GREAT FALLS — Great Falls CMR distance runner Stella Damyanovich is used to being near the front of the pack.
But what she does after crossing the finish line may say even more about her.
WATCH: CMR'S STELLA DAMYANOVICH LOOKS TO HELP OTHERS
Damyanovich won the annual Great Falls crosstown city cross country meet Anaconda Hills as a freshman in 2024 and a sophomore in 2025. After finishing her own race, she headed for the water cooler — not just to get a drink for herself, but to hand out water to other runners as they crossed the finish line.
Teammates and opponents alike.
These are moments CMR cross country coach Jolyn Kimmet hasn't forgotten.
"It just shows that she cares," Kimmet said. "She could easily run the race, step off, go walk off and do her own thing, right? But she doesn't. She grabs water and hands it back."
For Damyanovich, now a junior, there isn't much thought behind the gesture. Her race is finished, so her attention turns to the people around her.
"If I can support somebody else and be there for them, because I know how it is to cross that line and there's nobody there, and you're like, you're dying and you want water and it's hot out," Damyanovich said. "If I can be there and just add a little bit of ease and support, then I'd love to be able to do that."
That willingness to help others is one of the reasons Damyanovich was nominated as an MTN Class Act.
It's also something that can sometimes overshadow an impressive running résumé.
Damyanovich earned All-State honors in cross country as a freshman and sophomore, finishing 7th overall in 2024 and 10th in 2025. She’s continued to establish herself as one of CMR's top distance runners. But Kimmet said Damyanovich isn't one to spend much time talking about her accomplishments.
"She is just so humble," Kimmet said. "When you congratulate her and compliment her, it's almost hard for her to take the compliment. I'm like, 'No, what you did is really good.' She's an awesome kid. She is one of the best to have around."
For Damyanovich, being part of the Rustlers means more than her own times and finishes.
"This team is very important to me as a person," she said. "I love being here. I love being able to be a part of all these people's lives. There's nobody here that I don't love spending time with."
Away from running, Damyanovich takes pride in her academics and spending time with her family.
Her grandparents live less than half a mile away, and Damyanovich has also spent time riding along with her mom, Jessica, who runs the Bookmobile for the Great Falls Public Library.
"It's really fun to see her in that environment and how many people she's able to reach out to and how many patrons she knows," Damyanovich said. "It's really cool."
Whether it's family, classmates, teammates or even the runner wearing a different jersey, Damyanovich said the philosophy is the same.
"Kindness is very important because you don't know what anybody's going through and you don't know where anybody is in their life," she said. "The least you can do is respect them and be kind to others. And if they need support with something, be there for them."
Damyanovich spends plenty of time trying to get to the finish line first.
But once she gets there, she's looking back to see who she can help.
That's what makes Stella Damyanovich an MTN Class Act.
