The sports action in the Flathead Valley is never-ending. With five public high schools playing more than nine sanctioned boys and girls sports each season, numerous clubs for youth and adults, and endless outdoor activities throughout the year, you’ll find the best moments and stories. It’s difficult to narrow it down. But that’s exactly what we tried to do. A collection of stories of sporting glory and opportunity from 2023.
Valkyrie of Victory
In the Class B swansong season, the Bigfork Valkyries recorded their best record in history, defeating Big Timber in the state championship to end the season undefeated.
Inside the Bigfork High School gymnasium in February, dozens of red, white and blue banners adorn the walls, marking the numerous state championships the Valkyries and Vikings have won over the years. But there is a glaring omission among the pennants that pile up honors each year for champions in football, cross country and men’s basketball. There was no banner for a girls basketball team that had never reached the pinnacle of high school sports success.
This year, the Valkyries changed that. Read about the team here and about their state championship win here.
Glacier Nordic athletes shine at national competitions
Maeve Ingelfinger wins the skating sprint at the U18 USSA Junior National Championships, increasing GNC’s small but mighty presence on the national scene.
3 minutes 34 seconds. This is the course at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Whitefish cross-country skier Maeve Ingelfinger raced Tuesday to win the U18 USSA Junior National Championships individual skating sprint title. That’s the time I spent running as fast as I could.
Ingelfinger, who competed in the Nordic ski three-race series at the Fairbanks Junior Nationals (JN), placed third in Monday’s 7.5-kilometer classic race, won the second heat of Tuesday’s skate sprint, and had the fastest qualifying time. He advanced to the afternoon finals. . Due to the weather, the sprint heat was delayed until late afternoon, leaving Maeve to compete in the evening final. Please see here for the detail.
Best to Prepare — Winter 2023
Among the many notable athletes who competed in the 2022-2023 winter sports season, Justin Windauer’s individual victory stands out as the Wildcats earn the program’s second team wrestling title. contributed to.
School: Columbia Falls
Class: Senior
State Tournament: Champion, 160 lbs.
It may be difficult for a returning state champion to aim higher for his final season, but Justin was in a unique position to raise the bar with the backing of a top-notch Wildcats team. “I focused on winning the team title again this year instead of my individual title. Winning my own title was just a stepping stone to winning the team trophy.” Justin said his teammates knew from the beginning of the season that they had a chance to win the Class A championship, and their confidence only grew as the season progressed. “Starting with the first practice and going through each tournament, each kid stepped up and improved, which is a testament to having seniors like Justin to look up to,” coach Jesse Shafer said. At the state tournament, Justin said it was clear after the first round that if the Wildcats performed “half as well as we expected,” they would be on their way to the championship. “Obviously there’s always pressure in state, but the players all responded very well.” They won by nearly 50 points.
Learn more about Flathead Valley’s other top high school athletes here.
baseball bat opening season
In the first year of Montana High School Association sanctioned baseball, the Whitefish Bulldogs advanced to the state finals.
Whitefish Bulldogs coach Kyler Blaise said when baseball’s inaugural season was postponed due to persistent winter weather, “kids want to come to practice and play baseball that may not be available to them.” I want to dive there,” he said. “They’re excited to go out and wear the green and gold.”
However, the slow start did not diminish Whitefish’s ability on the diamond, and the Bulldogs qualified for their first-ever MHSA state championship, just shy of the title with Polson.
Pickleball provides a competitive social outlet
The Flathead Valley has wholeheartedly embraced recreational and competitive sports, which have seen astronomical growth nationally.
The storm continued for three days in early August. Wow wow and dinks It could be heard around the Jewel Basin Center near Bigfork.
The source of the noise was the Crown of the Continent Pickleball Tournament, the Flathead Valley’s largest pickleball event and venue for the U.S. Senior Pickleball Circuit. For the third year, Bigfork’s Two Rivers Pickleball Club hosted this tournament, drawing more than 250 players to its world-class pickleball center.
