Chalk up another state title for the Braves cross-country team.The Braves took home their fourth straight state title after facing little competition at the state meet in Helena.

   "There is always something that could make you have a bad race," said junior Kurt Michels. "There was never really any doubt, though, that we would win."

   Senior Seth Watkins earned himself a first place finish with a time of 14:53.

   "I felt really good about the race," said Watkins. "I kept telling myself I could catch up to David (Vidal). Then I had a surge of adrenaline at the last 200. The pain went away for a while and I just passed him."

   This is Watkin’s third time at state. Despite poor weather conditions, Watkins dropped 13 seconds off of his best time last year.

   Behind Watkins, teammates David Vidal and Kurt Michels finished second and third with times of 15:07 and 15:08.

   "The race felt good," said Michels. "It was exciting to take 1,2,3 at state."

   Michels, though pleased with this year’s performance, sets his sights higher for next year.

   "I plan to be state champ," said Michels.

   Other FHS runners were sophomore Caleb Ambrose, ninth, 15:47, Eric Bundy, thirteenth, 15:54, sophomore Brian Thorne, seventeenth, 16:13, and junior Tim Denney, who finished twenty-seventh, with a time of 16:45.

   The boys ended up with a score of 28. They placed five runners in the top 13. The top 15 runners are awarded all-state honors.

   The girls also put out an excellent performance with a second-place finish.

   "I knew we could get first or second," said senior Hillary Buettner. "I was excited with how we did."

   The Bravettes finished second behind GFH.

   The girls finished with three runners in the top fifteen. Sophomore Andrea Foot led the Bravettes with a fifth-place finish in a time of 19:01. Behind Foot, freshman Erin Windauer was twelfth, 19:30, and junior Julia McKinnon was fifteenth with a time of 19:43.

   Other Flathead runners were sophomore Chelsea Brist who finished seventeenth, 19:47, junior Annie Grayson, twenty-first, in 19:55, sophomore Melissa Hill, thirtieth, in 20:30, and Hillary Buettner was thirtyfirst, 20:30.

   This was the fifteenth year the Bravettes have finished in the top three at state.

   "I think that kind of record shows how solid our team is," said Grayson. "Since our team is so young we will definitely be going for the state title next year."

   With the regular high school season over, the team prepares for the Foot Locker meet in California, on Dec. 3. The top eight finishers will get the chance to compete at nationals in Florida.

   "We’re practicing every day," said Vidal. " We have the possiblity of getting two or three of us to nationals and that’s pretty amazing."

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