th, DNS 

Jude Petro 13th, 9th, 10th 

George Dickson 15th, DNF, DNS 

U16 Girls 

Claire Graham 7th, 8th, 5th 

Finlee Klocke 9th, DNF, 7th 

Maggie Fullerton 12th, 13th, 15th 

Kira Paatalo 18th, DNF, 11th 

Ella Elliott 19th, 17th, 14th 

Sierra Nelson 20th, 20th, 16th 

Avery Retz 21st, 19th, 18th 

U16 Boys 

Rylan Hoover 13th, 11th, 13th 

U18 Girls 

Greta Lund DNF, 1st, 2nd 

Syndey McPhie 2nd, 2nd, 3rd 

Dynalea Tomblin 8th, 0th, 11th 

U18 Boys 

Parker Retz 1st, 1st, 1st 

6 athletes added to MHSA Hall 

HELENA — Basketball star Reece Gliko and standout volleyball players Kamber Kelly and Kandice (Kelly) Gregorak are among six athletes announced as inductees for 2026 to the MHSA/Wendey’s Athletes Hall of Fame on Wednesday. 

Billings Skyview distance runner Lance Fred, all-around athlete Gary Fox of Billings West and distance runner Mike Houlihan of Butte High filled out the induction class. 

Gliko owns the boys high school career scoring record of 2,763 points, set at Highwood and Belt; he graduated from the latter and then played at both Rocky Mountain and MSU-Billings. He became one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA Division II, setting the Yellowjackets’ single-game record with 54 points in 1996. He was an All-American in 1997. 

Kamber and Kandice Kelly combined to help Roundup win five State B volleyball titles, including as teammates in 2000-01. Kamber Kelly was the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2001; Kandice won the honor in 2003. Both went onto standout careers at Montana State. 

Fox is the lone Legacy inductee; the 1968 Billings West graduate excelled in basketball, baseball and football, moving on to set several school passing records for the Univesity of Wyoming.

Griz linebacker Tuliaupupu granted 9th year

Montana linebacker Solomon Tuliaupupu will return for the 2026 season after being granted a ninth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

The school announced Tuliaupupu’s return on social media on Monday alongside sixth-year offensive lineman Dylan Jemtegaard.

Tuliaupupu will be entering his second season at Montana after starting his collegiate career at USC in 2018. He was sidelined for his entire undergraduate campaign at USC after two surgery-requiring injuries impacting his foot (2018) and knee (2020). He also missed the entire 2023 season.

The linebacker’s first season at Montana — and eighth overall — was just his second full season played and third with game action. He was ninth on the team with 43 tackles, with two sacks.

He saw the field for the first time as a redshirt senior in 2022, appearing in all 14 games for the Trojans and recording 10 tackles, including three for a loss.

ChiSox sign PaddleHead star Adam Fogel

The Missoula PaddleHeads announced Thursday that outfielder Adam Fogel has signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox and will report to spring training in Glendale, Arizona this month. 

Fogel spent two seasons with the Pioneer League PaddleHeads, and was league MVP in 2024 along with Baseball America’s Independent and Partner Leagues Player of the Year after hitting .388 with 35 home runs. 

He hit .388 last season as well with 34 home runs.  

Range Riders lose 2 coaches

Glacier Range Riders’ pitching coach Glendon Rusch and assistant coach Austin Nola have both signed to coach with Major League franchises for 2026. 

Rusch, a 12-year MLB pitcher, is joining the Los Angeles Angels as a minor league pitching coach;  Nola is bullpen coach for the Seattle Mariners. 

Rusch’s 2025 pitching staff saw Ty Bothwell setting a Pioneer League record with 130 strikeouts. Grant Taylor (114.2 innings pitched), Jacob Hasty (1.45 ERA) and Luke Schafer (nine wins) all set team records.