Maughan sisters excel at Rebecca Farms

KALISPELL – The Seeley-Swan Cross Country team took to the course at Rebecca Farms Sept. 7. The Maughan sisters, Sariah for the varsity and Emily in the middle school races, set the pace. Sariah finished ninth in the field of 86 varsity girls and Emily swept the middle school girls race finishing five seconds ahead of her closest competitor.

Varsity Race – 3.2 miles

More than 20 schools competed in the meet with 100 racers in the Varsity Boys, 86 in the Varsity Girls.

The Varsity girls included Sariah, Hannah Ayers and Jayla Kauffman. Head Coach Zelda Haines said Sariah and Hannah started in the lead pack setting a comfortable 6:20 mile pace. When they hit the long gradual hill, Hannah cramped up headed up the hill and had to drop out. Haines attributed it to the heat and wind.

Sariah finished strong for her first race in high school 21:07.30 earning her ninth place almost a minute ahead of last year's Class C Champion Gracie Lang of Darby. Kauffman also finished in 34:29.89, qualifying her for state.

Logan Robinson, Cordell Turner and Levi Reinitz represented SSHS for the boys. Haines said that Robinson and Turner hung together for the race. Robinson finished in 22:39.63 and Turner was right behind in 23:19.48. Reinitz finished in 25:45.09.

"It wasn't their fastest times," said Haines who added Robinson and Turner were both struggling with physical challenges. "I was just pleased that they both finished."

Middle School Race – 1.5 miles

Haines said that eighth grader Emily Maughan "wasn't a one trip pony" crossing the finish line first again in the Middle School race with a time of 9:25.61 for the mile and a half race. She was ahead of 118 other racers.

Haines said she followed the fastest girl around the course until the last 150 yards, "then she turned on her kick and won it."

"That Whitefish girl [Finley McCarthy] had a pretty long stride on ya, I told Emily," said Haines. "Emily said, 'yeah it felt like two and half the size of mine.'"

Eighth graders Tru Good and Tia Good competed in their first race. Haines said they ran together the entire race, "and found all kinds of energy coming down that long hill coming into the chute. I said 'use your free gas' and they did and said they felt good doing it."

Tru crossed the finish line first in 12:35 followed by Tia in 12:37 earning them 53 and 54th places in a field of 119 middle school girls.

"I was really tickled with that," said Haines. "That is very good for not having ever done a cross country race before."

Sixth grader Sam Ayers competed in the Middle School boys field of 151 racers. He finished 85th in 12:15.67.

"That is really good because there are so many big eighth graders.

Haines said he was coming down the big hill next to Silas Ypma from Columbia Falls who was out-striding him. He decided to hang back until the chute and then sneak up and pass him.

"That is exactly what he did," said Haines.

The team will compete in Pablo Saturday, Sept. 15.