BOZEMAN — Sophia Houchin is apparently ready for the MHSA State Cross Country meet.
The Butte High sophomore, who battled a hip injury all summer and during the first part of the season, placed sixth at the Gallatin Valley Invitational Thursday at Gallatin High School. (Results)
Houchin finished the 5-kilometer race with a season-best time of 20 minutes, 28 seconds to lead the Bulldogs.
Phoebe Maixner of Bozeman won the race, which saw 88 girls compete, in 18:30. Natalie Rutherford of Gallatin was second, followed by Amelia Brown of Belgrade in 20:01.
Junior Penelope Luebke placed 25th for the Bulldogs in 23:08, and classmate Wakely Burleson took 30th with a time of 23:24.
The race featured varsity and junior varsity runners competing together. Cambree O’Neill (28:57), Sofia Tarabella (29:19), Lynn Wiltsie (31:19), Evelyn Hardman (31:31), Lainee Walsh-Hill (33:10) and Hayden Hiltunen (33:50) also ran for the Bulldogs.
Bozeman won the team title with 28 points. Gallatin took second at 42, and Manhattan finished third at 104. Butte High placed fifth at 126.
Bozeman’s Taylor Neil won the boys’ race with a time of 15:55. Teammate Branlin Foote took second at 16:38, and Bridger Waren of Gallatin finished third at 16:54.
Sophomore Kai Schueler paced the Bulldogs. He finished 18th out of 100 with a time of 18:26.
Senior Colton Yoakum (19:20) and sophomore Jason Real (19:57) broke the 20-minute mark for the Bulldogs. Junior Jere Moen crossed in 20:13, and junior Jack Taylor finished in 20:20.
Lyric Haston (21:18), Kaylor Smith (21:24), Zander Dent (22:51), Brian Poole (23:34), Jacob Gustavsen (25:21), Emmett Hedval (26:15), Nico Schuler (26:22), Leonardo Parada (27:45), Case Richardson (27:49) and Kyle Van Elsberg (29:52) also ran for Butte High.
With 18 points, Bozeman won the boys’ team title. Gallatin was second at 63, and Belgrade finished third in 82. Butte High finished fifth with 143 points.
The meet was the final tuneup for the Bulldogs before next Saturday’s State meet in Billings.
