HELENA — Chances are, if you know a child or adult who likes to run in the Helena area, the Helena Vigilantes running club has come up in a conversation. The club has been a staple in the Helena running community for 10 years, but the youth track and field and cross country programs are in their fourth year of existence.
Now, the Vigilantes name will only be donned by the adult runners and the youth programs will be the Novas.
The change came partly due to East Helena High School choosing the Vigilantes as the school mascot but also because Novas accurately represents what the youth program is trying to do.
“When something like that happens, we just moved forward with a plan that we thought was a smart plan for the youth club, to find a name that was appropriate for youth that kind of focused on that youth development piece and the bright young stars in the valley,” said Novas head coach Jesse Zentz.
The Novas just finished up the regional round of Junior Olympic qualifying where numerous athletes qualified for 96 events. The next stop for some Novas will be in Sacramento, Calif. for the National Junior Olympic Championships spanning July 22-28.
