KALISPELL — Unlike previous years where the 4×400 meters relay decided the team title, Gallatin’s 13-point lead over Helena erased all doubt. Instead, Raptors head coach Chantel Jaeger-Smith told the group to treat the race as “their victory lap.”
Junior Izzie Donaghey said the relay was the “cherry on top” for Gallatin. The team of Donaghey, senior Isabel Ross, senior Claire Rutherford and sophomore Hazel Cooper earned the Raptors a second-place finish in 3 minutes, 58.43 seconds.
Gallatin senior Isabel Ross, center, runs the anchor leg of the girls 4×400 meters relay at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
Her prediction came true Saturday, with the Gallatin girls claiming their first Class AA team title by defeating Helena 100-83. Jaeger-Smith said the title was a product of the entire group staying steady all season, even when they were “thrown some curveballs” on and off the track.
“I knew we could do it if we all worked together and did our part, which is exactly what we did,” Donaghey said, adding, “I’m really tired, but I’m so proud of everybody.”
Donaghey and Jaeger-Smith also pointed to the depth of the Raptors that led to the state title. Gallatin placed in every flat track event from the 100 meters to the 3,200 meters, along with the 100-meter hurdles, shot put, javelin, high jump, long jump and both relays.
Gallatin seniors Claire Rutherford and Isabel Ross (center) hold the Class AA first place trophy and celebrate with teammates at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
“Gallatin High as a whole, the ladies had a podium year,” Jaeger-Smith said. “It’s just really great that we had a good spread of girls all around. Regardless of class, regardless of event, they showed up, and they did great.”
The Raptors added eight individual medals Saturday. In the 1,600 meters, Ross finished first (personal-record 4:53.60), Cooper placed second (4:57.05 PR) and Rutherford placed fifth (5:06.95). Donaghey placed third in both the 100 (12.54) and 200 (25.24).
Junior Anita Black also placed fourth in the 100 hurdles (15.71). Senior Ava Dierolf (124 feet, 3 inches) placed fourth and sophomore Kate Breeding (122-08 PR) placed fifth in the javelin.
Gallatin senior Ava Dierolf competes in the girls javelin at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
After winning the 800 title Friday, Ross completed the double in similar fashion by leading the whole way alongside Cooper. Ross continued pushing the pace in the back half and beat her previous best time by nearly five seconds.
“It doesn’t really feel real until you cross that finish line,” Ross said, adding, “ I’m just really proud of myself. I fought for that gold medal kind of my whole high school career, and to get two at state my senior year, it’s kind of bittersweet.”
Gallatin senior Isabel Ross and sophomore Hazel Cooper lead the girls 1,600 meters at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
Ross added that she’s going to miss the Gallatin girls, a group that has become a “second family.” Placing in three individual events at state was the recognition Jaeger-Smith had been waiting for Ross to receive.
“She has the depth all the way up to a 5k but she really specializes in that 800,” Jaeger-Smith said. “She’s a very modest athlete, but she’s a team player. And I cannot shout out (Isabel) Ross enough. She’s got track in her future (at UC-Santa Barbara), and she’s going to be missed in this program.”
It wasn’t her best showing Saturday, Donaghey said, but she came away from her 100-200 double even more motivated for next year — especially competing alongside Kalispell Flathead senior Alivia Rinehart and Missoula Hellgate senior Sofia Szollosi.
“It’s definitely a start for me to get into more of the, ‘Everyone starts to know me,’ type of world,” Donaghey said. “But I’m ready to start pushing even harder for next year already. I’m so excited because I know I have so much more in me.”
Gallatin junior Izzie Donaghey, center, runs in the girls 100 meters final at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
Black was shocked by placing in the 100 hurdles after the mental obstacles she faced this season, stemming from a fall at the 2024 Eastern AA Divisional meet and a 14th-place finish at state. Over the past year, she’s worked on building her confidence back up.
“I was proud of myself for staying in my lane and not focusing on what other people were doing in their race,” Black said. “When I got to the finish line, I heard cheering and my name, and I was just like, ‘I did that.’”
