Six Bulldogs headed to state

The Sundance High School Bulldog Cross Country team set new personal records for the third week in a row, as the team finished out its regular season competing in the 2A Powder River Conference meet. 

Sophomore Angel Villegas placed eighth, running the 5000-meter race in a personal best of 19:26. The top-10 placement earned Villegas an All-Conference title in the 2A Powder River Conference. 

Sophomore Wyatt Flahaven finished in 20:46; Sophomore Holden Ayer crossed the finish line in a state-qualifying time of 20:49. Senior Kort McLaughlin finished in 21:10, and sophomore Kyten Johnson ran in 21:39. 

The high school boys team earned a fourth place finish.

In the Junior High District Championships, eighth-grader Maddison Neiman finished in 7th place with a time of 15:22, earning a spot on the championship podium. Sixth-graders Remmington Johnson, Eva Stark, Taylor Asheim and Trinity Finn also competed. Johnson finished in 16:58. Stark crossed the finish line in 18:40. Asheim and Finn finished in a time of 22:41 and 24:24, respectively. The Sundance junior high girls team earned a third place finish. 

Seventh-grader Rylan Asheim competed in the middle school boys race, finishing in 17:05.  

This was the last week of competition for the middle school runners.

“The cross country team performed very well in Dayton on Friday. Coach Jen Jungwirth and I are very proud of all the runners for their hard work and successes,” said Co-coach Ann Marie Mickle. “Everyone gave their all and we can’t ask for more than that!”

Mickle added that several runners achieved new personal records at the conference meet. 

“We have seen significant progress over the past few weeks that lets us know our runners are responding well to the training and that their mindsets are in the right place,” she said. 

Kort and Jager McLaughlin, Villegas, Flahaven, Ayer and Johnson will compete in the 2A State Cross Country Meet Saturday, Oct. 22 in Ethete.