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Episode No 377: Tim Cronnelly
Today’s guest was a teammate of Hall of Famers at Butte Central. He went on to a Hall of Fame career in his own right.
He competed on a BC basketball team that placed fourth at the Class A State tournament in Missoula in March of 1982. He was also a high jumper on a Central boys’ track team that brought home the team tile from Missoula that May.
After graduating from Montana State University, Tim Cronnelly then went onto a legendary career as a teacher, coach and activities director. In early August, Cronnelly was honored for his career with an induction in to the Idaho High School Activities Association Hall of Fame.
The honor was in recognition of more than 35 years of dedication to education and interscholastic athletes. He built a legacy that was defined by leadership, service and commitment to students.
That career began in Baker, Montana in 1987. It included stops in Idaho at Horseshoe Bend, Cascade, Lakeland and Timberlake. After his retirement in 2022, Tim continued to be part of the Idaho Athletic Administration Association and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He is currently a part of an Idaho mentoring program aimed at training and retaining high school activities directors.
Yesterday, I met with Tim over Zoom for a fun conversation. Listen in as he talks about that career that started under some incredible teachers and role models at Butte Central.
Listen as he talks about playing with and against with some Mining City sports legends. Listen for his take on Egg Night, and how his Idaho collogues do not believe it really happened.
Listen as he talks about learning he was selected for the Hall of Fame and how he was not the only Butte native in the Class of 2026.
Today’s episode is presented by the Jewelry Design Center. Let Brian Toone and Co. be your jewelers for life. It is also available on YouTube:
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BC’s McGrees finish among leaders at Frenchtown Invitational
FRENCHTOWN — Another golf tournament, another top-10 finish for Butte Central’s Mya and Beau McGree.
The Maroon siblings are now 4 for 4 in top-10 finishes on the prep golf season. This time, it came as BC competed with a crowded field at the Frenchtown Invitational, which was played at the par-72 King Ranch Golf Course. (Girls’ scores; Boys’ scores)
The tournament included 11 of the 12 teams in the Western A.
Mya McGree, a freshman, fired a 92 to place seventh on the girls’ side. She followed a 47 with a 45 on the back nine.
Cameron Burnett of Hamilton shot a 75 to run away with medalist honors. Karlee Brown of Whitefish took second at 81, and Skylar LaPierre of Dillon and Ryhlee Scott of Whitefish tied for third at 85.
Jillian Wagner of Whitefish took fifth at 85, and Keegan Campbell of Bigfork took sixth at 87.
Whitefish won the team title at 349. Frenchtown took second at 434, and Dillon finished third at 451. McGree is the lone girl player for the Maroons.
On the boys’ side, Beau McGree, a junior, followed a 42 with a 38 to tie for ninth place at 80. He tied Brayden Garr and Hunter Mittlestadt of Frenchtown.
Mason O’Neil of Whitefish shot a 4-under-par 68 to run away with medalist honors. Oliver Rowe of Ronan tied for second at 74 with Oliver Rowe and Whitefish’s Zach Schmid-Sommer and Nick Schmid-Sommer
Jessup Hutcheson of Whitefish placed sixth at 77, and Ustin Hall of Colombia Falls and Tayden Buhr of Dillon tied for seventh at 78.
Whitefish easily won the team title at 293. Dillon took second at 329, and Stevensville placed third at 337. BC placed ninth at 380.
Connor Kachmarik shot a 90 for the Maroons Cohen Stajcar added a 100, and Ganon Button hit a 110.
The Maroons will head to Livingston for the rescheduled Park Invitational on Monday.
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Bulldogs, Maroons jump into action
The high school fall sports season officially started last week when Butte High’s and Bute Central’s golf teams played their first tournaments.
This week, things kick into high gear as we see the football, flag football, volleyball, soccer and cross country seasons begin. We will look at that and more as we take a lap around Mining City’s high school sports.
Bulldog football opens at Gallatin
A Butte High team that was hit hard by graduation will face a stiff test Friday when it opens the season in Bozeman.
The Bulldogs will battle Gallatin High in a 7 p.m. non-conference game at the new Van Winkle Stadium. (Available Butte High rosters; Butte High schedules)
Gallatin, which also took a big hit from graduation, is coming off a 9-2 season that saw the Raptors advance to the final four of the Class AA playoffs. The Bulldogs finished the 2025 campaign at 3-7. That, though, includes a huge win over Helena Capital that propelled Butte High into the postseason.
