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State
Cross-Country Championships
Head to Bozeman
Nestled
in the foothills of the Bridger Mountain
Range and along the East Gallatin River
and Bridger Creek, the 2001 USATF-Montana
State Cross-Country Championships will
be held on Bridger Creek Golf Course located
just north of Bozeman!
This will be the first ever opportunity
for elementary, jr. high, high school,
open, and master athletes across the state
to compete on four brand new cross-country
courses totally unknown to distance runners!
The golf course partners have given the
Bozeman Track Club, host of the cross-country
championships, the green light to create
some challenging, yet exciting courses,
on the back nine holes of the country
club!
The 3K, 4K, 5K, and 8K courses all provide
a broad range of terrain and topography,
containing both hilly and flat sections.
Athletes will start the race with a 200-yard
flat section and then set themselves up
to maneuver through a series of hills
for the first ¾ of a mile. From
there it's down on to the flat lands,
moving through the "Tunnel of Trees",
around a series of ponds, then paralleling
the East Gallatin River and Bridger Creek
as they past around "Prefontane's
Island. Athletes will then set themselves
up to make a move on "Shorter's Finger",
head back around "Prefontane's Island",
and hitting the "Tunnel of Trees"
for the second time, before grabbing another
gear for the sprint home to the finish
line! (See Maps [Medium]
[Large])
Parents, coaches, family, and spectators
will love this course, avoiding the hassle
of having to run all over the golf course
to keep track of the each race and the
athletes. Medals, champion awards, long-sleeve
shirts, hats, water bottles, prizes, and
a raffle are just the beginning!
Don't forget --- the top ten finishers,
plus the top finishing team, in each of
the five Jr. Olympic age groups will qualify
for the national cross-country championships
on December 8, 2001, in Lincoln, Nebraska!
In addition, the top overall "Open"
and "Masters" male and female
will receive "State Champion"
awards for their efforts!
For more information on the state cross-country
championships see our Junior
Olympics Section.
(By Dave Skelton, October
28, 2001)
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