Montana State Meet
10/19/02 at Bill Roberts Golf Course, Helena MT -
3 miles, 45 to 55 degrees, grass, rolling hills, 4400 ft

Flathead sweeps again,
Zoe the Zephyr
smashes record again

Preview | Schedule | Donna on the Side | the scene | Coach J profile |
for story, detailed results and action pix, click on Class below

AA: Zoe Nelson 16:50

AA : Daniel Driscoll 15:14

A: C. J. Martin 18:16

A: Matt Winter 15:13

by John Dye

AA Girls: Flathead soph Zoe (the Zephyr) Nelson wins her second straight state championship with a completely solo tour in 16:50 for a new state record. That was 39 seconds faster than her own record set in last year's epic struggle with Heidi Lane. This year Zoe was alone from the start and finished 78 seconds ahead of anyone else. US#19 Flathead defended its state title easily with 37 points, and all five scorers return next year.
A Girls: Colstrip jr C.J. Martin 18:16. Bigfork 46 (Polson 76); Bigfork beat everyone except Flathead this year.
AA Boys: Flathead boys break open tight battle with Helena in third mile to win sixth straight state championship, 47-75. Helena appeared to be in command after 2 miles, but faded as Flathead came on strong. Led by 2-3 Matt Parker and Caleb Ambrose, Flathead poured in all five scorers before Helena's third. Bozeman sr Daniel Driscoll wins in 15:14 to complete a fine brother-sister parlay (Elisabeth Driscoll, a junior, was second in AA Girls with the second fastest girls time of the day.)
A Boys: Billings Central sr Matt Winter 15:13 (Polson sr Fritz Friesz 15:16) in fastest race of the day. Browning 66 (Billings Central 75)
B Boys: Loyola Missoula 51 (Plains 58). Plains soph Dane Steward 16:02.
B Girls: Plains 78. Glasgow soph Jayme Larson 19:14 (Kayla Larson 19::38).
C Boys: Dodson/Whitewater 63 (Heart Butte 71). Manhattan Christian soph John Ricardi 16:39.
C Girls: Belt 48. Manhattan Christian sr Lois Ricardi 20:15.

Newspaper coverage
Helena Independent - The kings of Montana cross country haven’t given up their throne yet.
Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls girls, C.M. Russell boys win trophies
Great Falls Tribune - Browning boys capture State A title; Bigfork girls repeat
Great Falls Tribune - C girls' cross country championship has a new home -- or a pair of new homes

Coach J, the Watch Man Todd Struckman of the Missoula Independent profiles Flathead Kalispell MT veteran coach, Paul Jorgensen, "the king of high school cross country in Montana." As coach at Flathead County High School, “Coach J,” as he’s known to his teams, fans and opponents, has turned Kalispell into a breeding ground for the nation’s best long-distance runners. Coach J has mastered the sport of cross country, but he’s more spectator than dictator. His manner is calm and his style is subtle. Meanwhile, his athletes continue to attract the attention of scouts from the nation’s top college programs. Missoula Independent tells how Coach J does it

Preview

For more than a decade, Flathead Kalispell High School has been the team to watch in the Montana State Meet (girls in top 3 for 16 straight years with 8 state championships, and boys in top 3 for 13 straight years with 7 titles), and this year is no exception. Coach Paul Jorgensen has a typical powerhouse from the biggest school in Montana.

The Flathead Bravettes, US#16 in the latest Harrier magazine rankings, are expected to dominate the AA girls race, just as they did the Helena Preview meet on the state meet course 2 weeks ago (20 points). Flathead's super soph Zoe (the Zephyr) Nelson, a national Foot Locker finalist last year, is undefeated this season with a course record on every course. The state meet record (17:29 by Nelson in her epic win over former record holder Heidi Lane last year) is in dire jeopardy with a beautiful Indian Summer day forecast. Zoe beat that by 43 seconds (16:46) in the Helena Preview.

The AA boys title will be a pick 'em struggle between Flathead and Helena High, with the 6th and 7th runners critical. The two teams tied with 35 points at the Helena Preview. Flathead Braves Matt Parker and Caleb Ambrose went 1-2, but Helena's sixth man, Brian Haseman, came in 15th, two places ahead of Flathead's sixth.

The state meet outlook according to the Montana Cross Country & Track web site.

Schedule

11:00 A.M. Class AA Girls

11:35 A.M. Class A Girls

12:10 A.M. Class AA Boys

12:40 P.M. Class A Boys

1:10 P.M. Class B Girls

1:45 P.M. Class C Girls

2:20 P.M. Class B Boys

2:50 P.M. Class C Boys

DyeStat Montana