Senior Raeder Grey is back after taking over as Butte High’s starting quarterback four games into last season. He completed 56 percent of his passes while throwing for 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Grey is also Butte High’s top returning running threat. He scrambled for 292 yards and three TDs last fall.
Juniors Troy Samson and Calvin Cunningham and sophomore Zyler Petersen also impressed at the quarterback position in last Friday’s Purple-White game.
Junior Kodye Kjersten and senior Brady Walsh are Butte High’s leading returning receivers. Seniors Koda Schleeman and Miner Lee also factored into the Bulldog passing game last year. Lee figures to be a force in the Butte rushing attack along with junior running backs Matt Marsenich and Xavier Jory.
Senior Mason Swanson is the lone returning starter on Butte High’s offensive line.
Senior linebackers Jaeger Hansen and Finn Wortham return to anchor the Bulldog defense. Hansen registered 75 tackles, which was second on the team a year ago. He also picked off a pair of passes and recorded two sacks. Wortham got in on 54 tackles as a junior.
Senior defensive lineman Reece Cunneen is back after an injury limited his junior campaign to six games. Grey and fellow senior/kicker Bradey Doyle both got in on 27 tackles last year, while Kjersten registered 27 take downs.
Wortham and senior lineman Maxximus Pearston each got in on two sacks.
Sophomores Cameron Breitzman, Hunter Anderson, Colton Nasheim and Cooper Carter, juniors Kanyon Flynn and Colt Stneson and senior Nemo Becker also stood out defensively at the Purple-White game.
The Bulldog roster also includes seniors Beau Henderson, Blake Wadas, Evan McEwen, Kasen Snyder, Tyce Snow and Jace Michlig.
Gallatin, which beat Butte High 44-13 in last year’s season opener at Naranche Stadium, brings back senior running back Tyson Scheel. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry last year while chalking up 953 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Bulldogs are led by Area Grey, who is entering his 19th year as head coach of the Bulldogs.
Butte High will play its first home game Sept. 4 against Billings Skyview. The Dogs open Western AA play Sept. 11 at defending Class AA State champion Kalispell Glacier.
Maroons set to host Lions
Butte Central’s football team is looking for back-to-back playoff appearances as it opens the season at home. (Roster; Butte Central schedules)
The Maroons will take on Lockwood in a 7 p.m. non-conference game Friday on Montana Tech’s Bob Green Field.
BC is coming off its first playoff appearance since 2019, and the Maroons will start the campaign against an up-and-coming Lions squad looking to avenge a 27-0 home loss to BC in last year’s season opener. The fast-growing Lockwood school is entering its fifth year of varsity football.
Central enters the season with a full roster of 37 players looking to build on last year’s 5-4 record. That includes 10 seniors, but only three juniors. So the Maroons, per usual, will count on some underclassman to do some heavy lifting.
The Maroons lost some key seniors from last season, including quarterback Ryan Peoples. He took his talents to Montana Tech.
Sophomore Noah Sutton will step into the role at quarterback for the Maroons.
Senior GG Fantini returns after leading the Maroons in receiving a year ago. The speedster caught 30 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.
Other returning receivers include juniors Jaxon Hiatt and Treigh Hollow and seniors Joshua Sutton, Grady Button, Teghan Sparks, Cade Kelly and Burkley Lakkala, a tight end.
Sophomore Henly Mansanti is a dual-threat running back who ran for three touchdowns last fall. Speedy senior Danny McCarthy is also a threat for BC as a runner and receiver.
Seniors Bobby McCarthy, Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien and Jack Nylund will anchor the offensive line for the Maroons.
Most of BC’s players will play both ways.
Head coach Don Peoples enters his 28th year in charge of the Maroons. He was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame last month.
The Maroons will hit the road next week to take on Hardin before returning home for an early homecoming on Sept. 11 against Ronan. BC’s first Southwestern A game is Sept. 25 at Corvallis.
Volleyball teams begin
Butte High’s volleyball team will jump right into the fire.
After opening at home Thursday at 7 p.m. against Belgrade, the Bulldogs go to Billings Saturday to take on West and Senior. The Dogs face West at 12:30 p.m. before meeting Senior at 4:30. Both matches are non-conference affairs.
