Introducing for the first time ever, all competing in the same meet, the complete 2026 Thompson Falls cross country team.

Finally getting all her running troops together at the same time for the same race, coach Sarah Naegeli said her Blue Hawk harriers will run in the Browning Invitational Saturday.

The Hawks prepped for the Browning Invite by running in the Kalispell Invitational at Rebecca Farm Friday with only sophomore Audrey Fairbank absent this time. Fairbank was busy showing her stock animal at the Sanders County Fair last week, Naegeli said.

Incidentally, Fairbank is one of two Hawk harriers (Aubrey Baxter being the other) who is doubling up on sports this fall, also playing volleyball for Thompson Falls.

Naegeli had nice things to say about the Hawks’ 2026 run at Rebecca Farm. “It was a wonderful course,” she said, “nice soft surfaces with the green grass and not the typical wind that we have there. And the cooler, cloudy weather was a bonus!”

Weston Block led the Hawk boys in the varsity race in Kalispell, clocking 17:54.78, Caleb Goodwill ran the course in 18:41.47 and Nathan Block 20:03.21.

Baxter clocked out in 23:24.66 as the only Hawk girl in that varsity race.

Wyatt Clawson (21:50.79), Zach Bortz (24:56.21) and Carter Robinson (25:12.59) competed in the boys JV race, and Kylee Helmuth (27:54.97) in the girls JV race.

In the girls middle school race, Falls sixth grader Neala Block ran to an impressive sixth place finish in 10:10.10, and her eighth grade sister Hartleigh Block won 25th in 11:18.40.

Elona Moore (13:03.43), Reaghan Kenney (13:23.79) and Serenity Boddy (13:59.53) also ran for Thompson Falls in the girls middle school race.

Rhett Franklin (10:47.97) registered the best time of any Falls boys in the other middle school race, Alec Ribb timed out in 11:30.98, Maxwell Hart 11:48.42and Abram Cribb 12:48.03.

    IN THE RUNNING – Thompson Falls harrier Zach Bortz shown running in the Kalispell Invitational at Rebecca Farm Saturday. (courtesy photo)