A picture perfect day in Western Montana set the scene for the State Cross Country Match, in the photo below. Pictured are Broadus XC Coach Ashley Emmons, Reece Emmons, Addison Draine, Christian Oylear, Braydn-Stoddard Terrill, and Sean Oylear. (Photo courtesy Patrick Emmons)
Broadus Cross Country ran at the State XC Meet in Missoula on Saturday.
The team made the journey across the state over a two day span, getting a preview of the course on Friday. Broadus XC Coach Ashley Emmons told us the state course is reminiscent of Broadus' own home course, with a long hill at the start and another steep hill – the similarity is such that other coaches' teams who had run in Broadus commented to her on the similarity, and expressed their thanks for having run in Broadus as it made for good training for state. One major difference – though fans were great in Broadus, the number of fans lining the course at Missoula was a sight to behold. Fans and other runners not currently competing plastered the sides of the course, during the start of the race and during the final 1/10 mile, cheering on the runners by name (at state, the runners have their first names on their bibs). Emmons said the atmosphere and camaraderie are a sight to behold.
The races got underway Saturday.
Out of 84 qualifiers in the girls race, Reece Emmons placed 18th, with a 23:13, running a personal best at the difficult course. Addison Draine placed 70th, with a 28:13, similar in time to her last several races, which is a great performance considering the hilly nature of the Missoula course. The winner for the girls was Shelbi LaBrie of Whitewater, running a 19:40.
128 boys qualified in the Class C boys race. Sean Oylear placed 34th, with a 19:36.
"Sean ran a super smart race," Emmons commented, as his split times and overall race awareness were just where Emmons had forecast.
Christian Oylear ran a 20:02, for 49th. Christian got out to a hot start early in the race, which seemed to overplay his hand and tire him towards the end. Emmons noted that the younger of the Oylear brothers is already looking towards next season, thinking of strategy and training over the rest of the year.
Braydn Stoddard Terrel ran a 25:48 for 127th. Braydn came back to run at state after a persistent knee injury sidelined him for several weeks, but he recovered to the point of running at state, building confidence and experience in the process.
Dawson Parke of Drummond won the race with a 16:36.
Out of 24 teams in the event, Cascade won, with Broadus placing 17th.
Emmons noted that the team and season were an overall success, and she couldn't be more proud of their performances.
Emmons also commented that for next season, any kids who are not playing other fall sports but looking to train for a winter sport are encouraged to join the Cross Country team – besides the long distance running, the team trains in weight lifting twice a week as well as core strength twice a week, preparing any athlete for their winter season. "Come give it a try," Emmons said.
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