Johnny Gustavsen, Keston Osborne win grade school race

Bridger Luebke and Sophia Houchin led Butte High’s cross country runners Thursday at the Butte High Cross Country Carnival.

The Great Falls Russell boys and Gallatin girls ran to team titles at a Highland View Golf Course that was packed with runners from grade school through college. (Results)

Alex Scott of Preston, Idaho won the boys’ varsity race. He finished the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 9 seconds. Quinell Yellowtail of Billings Senior took second at 16:27, beating teammate Oliver Brown by one second. Peyton Johnson of CMR took third at 16:32.

Luebke, a senior, placed 37th with a time of 18:01. Bulldog junior Isaac Zell ran his best race of the season, placing 40th at 18:03.

The race saw 122 boys cross the finish line.

Sophomore Jason Real also broke 19 minutes. He clocked a time of 18:53. Senior Colton Yoakum (19:04) and sophomore Kai Schueler (19:05) just missed breaking 19 minutes for the Bulldogs.

Also running for Butte High’s varsity were juniors Jack Taylor (20:58) and Jere Moen (22:47)

Eighth grader Ryan Byrne led Butte Central, finishing in 20:47. Senior Joe Bradshaw (21:50) and freshman Roman Terry (22:31) also ran for the Maroons.

Anaconda’s Gage Novak, who has family roots in the Mining City, posted a time of 18:40.

The Rustlers posted 50 points for the team title. Billings Senior was second at 74, followed by Billings Skyview at 140. Butte High placed 11th out of 15 teams with 253.

Kallie Clayton of Billings Senior won the girls’ varsity race. She finished in 18:26, beating second-place Avery Young of Missoula Big Sky by 16 seconds. Ceclia Huckeby of Big Sky took third at 18:59.

Houchin, a sophomore, placed 19th out of 105 runners with a time of 20:37. Junior Penelope Luebke took 38th in 21:28.

BC sophomore Ashley White finished in 24:29.

Gallatin posted 66 points for the team win. Helena High took second at 102, beating Billings West by one point.

In the 2.5-kilometer middle school race, East Middle School eighth grader Bentley Detonancour placed fourth in 8:57. William Grusonik of Bozeman won with a time of 8:13.

West Elementary fifth grader Johnny Gustavsen won the 1-mile grade school race, finishing in 6:06. Maragret Leary sixth grader Nick Daly took second in 6:12, and Hillcrest sixth grader Jace Graham placed third in 6:14.

Hillcrest took the boys’ team title with 31 points. Whittier was next at 69, followed by West at 98.

Hillcrest fifth grader Keston Osborne won the girls’ grade school race with a time of 6:37. Whittier sixth grader Shea Withaker was just a second behind at 6:38. Butte Central sixth grader Hazlie Wiley took third in 6:45.

The girls’ team title went to Butte Central with 33 points. Hillcrest was second at 47, and Margaret Leary placed third at 65.