Five seniors lead the Bulldogs into action as Butte High looks to qualify for the Class AA State tournament for the first time since 2021. They are Avery Barsness, Cadence Graham, Allie Becker, Ellie Yates and Brittyn Klima.
Butte High’s varsity roster also includes juniors Kalee Wright, Rigby Bauer, Janae LaBuff, Gia Field, Shae Foley, Stella Callaghan and Evie Smith along with sophomores Elli Graham, Gabby Gamez, Megan Chiamulera, Saege Grey and Taylor Regan.
After Saturday’s matches, the Bulldogs will have a little break before they open Western AA play Sept. 11 at Kalispell Glacier. They will stay overnight to take on Flathead on Sept. 12.
Butte Central, meanwhile, will have a pair of tipoff tournaments to play before it jumps into conference action. That includes the Western A Tipoff this Friday and Saturday in Dillon. (BC roster)
The Maroons will play at the Southwest/Southeast Tipoff Sept. 4-5 in East Helena.
Central’s first Southwestern A match comes when the Maroons celebrate homecoming Sept. 10 against Stevensville.
BC’s roster includes two seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. The seniors are Rylee Forbes and Presli Smith, and the juniors are Cambri Campbell, Kodee Badovinac, Ayanna Weang, Jaedyn Maldonado and Olivia Scott. Evyn Tippett and Sofia Doto will contribute as sophomores along with freshmen Luci Fantini, Blake Smith and Jordyn Samson.
Bulldog soccer opens at home
Butte High’s soccer teams will see their first action this Thursday and Saturday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.
Butte High will take on Missoula Big Sky on Thursday before battling Missoula Sentinel on Saturday.
Boys’ action begins at 3 p.m. Thursday, with the girls following at 5:30. The girls open play at noon on Saturday. The boys will play at 2:30.
The junior varsity games will be played at the Jeremy Bullock Complex.
Butte High’s girls team includes 11 seniors. They are Alaina Grochowski, Madi McGee, Rylee Radcliffe, Elly Richards, Tyla Roberts, Rory Trafford, Ava Williams, Elizabeth Blacklock, Anell Chavez, Klara Andrejcakova and Key Key Worth.
The eight eniors on the Bulldog boys’ team are Bryce Gratton, Kato Kuusisto, Jaziel Cardenas, Aiden Maesar, Eddie Panisko, Tim Revenaugh, Liam Tauscher and Johan Thieszen.
Numerical rosters for the Bulldogs were not finalized as of Wednesday evening.
Flag football starts Thursday
Butte High’s flag football team will see its first action Thursday when Missoula Sentinel comes to town to take on the Bulldogs at Naranche Stadium.
The varsity game begins at 5 p.m., with the junior varsity playing at 6.
Head coach John Stenson heads into his second season as the head coach of a team that includes 40 players. That includes seniors Kolbie Erickson, Jayda Gustafson, Brooke Johnson, Alexis King and Mackenzie Read.
Juniors on the team are Brylee Ballensky, Addisyn Lambrecht, Lilyi Malone, Audrey Moore, Charliee Richter, Chyanne Robinson, Kenzie Rowe and Danika Walker.
Bulldog runners head to Billings
Butte High’s cross country season starts Friday at the Billings Invitational.
The meet, which is expected to provide a good, early test, begins at noon at Amend Park.
Coach Guy Wadas’ Bulldogs have 17 boys and 13 girls out for the team. That includes senior Valerie Trabert on the girls’ side and seniors Bridger Luebke, Kyle Van Elsberg and Colton Yoakum for the boys.
The Bulldog boys’ team lost Camden Houchin and Levi Wiltsie from last year’s squad. Houchin ran to fourth place, while Wiltsie took 19th at the Class AA State meet. Both runners took their talents to the college ranks.
Sophia Houchin, though, is back for her sophomore season. She ran to 29th place at state for the Bulldogs as a freshman. She placed 40th as an eighth grader.
Luebke and junior Isaac Zell are the only returning boys who ran at state last year.
Juniors Penelope Luebke, Wakely Burleson, Addie Thomson and Cambree O’Neill are back after running at state for the Dogs.
