The CORE Butte cross country team closed out the regular season strong at the Mountain Valley League (MVL) Finals on Wednesday, November 5, at Durham High School. They dominated both varsity divisions, with the boys and girls teams each claiming first place overall in their respective races.

In the boys varsity 3-mile race, CORE finished with just 23 points, well ahead of Durham’s 44 and Maxwell’s 63. Sophomore Luke Schooling led the Lynx, placing second overall with a time of 17:38.72. He was followed closely by senior Brian Patton in third (18:00.28), senior Adrik Dyer in fifth (18:22.45), freshman Lance Tennis in seventh (18:44.92), and freshman Josiah Haselton in tenth (19:52.01). Junior Samuel Boian rounded out the top pack for CORE in 11th place (19:52.69), giving the team six finishers within the top eleven runners.

The girls varsity team also turned in a commanding performance, finishing with 20 points to secure another first-place team victory over Durham’s 35. Senior Brianna Hayes once again led the field, finishing first overall with a time of 19:14.52. Senior Amanda Mabie followed in fourth (22:46.16), while seniors Katelyn Merrick (23:18.00) and Katelyn Copper (23:47.34) placed sixth and seventh, respectively. Senior Eliana Feather crossed in 11th (26:15.45), and senior Elsa Burke finished in 23rd (37:39.33), capping off a consistent team effort that highlighted CORE Butte’s depth.

In the junior varsity races, sophomore Ethan Gulbrandsen placed fourth in the boys 2-mile event with a time of 13:46.40, joined by Austin Patane (6th, 14:45.86) and Abi Gonzalez (15th, 18:07.64). For the JV girls, freshman Allison Ward represented CORE with a strong finish in 10th place (21:18.06).

The MVL Finals wrapped up a standout season for CORE Butte cross country, with the varsity teams both finishing as league champions. With a lineup full of returning underclassmen and a core of graduating seniors who helped build the program’s momentum, the Lynx head into the postseason confident and united.