“We’ve really become a destination tournament for players across the country,” said Keith Oli, co-manager of the Two Rivers Pickleball Club and co-owner of the Jewel Basin Center. “I hear over and over again how amazing the tournaments and our facilities are and how special they feel.” Learn more.
on deck
The Whitefish Skatepark Association concluded its fundraising efforts to expand the Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark earlier this year, with construction completed by late summer, providing additional opportunities for local skateboarders.
After nearly two years of fundraising, construction and dreaming up a new future for skateboarding in the Flathead Valley, the expanded Dave Olseth Memorial Skatepark is now open in Whitefish.
On a Friday afternoon in late September, more than a dozen skateboarders and bikers of all ages traversed the park’s brand new facility. Parents watched as older skaters taught newcomers how to use the land, and elementary school children tried out scooters. Learn more about the expanded skatepark here.
Following the success of Whitefish, a potential site for the Columbia Falls Skate Park was also identified.
roller derby is back
Three years after all roller derby competitions were canceled due to the coronavirus, Flathead Valley Roller Derby members are ready to start skating competitively.
The last time Jeanne Langan laced up her skates, wrote the number 63 on her upper arm and brought out her competitive alter ego, Veruca Slaughter, was February 29, 2020.
Fortunately for Langan, he doesn’t have to wait until another leap year to get to the rink.
Langan is a member of Kalispell’s Big Mountain Misfits roller derby team. The sport has been on hiatus for three years since the pandemic first emerged in Montana. Please see here for the detail.
Third time’s the charm: Whitefish Bulldogs win Class A girls soccer final.
On October 28, the Whitefish Bulldogs defeated the Columbia Falls Wildcats 3-1 at Smith Fields.
After close calls in 2020 and 2022, the Whitefish Bulldogs finally hoisted the Class A state soccer championship trophy with a 3-1 victory over the Columbia Falls Wildcats on Saturday.
With the win, the Bulldogs added a third title to the program’s storied history, having appeared in the championship game seven times since 2006, when they last topped it.
“People often say we’re trying to break through a glass ceiling, but I felt like we were trying to break through a titanium wall,” Whitefish coach Roland Benedict said after the game. “It feels amazing.” Read more about the championship game here.
Best to prepare — Fall 2023
The best way to document a season’s worth of success by local athletes is through Best of Preps photo shoots and articles. This fall, Flathead Valley soccer, golf, cross country, flag football and tackle football players shined on the fields, greens and gridirons.
School: Glacier
Class: Junior
Prefectural tournament: 2nd place
During the first golf tournament of the year, Sam, who was playing on the back nine, recalled talking with his fellow competitors about who would emerge as the individual champion later in the year. Before anyone mentioned Sam’s name, several top players’ names were being bandied about. “When I heard that, I was in disbelief. I mean, I had to go a long way to get to the top, so to see myself get there and finish in a tie for first place was great. , it was a weird full-circle moment for me.” The road to the state tournament certainly felt like a long one for Engelland, who missed his sophomore season due to a cerebrospinal fluid leak. He missed several months of school, but after surgery he was allowed low-intensity activity and spent his fall golf season as a team manager. “It was really eye-opening to see the game from that perspective. And by the time I finally came back, it was really beneficial for me. I mean, I appreciate everything so much more. The tournament It was something I took for granted, but I truly love every opportunity I get to tee off.” His recovery and subsequent return to full swing was relatively quick this year, and Engelland was soon aiming for the top of the podium. For the second year in a row, his Class AA individual title was taken to the playoffs. Engeland and Skyview’s Ty Boone both had bogeys on the first hole of the playoff, but Engeland missed the putt on the second hole. However, his runner-up finish was high enough for the Wolfpack to win the team title. “At the beginning of the season we knew we were going to do well, but it takes a lot of effort to actually make it happen. When we realized we had won, for what we had done, It’s been an experience of absolute excitement and joy. It’s amazing to know that you have a special ability or talent and to see it come to fruition.”
See the full Best of Preps lineup here.