Seniors Jack Holmes and Joe Bradshaw ran for the Maroons at state as juniors. BC opens the season Sept. 8 with the Butte Central Invitational at Fairmont Hot Springs.
BC golfers to play in Frenchtown
Butte Central’s golf teams will play their fourth tournament of the season Thursday when the Maroons head to the Frenchtown Invitational.
Siblings Beau and Mya McGree have placed in the top 10 in each of the first three meets. That includes a win at the BC Invite for Beau McGree, who tied Butte High’s Teagan Yelenich for the title at the Butte High tournament the next day.
BC will play at the Park Invitational in Livingston on Monday. That tournament was rescheduled from earlier this month.
Butte High, which put together a solid performance at the Great Falls Invitational Monday and Tuesday, will play at the Helena Invitational next Wednesday and Thursday at the Bill Roberts Golf Course.
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Muhlestein self-reports scorecard error, disqualified at Great Falls tourney
Lisac eighth, DeShaw one out of top 10
GREAT FALLS — Butte High golfer Jack Muhlestein cost himself a top-five finish Tuesday at the Great Falls Invitational. (Boys’ scores; Girls’ scores)
Butte High first-year head coach Cory Johnston, however, said that the Bulldog junior just might have bought himself some serious karma for down the road.
Muhlestein shot an even-par 71 Tuesday at the Eagle Falls Golf Club. That score would have tied him four fourth place with Austin Kaufman of Helena High on the leaderboard. Muhlestein, though, signed a scorecard that included an accidental scoring error.
He self-reported the mistake, and that meant he was disqualified from the tournament that he just completed. The goof also meant that the Bulldog boys placed fourth instead of third.
Muhlestein’s move, though, impressed many, including Johnston.
“Like I told him, this one will go against you so something bigger goes for you later,” Johnston said of Muhlestein, who shot a 4-over-par 73 Monday at Anaconda Hills Golf Course. “I’m a karma guy.”
Jack Pinski of Great Falls Russell shot consecutive 69s for a 2-under total of 138 to claim medalist honors. He beat Helena Capital’s John Gilbert, who shot a final-round 66, by two shots. Jackson Hageman of CMR placed third at 142.
Butte High freshman Lane Lisac ended up leading the Bulldogs with an eighth-place finish. He followed a 73 with a 78 for a 151 total. Bulldog Junior Teagan Yelenich followed a 76 with an 81 to tie for 13th place at 157.
Miles Choquette improved two shots for an 83 and a 168 total, while fellow Bulldog sophomore Braden Donnelly shot an 89 for a 172.
CMR won the team title at 20 over par for the two days. Capital was second at plus 32, and West finished at plus 72. The Bulldogs were plus 76.
On the girls’ side, Billings Senior won at plus 88. West was second at plus 108, and CMR took third at plus 181. Butte High finished sixth at plus 288.
West’s Anna Fenhaus and Senior’s Payton Tryan tied for the top girls’ spot at 149. Fenhaus followed a 72 with a 77, while Tryan improved three shots Tuesday for a 73.
Clare Jensen of Senior and Paige Loberg of West tied for third at 156.
Butte high senior Kate DeShaw tied for 11th place with Skyview’s Adi Tolle at 185, which was one shot out of the top 10. DeShaw improved three shots for a 91 on the final round.
Bulldog junior Sage Leber hit a 104 for a 201 total.
Also for the Bulldogs, sophomores Lilly Sandoval and Juliea DeShaw each finished at 235, and freshman Lilly Carden shot 241.
The Bulldogs are back in action Sept. 2-3 when they head to the Helena Invitational at the Bill Roberts Golf Course.
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Do not blame these ‘Butte idiots’
Butte tends to be the favorite punching bag for the rest of Montana.
Some of it is deserved, but I would like to think that most of it is not. It is not our fault that you find the landscape of the open-pit mining distasteful. It is not our fault that winter comes on too early and hangs on way too long.
We do not apologize for wearing the fact that we hail from the Mining City on our sleeves like we just served three tours in Fallujah. We also offer no olive branches because we travel better — and louder — with our high school sports teams than other Class AA cities.
Butte people can be a little obnoxious some times, but more often we are the life of the party. We are, after all, the city that produced Evel Knievel and Rob O’Neill. We are also the city that helped the good guys win a pair of world wars, and we take credit for that even if we were not alive to see either effort.
