Farmer, Watson lead Libby cross country at Mission Shadow Duals

Libby cross country had plenty to celebrate Saturday, with two podium performances and strong showings from both squads at the Mission Shadow Duals.
Led by junior Capri Farmer and senior Cody Watson, the Loggers turned in a pair of second-place team finishes at the Oct. 10 meet at Silver Fox Golf Course.
Farmer continued her strong season with a third-place finish in the girls 5,000-meter race, crossing the finish line in 18 minutes, 59.4 seconds. She was one of just three runners to break the 19-minute barrier in the competition.
Polson's Morgan Delaney captured the individual championship in 18:03.8, followed by teammate Quinn Delaney in 18:20.7. Both runners finished ahead of the previous meet record of 18:33.
Farmer's performance helped Libby remain competitive in a field featuring several strong Western Montana programs.
Junior Alli Clemons gave the Loggers another top-10 finisher, placing ninth overall with a season-best time of 21:26.2.
Senior Hailey Misner wasn't far behind, finishing 12th in 22:14.2, while sophomore Ava Jensen took 16th in 22:36.3.
Freshman Ellory Anderson rounded out Libby's five scoring runners, placing 28th in 24:07.7. Junior Lillian Bailey also competed, finishing 39th in 25:10.6.
The Loggers totaled 55 points, finishing second behind Polson's 21 and narrowly ahead of Browning's 59.
On the boys side, Watson once again established himself among the area's elite distance runners.
The Libby senior finished third overall in 16:51.2, trailing only Plains teammates Cord Greer and John Jermyn.
Greer won the race in 16:12.7, while Jermyn finished second in 16:40.5.
Watson was the only runner outside Plains to finish under 17 minutes, providing Libby with a strong start in the team competition.
The Loggers also demonstrated their depth, placing three additional runners among the top 20.
Freshman Micah Peterson finished 15th overall in 18:36.7, followed closely by sophomore Cody Katzer in 17th at 18:43.4.
Junior Jake Rusdal crossed the line just five seconds later, taking 18th in 18:48.4.
That grouping gave Libby four runners among the first 18 finishers, helping the Loggers stay in contention for the team championship.
Eighth-grader Waylon Katzer completed Libby's scoring five with a 43rd-place finish in 20:22.6.
Senior Eaddon Baca finished 67th in 21:38.1, while junior Levi Nick placed 83rd in 24:08.9.
Libby's boys finished with 94 points, taking second behind Ronan, which totaled 83. Polson followed with 119.
Troy freshmen run well at Mission Shadow
Three Troy freshmen represented the school at the Silver Fox Golf Course, with Isabella Heileson leading the way in the girls 5,000-meter race.
Heileson finished 24th overall with a time of 23 minutes, 34 seconds, putting together Troy's strongest individual finish of the afternoon.
Troy freshman Elizah Kreutzer also competed in the girls varsity race, placing 54th with a time of 29:45.9.
On the boys side, freshman Hayden Storkson represented the Trojans in a competitive 87-runner field.
Storkson completed the 5,000-meter course in 22:17.4, finishing 73rd overall.