HELENA -- One day after Class AA golfers finished their state tournament in snowy conditions, cross country runners learned they won't have the same fate on Thursday. The Capital City 7-of-7 cross country meet scheduled for Thursday has been canceled and won't be rescheduled.
The meet, which was set to be run at Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena with many of the top teams in the state attending, was a primer for this month's state meet, which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26 at Eagle Falls Golf Course in Great Falls.
Tuesday's snow storm kept course officials at Bill Roberts from preparing the cross country course, and runner safety was also a concern.
Helena High sophomore Kylie Hartnett has been one of the top storylines in the Class AA cross country season, earning recent wins at the prestigious Mountain West Classic in Missoula, as well as last weekend's Butte Invitational at Stodden Park. Harnett, who has won five meets this fall, set a new personal record of 17 minutes, 38.5 seconds in Butte on Saturday.
Bozeman's girls are the State AA favorites and are poised to win a 12th title in the past 13 years. The Hawks won an unprecedented 11 consecutive championships from 2007-17, with Missoula Hellgate snapping that streak last fall.
The Bozeman boys are also heavy favorites, owning a current streak of 11 state titles of their own. The Hawks won both the boys and girls team titles at the Mountain West Classic on Sept. 28. Griffin May was the top Bozeman finisher at the race, while Kalispell Glacier's Simon Hill was Montana's first to cross the finish line, placing fourth overall.
Hellgate's Ian Curtis and Senior's Owen Smith are also among the Class AA state contenders.