We do not even care that we are often looked down upon as being lesser than Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Billings. We chalk that up to Butte envy. We figure there are two types of people: those who are from Butte and those who wish they were.
So, do not fear for us because we can take those punches. We are, after all, from Butte. We grew up walking to school uphill both ways, fighting our best friends and vicious packs of wild dogs along the way.
We don’t care what you think about us. Just make sure the punches are not cheap shots, or be ready to be punched back.
Last week, a handful of cheap shots came sneaking in on social media after the Montana Carpenter’s Union endorsed Aaron Flint, a right-wing Republican, for Montana’s first congressional house seat.
That announcement was made at a Butte business, so many people have assumed that it was only the Butte carpenters who made the decision. Some of those who were unhappy with the decision made by the union took out their frustrations on the Mining City.
Now, I will not pass judgement on the local’s endorsement of Flint, even if it does not seem to be a good idea for a union to support a candidate who has spent years trashing organized labor on his radio show.
If the carpenters are fine with an endorsement of a guy who has been part of a radio shot that routinely preaches hate against the LGBTQ+ community, among others, pushed dangerous conspiracy theories and showed tepid support for Vladamir Putin, then that is on them.
But this is not a Butte problem. In fact, the only Butte carpenters I have heard from are livid about the decision to endorse Flint over Sam Forstag, a former smoke jumper and union leader on the Democratic ticket.
A lot of people from the “Gibraltar of Unionism” seem to be angry about the endorsement.
In fact, some of the rumblings underground lately were not caused by the Yellowstone super volcano getting ready to blow. It was generations of Butte union members spinning in their graves.
As pissed off as the Missoula Democrats might have been about the carpenters endorsing Flint, the decision sent way more ripples through the Mining City.
A left-leaning Facebook page called “The Montana Resistance,” though, put Butte in the crosshairs with a post that read “Pro-data center Butte carpenters union endorses Aaron Flint (sic).”
The administrator of the site with 25,000 followers responded to a person who pointed out that Flint has a history of being anti-union with the following: “Exactly! He has called out unions and their destruction for years! Butte idiots.”
That statement is wrong on multiple levels. For one thing, Montana Carpenters Union Local 82 is not a “Butte union.” It is a union that represents carpenters in all corners of the Treasure State.
The union is headquartered in Great Falls, even though some prideful Butte carpenters worked hard to breathe new life into the Butte Carpenters Union Hall on Granite Street.
Newspaper publisher Jesse Mullen jumped to Butte’s defense, pointing out that these Missoula Democrats are doing themselves no favors by calling people from Butte “idiots.” Those same Democrats then sit back and wonder why they just cannot seem to win an election in Montana anymore.
I pointed out that comment about Butte was a cheap shot that was highly inaccurate. Blaming Butte instead of any other city in the state makes no sense. I would guess that there are more union carpenters in Billings and Missoula. So why not blame those cities?
Calling union carpenters “idiots” over the candidate they endorse is so far from fair, too.
Presumably, the No. 1 reason they made the endorsement is because Flint is pro data centers, and those data centers mean jobs for the union workers. At least in the short term.
As a boy who saw his dad travel all around the country to find union electrical work throughout the 1980s, I can certainly sympathize with that.
Everybody should be able to see that side. It doesn’t matter you are 100 percent for data centers, 100 percent against them, or, like me, a skeptic who would like to see the public involved in data center decisions, you should have a soft spot for the working men and women looking for work.
Flint told them he supports building data centers. Forstag, meanwhile, continues to sit on the fence on the subject. Making a decision based on your wallet in these tough economic times does not make a person an idiot.
When you are wondering how you are going to make your next mortgage payment, you are not too worried about the long-term effects that data centers will have on the environment or electrical rates.
Also, some of these carpenters are probably sick of working on the road, away from their families. They see the possibility of jobs in town, and they like that idea.
They might be wrong (and they might be right, too), but to put such a label on them is entirely unfair. It is also counterproductive.
I would feel that way even if Butte did not take some undeserved shots in the process. You cannot call people names and then hope that they will join you in a voting bloc in the next election.
Attack the billionaires willing to trash our land so they can benefit from an artificial intelligence bubble that is bound to burst. Do not attack working men and women looking to get a step ahead.
