Prep Notebook: Cross country teams in Helena for 7 on 7

If you’ve been in the back of the pack all year, this could be your week.

That’s because the Helena 7 on 7 cross country meet, slated for Thursday at noon at Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena, provides for a change from the normal format and allows runners of all abilities to take home gold medals.

“It’s kind of different,” GFH head coach Bob Stingley said. “Their idea when they started putting in on was it gives the kids that might be a No. 7 runner and never gets a chance to lead a race or win a race, it’s gives them a chance to shine a little bit. And that’s kind of neat.”

All 14 Class AA schools will compete, with the junior varsity to start things off. There will be nine races in total, including seven varsity races, as each team’s No. 7 runner will race against each other, then No. 6 against No. 6 and so on.

“It kind of makes for a long day,” Stingley said, “but it’s interesting.”

The three-mile length remains the same and overall team scores will be totaled.

Teagan Olson will run first for the boys’ team while Connor Dennis will go second. Laura Duffy and Veda Root will be the girls’ top two runners, but the order had yet to be determined, Stingley said.

“Laura Duffy and Veda Root have been kind of going back and forth a little bit,” he said.

Duffy’s top 15 finish last Saturday in Butte was one of the highlights of her season so far, the head coach said.

“That was probably her best race of the year and looked real comfortable doing it,” Stingley said.

Dennis has also impressed.

“At the (Great Falls Invitational) here, Connor ran a really good race,” Stingley said. “ … So that was kind of a breakout race for him because he hadn’t really shown that yet.”

The C.M. Russell High teams of head coach Nathan Gregier are led by talented runners such as Trisha Carlson, Sydney Dickinson, Roya Blake and Mackenzie George, Collin Buck, Vincent Bohl and Cooper West.

THIS WEEKEND is littered with great football games.

In Class AA, the top-ranked Billings Senior (6-0) travels to Bozeman (5-1) to face the second-ranked Hawks (5-1). Helena High, No. 3 in the Tribune Top 25, has its crosstown game with Helena Capital (4-2) on Saturday at Vigilante Stadium

In Class B action on Friday, Conrad (1-1 league, 3-2 overall) visits top-ranked Fairfield (1-0, 5-0) in District 1B play, and Shelby (0-1, 2-3) is at Choteau (1-1, 2-3) for a pivotal game that has playoff implications.

BUTTE HIGH provides the opposition for Great Falls High and CMR volleyball teams this weekend. The Rustlers of coach Theresa Besich travel to the Mining City Thursday night at 7. Then on Saturday, the Great Falls High Bison of coach Katherine Sunwall play host to the Bulldogs at 2 p.m. in Swarthout Fieldhouse.

IT"S A BIG weekend for the soccer teams at Great Falls High and CMR, who are battling for playoff position in their respective conference races.

Strong squads from Bozeman and Billings West will be in Great Falls both Friday and Saturday to take on the Electric City teams at Siebel Soccer Park.

On Friday, the CMR teams take on Bozeman and the Great Falls High squads battle Billings West. The girls' games are at 3 p.m. and the boys play at 5.

Then on Saturday, the Rustlers tangle with West and the Bison take on Bozeman. The girls' game are at 11 a.m. and the boys' contests start at 1 p.m.