LaBrie Takes First at State XC

The Whitewater Penguins and Dodson Cross Country teams ran at the MHSA State C Cross Country Championship on Saturday, October 21, in Kalispell.

Whitewater

It was on this day that Whitewater junior Shelbi LaBrie earned the State C Girls title with a time of 19:52.42.

"It feels pretty good," LaBrie said. "Almost hard to believe."

The closest runner was second place finisher Mya Green of Scobey (Granddaughter of Don and Becky Green of Malta) who had a time of 20:18.24, and Mia Handran, also of Scobey, who had a time of 20:21.43. Nikki Nau of Sunburst was fourth with a time of 20:25.61. Taylee Chirrick, the top ranked runner from Roberts was unable to finish the race.

Whitewater's Ava Hanley was 43rd with a time of 26:35.66

LaBrie and Whitewater Head Coach Carly Hammond described the race.

"Right when the gun went off, I pretty much just tried to relax right away, work on my breathing and I wasn't too worried about where I was at the beginning of the race," LaBrie said. "I knew I had three whole miles to run."

Coach Hammond said that the race is a two-lap race, ran through fairly tall grass.

"There is a hill at the end of the loop that the runners have to climb twice," Coach Hammond said. "So, when you watch the finish they crest the hill and have a nice long sprint downhill to the finish line."

LaBrie decided early on that she wasn't going to look at her watch, something that she has become accustomed to doing, like many runners.

At mile one, LaBrie was sitting in fifth place, about 20 seconds behind the top four, this was according to plan.

"I decided that I was going to stay 100 meters behind the first pack of girls and not let them get any further," LaBrie said. "At a mile-and-a-half, I decided to start making my move and kept my eyes looking right at the back of her head."

Coach Hammond said that LaBrie held back going up the hill and saved her energy for catching up going down the backside of the hill. She passed runners 2,3, and 4 (Mya Green, Mia Handran, and Nikki Nau) right around 1.75 miles and was right next to the the number 1 runner (Taylee Chirrick).

"I eventually looked up and was like, whoa! I am right behind her," LaBrie said. "I went past her and from there I was like, let's make her run with me now."

LaBrie said that she had planned her race out, and it was exactly how she ran it.

"As soon as she hit mile two, she slowly increased with each 400 meters and by the last 400 meters left in the race Taylee had dropped out and Shelbi crested the hill completely on her own. Gives me chills just thinking about it!" Coach Hammond said.

When asked about her season and the amount of miles that she ran, she said that the team runs 20 to 25 miles a week, and 170 miles a year.

She has had to battle injuries throughout the year, including with her diaphragm and side aches.

The day before state, legendary coach Branch Brady, of Great Falls High and CMR, gave Shelbi some tips on dealing with her injuries.

"He struggled with side aches too," Shelbi said. "He told me how he dealt with them through his running days and it helped me when I was running."

Coach Hammond also described Hanley's race.

"Ava's first two splits were awesome," Coach Hammond said. "She definitely came to run and get that last PR of her XC career. She put in the extra effort these last two weeks, trying to stay on pace with every single one of her runs and it paid off in the end. It is definitely the most exhausted I've seen her at the end of a race! She left it all out on the course."

Hinsdale Senior Zora Holt, who is a North Country Maverick during basketball season, was twelfth overall with a time of 22:16.11.

Dodson

For the boys race, Dodson was able to score points and take eighteenth overall with 203 points.

Sophomore Donovan Posey led the Coyotes with a twenty-third place finish and a time of 18:52.27. Sophomore Lance Snow was eighty-seventh with a time of 22:19.01, and junior Junior Stiffarm was ninety-third with a time of 22:42.51.

"I am proud that they stuck it out and finished the season," Dodson Head Coach Tianna Bloomer said. "That course is a good one and tough. It may not have been their best but I feel they put their heart in it. They are dedicated and want to try harder next year."