The author of the post responded to my message about his cheap shot. He admitted that it was wrong, and he told me he was sorry. He did not address the comment publicly, however.
Of course, it is not me he owes an apology to. I am not a carpenter. I barely survived carpentry class at Butte High will all five digits on each hand.
The apology should be delivered to some hard-working union members who are not morons simply because they have a difference stance on data centers. It should be issued to all the people of Butte who do not appreciate being called idiots — even the ones who really are idiots.
It would probably be a good idea to offer that mea culpa before everybody’s favorite punching bag decides to punch back.
— Bill Foley, who has been called an idiot before, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 or Bluesky at @foles74.bsky.social. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Bulldogs Muhlestein, Lisac tied for fifth at Great Falls Invitational
BLACK EAGLE — Butte High junior Jack Muhlestein and freshman Lane Lisac are tied for fifth place after the first day of the Great Falls Invitational golf tournament. (Boys’ scores; Girls’ scores)
The Bulldog teammates each shot a 4-over-par 73 Monday on the par-69 Anaconda Hills Golf Course on the first round of the two-day tournament.
Jackson Hageman of Great Falls Russell fired a 3-under 66 to take the first-day lead. Teammate Jack Pinski is second at 69. Helena High’s Austin Kaufman sits in third at 71, and CMR’s Grant Golik holds down fourth at 72.
The Rustlers shot a lights-out 283 to take the team lead. Helena Capital is second at 299, and Billings West is third at 302. Butte High sits in fourth at 305. The Bulldogs are 26 shots ahead of fifth-place Helena High.
Butte High junior Teagan Yelenich is tied for 12th place at 76. Sophomore Braden Donnelly shot an 83, and sophomore Miles Choquette hit an 85.
Billings West took the team lead on the girls’ side with a 315. Billings Senior is second at 319, and CMR is third at 357. Butte High sits in sixth place at 413.
Billings Senior’s Clare Jensen fired a 1-under-par 68 to take the first-round lead. West’s Anna Fenhaus is second at 72, three shots ahead of teammate Paige Loberg.
Senior Kate DeShaw shot a 94 to lead the Bulldogs. She is tied for 18th place. Junior teammate Sage Leber hit a 97 and holds down 20th place. Also for the Bulldogs, sophomore Lilly Sandoval carded a 110, sophomore Julia DeShaw hit a 112, and freshman Lily Carden hit a 124.
The tournament will move across the river to the Eagle Falls Golf Club for Tuesday’s final round. Play begins at 9 a.m.
Follow along with the tournament live on the Golf Genius app. The GGID is GFINVITE2026.
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Episode No. 376: Cory Johnston
He did not know it at the time, but one overtime loss turned out to be a very good thing for Cory Johnston.
Johnston, a senior at Glasgow High School at the time, fell 1-0 to Danny Trujillo of Arlee in the 112-pound championship match of the Class B-C state wrestling tournament at the Billings Metra.
At the time, Johnston thought that was his last match. He could not, however, end his career like that. So, Johnston decided to wrestle at Dickinson State University, where he became an All-American.
He also earned a degree that helped him become a math teacher and a coach. He coached in Glasgow, following the footsteps of his father, Mark. Then he coached at Ronan.
This school year, Johnston will enter his 12th year as Butte High’s wrestling coach. He also recently added a new title. Johnston is the Bulldogs’ new head golf coach.
After serving as an assistant to Eric Mankins for the past several years, Johnston moved up into the position when Mankins accepted a job as principal of Butte High’s Career Center.
On Friday, I met with Cory at the Butte High coaches’ office for a fun conversation. Listen in as he talks about his deep Mining City roots, even though he grew up in Northeast Montana.
Listen as he talks about how he always knew his career path would take him to Butte. Listen to hear the passion for wrestling that has helped him turn the Butte High wrestling program into a perennial contender for hardware at the state tournament.
Listen in to hear that he still thinks about that one loss.
Today’s episode is presented by Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales team that always has your back.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Mya and Beau McGree
Butte Central golfing siblings Mya and Beau McGree are this week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week.
The honors come after the two Maroons started the 2026 season the same way they finished the 2025 campaign. They are turning heads.
Mya, a freshman, takes home the girls’ honor. The Maroons played three tournaments in the first week of the season, and she played well in all three. She placed fourth at the Butte Central Invitational Monday at the Highland View Golf Course before finishing fifth at the Butte High Invitational Tuesday at Fairmont.