She’s also proud to compete alongside this group of Gallatin girls.
“Everybody works so hard in their events, but they also come together to cheer and support everyone else in their individual things,” Black said, adding, “It makes it a lot easier to push yourself when you know that other people are rooting for you too.”
Gallatin junior Anita Black, left, and Missoula Big Sky’s Gracelee Banna run in the girls 110-meter hurdles final at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
On the boys side, Gallatin finished in sixth place with 40 points. The Raptors added three individual medals Saturday, with senior Jack Murray and sophomore Riley McGrath tying for second in the discus (168-10) and junior Louis Kamps placing second in the 200 (22.55).
Murray, an Idaho State commit, was excited to share the podium with McGrath — “He’s worked so hard and deserves everything coming his way,” Murray said — but was surprised to see himself back up there. He broke the all-class discus record at last year’s state meet (198-1), but he tore his bicep a few weeks ago.
He struggled to stay locked in mentally and keep his confidence up in the back half of this season, Murray said, despite being ranked No. 1 in Class AA in both the shot put and discus. Murray didn’t participate in the shot put Friday, with the discus final Saturday being his first throws in a meet since the Senior/Gallatin/West Triangular on May 3.
He couldn’t help but grin as he saw his second throw land fair. Jaeger-Smith said she was in tears watching Murray compete again.
“I was really, really worried going into it,” Murray added. “It kind of killed a lot of nerves being able to hit a mark on my second throw and just go enjoy the competition and see what happens.”
Gallatin senior Jack Murray competes in the boys discus at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
Jaeger-Smith had faith in Murray competing well despite the circumstances, she said, and was proud of how he “fought to the very end” this season.
“I think I can leave high school and be happy with what I’ve done and what I’ve accomplished,” Murray said, “and I’m really looking forward to the next four years and see what I can do for ISU.”
Bozeman’s Jones earns two sprint medals, Neil siblings place in 1,600
The Bozeman girls placed ninth in the team standings (21) and the boys tied for 13th with Billings Senior (10).
On Saturday, junior Scotland Jones placed fourth in the girls 200 (25.51) and fifth in the 100 (12.69). Sophomore Taylor Neil placed fourth in the boys 1,600 (4:15.25 PR) and sophomore Kylee Neil placed sixth in the girls 1,600 (5:07.03).
Jones was frustrated with not seeing more progress early in the season — she opened with times of 12.71, 12.71 and 12.70 in the 100 in her first three meets — but learned to be more patient as the year went on. She started to see results in the latter half, with a pair of PRs at the divisional meet (12.56 in the 100 and 25.51 in the 200) and a pair of medals at state.
Placing twice was exciting against two really fast fields, she said, leaving her even more motivated for the future.
“I have big things planned for next year hopefully,” Jones said. “I’m going to work really hard in the summer, really hard in indoor and next year’s gonna be even better than this year.”
From left, Kalispell Flathead’s Alivia Rinehart, Gallatin’s Izzie Donaghey and Bozeman’s Scotland Jones run in the girls 200 meters final at the Class AA track and field meet Saturday at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.
Shawn Raecke/For the Chronicle
Taylor Neil got the edge on Helena’s Milo Kauffman with a lean at the line in the boys 3,200 Friday, earning Neil third place in that race. He faced another lean at the line in the 1,600 Saturday, with Helena’s Elliot Stimpson getting the edge for third.
“Both of those leans I felt could have gone either way, and they just fell how they fell,” Neil said, adding, “(Stimpson and Kauffman) woke me up when I was in that home stretch, and they kind of pushed my time. So it’s good to have that competition.”
Neil wanted to challenge for a win in either event at state, but he was still satisfied with two new PRs and a pair of medals. He also found it to be a learning experience in terms of covering big moves and always staying vigilant in the front pack.
“It’s really good to get out here with those fast heats and just kind of learn from what you should have done or what you shouldn’t have done,” Neil said. “And I’ll just take that with me for the next couple of years and use that in these competitive fields.”
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