Libby cross country rewrites record books at State Championships

The Libby Loggers cross country teams headed to the Montana Class A State Championships with a mission to rewrite the record books. By the time the final runner crossed the finish line Saturday, Oct. 24, they had done exactly that.

Libby delivered one of the most successful state championship performances in program history at Amend Park in Billings, with the girls finishing fifth overall, their highest placement since 1996, and the boys taking eighth, their best finish since 2001.

The afternoon also featured two school records, a pair of top-10 individual finishes and personal-best performances from all 14 Libby runners.

Junior Capri Farmer shattered the girls' 5,000-meter school record with a time of 17 minutes, 28.9 seconds, finishing fourth overall in the Class A field. Senior Cody Watson followed with a record-breaking performance of his own, running 15:58.4 to place seventh in the boys' championship race.

For head coach Brittany Katzer, who has spent the past five years rebuilding and developing the program, the results represented the culmination of years of work.

"Having our girls finish fifth and our boys eighth at state shows that our program is continuing to develop and improve," Katzer said. "What made this group especially successful was their commitment. Many of these athletes participated in my summer running club which began in June, so they have been putting in the miles and doing the work long before the official season began."

Farmer finished fourth among 146 runners in the girls' Class A championship. Her 17:28.9 performance placed her behind only Billings Central Catholic's Addison Kegel, who won the championship in 16:44.9, and Polson's Morgan Delaney (17:11.5) and Quinn Delaney (17:25.1). According to Katzer, Farmer's performance ranks among the best state meet performances in Montana history.

"Capri's performance was exceptional," Katzer said. "In addition to breaking the Libby school record, her time ranks among the top nine all-time, all-class State meet performances in Montana."

Katzer said Farmer's championship experience played a significant role in her performance.

"Capri knows how to race. She had already earned two state medals before this year, so she understands what it takes to compete at that level," Katzer said. "When the moment comes, she knows how to leave everything she has on the course."

Watson provided an equally memorable performance in the boys' race. The Libby senior crossed the finish line in 15:58.4, becoming the school's new 5K record holder while placing seventh overall. Hardin's Ben Bird won the boys' Class A championship in 15:19.9. For Katzer, Watson's performance carried additional significance because of their lengthy coach-athlete relationship.

"Cody's performance was especially meaningful to me because I have coached him since he was a sixth grader and this was his last high school cross country meet," Katzer said. "Breaking the school record was something he had been working toward for the last three years."

She described Watson as a leader whose dedication helped shape the program.

"He is an incredibly hard worker and leads by example, and to see him finally accomplish that goal when it was his last opportunity to do so was a very special moment," Katzer said. "It was a fitting way for him to finish his high school cross country career."

While Farmer provided the headline performance, Libby's girls demonstrated the depth necessary to secure their fifth-place team finish.

Eighth-grader Kayleigh Desch emerged as Libby's second finisher, placing 31st overall in 20:18.0. Junior Alli Clemons followed in 38th at 20:38.0, while senior Hailey Misner finished 47th in 20:54.3. Freshman Ellory Anderson rounded out Libby's five scoring runners, finishing 53rd with a time of 21:02.8. Sophomore Ava Jensen placed 65th in 21:27.9, while junior Lillian Bailey completed the Libby lineup with a 128th-place finish in 24:03.7. All seven runners established personal records.

That balance secured the Lady Loggers' highest state championship placement in 30 years, highlighting the program's progress and its promising collection of young talent. 

The Libby boys also enjoyed a breakthrough afternoon, enjoying their strongest state championship showing since 2001.

Behind Watson's seventh-place performance, freshman Micah Peterson finished 39th in 17:39.8, followed by sophomore Cody Katzer, who placed 45th in 17:48.7. Junior Jake Rusdal finished 54th with a time of 18:03.7, while eighth-grader Waylon Katzer completed the team's scoring five in 99th place at 19:13.1. Senior Eaddon Baca finished 116th in 19:48.5, and junior Josiah Moore took 127th in 20:11.0. Like their teammates on the girls' side, all seven boys recorded personal-best times.

Katzer said the team's success was the product of a deliberate approach to training, injury prevention and mental preparation. Since taking over the program five years ago, she has separated the middle school and high school programs to better address athletes' individual training needs. 

She was also quick to credit the assistant coaches who worked to help create the success.

"Assistant coach Andre Mehan and volunteer Dan Rose helped by putting in countless hours and ideas as well," Katzer said. "Volunteer Jacob Thomas also helped with our summer running club."

Katzer also worked to strengthen the program's identity, securing grants for team equipment, helping get cross country included in the district's uniform rotation and using fundraising efforts to provide team warm-up gear and backpacks.

"These may seem like small things individually, but together they have helped create a sense of pride, belonging and investment in the program," Katzer said.

That commitment extended to the team's preparation. Rather than using the same training approach for every runner, Katzer emphasized individualized workouts, injury prevention and developing a positive competitive mindset.

"We taught athletes to focus their energy on what they could control (their effort, attitude, preparation and response to challenges)," she said. "This helped shift their focus in a positive way."

The results were evident at the state meet, where every Libby runner recorded a personal best.

"The fact that every athlete ran a personal best at state tells me we got the timing right," Katzer said. "They had put in the miles, stayed consistent, and trusted the process. When it was time to race, they were physically and mentally ready to give their best performances."

The team's success did not come as a surprise to its coach. From the beginning of the season, Katzer challenged her runners to believe they could accomplish something historic.

"My coaching philosophy this year was to 'rewrite the record books' because I truly believed this group was capable of doing something special," she said.

That belief began turning into results when the Lady Loggers won the Thompson Falls Invitational. Another milestone came at Mission Shadows, where the girls finished second and the boys third, with both teams earning trophies. Those performances helped transform ambitious goals into realistic expectations heading into the state championships.

"By the time we got to state, they weren't just hoping they could compete, they knew they could and they wanted it," Katzer said.

Despite losing three seniors, including Watson, Katzer believes the program is positioned to continue its upward trajectory. Both teams will return talent.

"We also had two eighth graders, Waylon Katzer and Kayleigh Desch, who played key scoring roles for our varsity teams this season," Katzer said. "Having younger athletes already contributing at that level is exciting and shows that the future of the program looks good."

For the returning runners, Katzer hopes this season provides more than confidence in their racing abilities. She wants them to understand the dedication required to achieve success and recognize what becomes possible when they commit to a shared goal.

"More than anything, I hope our returning runners take away the belief that 'what doesn't challenge you, doesn't change you,'" Katzer said.

For the Loggers, the 2026 season will be remembered as one in which two teams ended decades-long droughts, two runners established new school records and every athlete produced a personal best on the state's biggest stage.

    Here are the members of the Libby Loggers girls cross country team at the Montana Class A State Championships Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Billings. (Photo courtesy Brittany Katzer)
  

    Here are the members of the Libby Loggers boys cross country team at the Montana Class A State Championships Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Billings. (Photo courtesy Brittany Katzer)