Then, McGree placed seventh in a crowded Western A field at Thursday’s Ronan Invitational. The fast start to the season comes after McGree qualified for the 2025 Class A State tournament as an eighth grader.
Beau, a junior, receives the boys’ award after a blistering start to the season. He defended his title at the Butte Central Invitational on Monday. Then he tied for top honors with Butte High’s Teagan Yelenich Tuesday at Fairmont.
McGree then closed the week by tying for 10th place in Ronan. McGree earned All-State honors last fall by tying for 13th place at state with his brother Will, who now plays golf for Montana Tech.
Since the beginning of 2023, Leskovar Honda, home of the non-commission sales staff that always has your back, has teamed up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
Photos of Mya and Beau McGree are courtesy Alycia Holland Photography.
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Episode No. 375: Kelvin Sampson
There is probably no need for an introduction for today’s guest. You know who Kelvin Sampson is.
Currently, the 70-year-old Sampson is the head coach of the University of Houston’s highly-successful men’s basketball program.
He’s won multiple national Coach of the Year awards, and he took the Cougars to the Final Four in 2021 and 2025. He also took Oklahoma to the Final Four in 2002.
He coached at Indiana, and he was an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets in the NBA.
Before all of that, though, Kelvin Sampson, as Jud Heathcote told him, took Montana Tech’s men’s basketball program from oblivion to obscurity.
Of course, the immediate years following that phone call from the legendary Heathcote were the “Camelot Years” at Montana Tech. Extra seating had to be brought into the HPER Complex to accommodate all the people who wanted to watch Sampson’s high-flying Orediggers win the Frontier Conference title in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
Next Saturday, Aug. 29, Coach Sampson will return to the Mining City to host a camp on Montana Tech’s Kelvin Sampson Court. Click here for more information and to register for that camp.
This morning, I caught up with Coach Sampson over Zoom for a really fun conversation. Listen in as he talks about starting his coaching career and how he and his wife, Karen, had to look on an atlas to find Montana.
Listen in as he talks about so many of the players, assistant coaches and families who helped him in his days in Butte. Listen in to hear that the Mining City still holds a special place in Coach Sampson’s heart.
Today’s episode is presented by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat. (Photo above is from the University of Houston men’s basketball website.)
This episode is also available on YouTube:
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Central’s McGrees crack top 10 at crowded Ronan golf tournament
RONAN — Butte Central golfers Mya and Beau McGree each placed in the top 10 Thursday at the Ronan Invitational.
The golf tournament at the Mission Mountain Golf Club drew most of the teams in the Western A. In all, 59 boys and 41 girls competed on the par-72 course. (Girls’ results; Boys’ results)
Mya McGree, a freshman, fired a 95 to tie for seventh place with Sara Dumouchel of Polson and Brooklyn Bieber of Frenchtown.
Cameron Burnett of Hamilton won medalist honors on the girls’ side with an impressive 75. Skylar LaPierre of Dillon was second at 80, followed by Ryhlee Scott of Whitefish.
Whitefish won the team title at 380, beating second-place Corvallis at 388. Hamilton took third at 389. McGree is the lone girl playing for the Maroons.
On the boys’ side, junior Beau McGree carded a 5-over-par 77 to tie for 10th place with Bentley Cady of Columbia Falls and Ashton Taylor of Whitefish.
The top-10 performance came after McGree won the Butte Central Invitational on Monday and tied for first at the Butte High Invitational on Tuesday.
Max Milton of Polson lit up the course for an 8-under 64 for medalist honors. Dylan Wirt of Corvallis and Mason O’Neil of Whitefish tied for second at 72. Dillon’s Cooper Clarke took fourth at 73.
Polson won the team title with a 301. Whitefish took second in the 12-team field at 304, and Columbia Falls took third at 318.
BC placed eighth at 356. Connor Kachmarik shot an 87 for the Maroons. Cohen Stajcar shot a 95, and Ganon Button finished at 97.
The busy Maroon golfers will wrap up the four-tournament week Friday in Livingston.
Scorecards for each golfer are available on the Golf Genius app. The GGID is RONANINVITE2026.
Update: the Livingston tournament was postponed until later in the season.
