by Scott Sacry, Sports Editor
Team State Champions
Every high school sports team starts the season with the same goal – win a State Championship. Unfortunately, this goal is only achieved by a few. But for a handful of Bitterroot Valley teams, this goal became a reality.
From three-peats to historic firsts, the following Bitterroot student-athletes and coaches proved that hard work and dedication pay off. Below is a look at the teams that brought state titles home to the Bitterroot in 2025.
The Corvallis boys track and field team were one of many Bitterroot sports teams who won a team State Championship title in 2025. This was the third straight State Championship for the Corvallis boys. Photo courtesy of Spencer Huls.
Corvallis’s boys track and field team won their third straight Class A State Championship on May 24 at the Class A State Track & Field meet in Kalispell.
Corvallis won by the narrowest of margins, defeating 2nd place Frenchtown by one point, 76-75. Both the Corvallis boys and girls teams won state titles in 2023 and 2024, so this is the third straight title for the Corvallis boys.
Florence’s girls golf team won the 2025 Class B Golf State Championship at the Class B State Golf Tournament at the Marias Valley Golf & Country Club in Shelby on May 14.
Hamilton’s flag football team won the 2025 Class A State Championship in girls flag football on October 2 in Hamilton by defeating East Helena 7-0 in the championship game. Hamilton’s title comes in the second year flag football has been a high school sport in Montana.
Corvallis’s boys golf team won the 2025 Class A State Championship in Sidney on October 4. This is the first state golf championship for Corvallis in the 10-year history of the golf program.
Corvallis led by seven strokes after the opening round on Friday, then closed the deal on a rainy Saturday to win by two strokes over second place Billings Central, 614-616.
The Bitterroot Red Sox American Legion team won the 2025 Northwest Class A Regional tournament in Burley, Idaho on August 7-11. In the championship game, the Red Sox defeated the Klamath Falls Falcons 7-0 to claim the title. Although not technically a high school state championship, this accomplishment is on the same level.
Individual State Champions
The Bitterroot Valley saw numerous individual athletes achieve the highest honors in their respective sports. These champions persevered through grueling training and intense competition to stand atop the podium at the 2025 State Championships. Here is a look at the individual student-athletes who claimed state titles for the Bitterroot in 2025.
Ciara Hanley of Hamilton won the 2025 Class A Girls Singles Tennis State Championship in Billings on May 23.
Kipley Solari of Florence won the 2025 Individual Girls State Championship at the Class B State Golf Tournament in Shelby on May 14.
Hunter Loesch of Corvallis won the Class A State Championship in the javelin with a throw of 209’04” in Billings on May 23.
Florence’s Kyler Harris was one of many Bitterroot athletes who won an individual State Championship in 2025. Harris won the Class B State Championship in the 3200 meters. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Stuart Brennan of Corvallis won the Class A State Championship in the 110m hurdles (14.53) in Billings on May 23.
Ella Varner of Corvallis won the Class A State Championship in the triple jump (36’5”) in Billings on May 23.
The Corvallis 4x100m relay team of Ayden Spencer, Stuart Brennan, Nathan Bales and Solomon Morgan won the Class A State Championship (43.25) in Billings on May 23.
Gracie Werst of Hamilton won the Class A State Championship in the girls shot put (42’05”) in Billings on May 23.
Reagan Johnstone of Stevensville won the Class A State Championship in both the 100m hurdles (15.17) and the 300m hurdles (45.01) in Billings on May 23.
Kyler Harris of Florence won the Class B State Championship in the 3200m (9:34.08) in Missoula on May 23.
Montana Coaches of the Year
High school sports aren’t possible without the hard work and dedication of the coaches. When everyone else goes home after work, they go to the gym to instruct our youth. They spend their nights at games, and they spend their weekends traveling the state. It’s a low paying job they do because they love to help the kids.
In 2025 there are over 70 varsity coaches in the six Bitterroot Valley schools, not to count the numerous JV, freshman, and middle school coaches.
Out of this group a handful of Bitterroot Valley coaches went above and beyond and were honored Montana “Coach of the Year” in their respective sports by their peers.
Travis Blome, Hamilton’s Activities Director, was selected as the Class A Activities Director of the Year by the Montana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) in January.
Bryan Dufresne, Hamilton’s head tennis coach, was named the Class A Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association in May. The Hamilton girls finished in 2nd place at the 2025 Class A State tournament in May.
Bill Everett, Stevensville’s head tennis coach, was named the 2025 Class A Boys Tennis Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association in May. The Stevensville Boys were the Class A state runner up.
Longtime Stevensville tennis head coach Bill Everett was one of the many Bitterroot coaches who were awarded Montana Coach of the Year. Everett was named the Class A Boys Tennis Coach of the Year. Photo courtesy of Bill Everett.
Spencer Huls, Corvallis’s head track coach, was named the 2025 Coach of the Year for Boys Class A Track & Field by the Montana Coaches Association in May. Huls has now won the Coach of the Year for Track & Field 15 times (both girls and boys).
Scott Marsh, Florence’s head golf coach, was named the 2025 Coach of the Year for Class B Girls Golf by the Montana Coaches Association in May. Marsh also won the same award in 2024.
Kristy Schlimgen, Corvallis’s head golf coach, was named the Montana Coach of the Year for Boys Class A Golf by the Montana Coaches Association. Schlimgen led the Corvallis boys to the 2025 Class A Boys State Championship in October in Sidney.
Christopher “CJ” Clark, Stevensville’s head boys soccer coach, was named the 2025 Montana Coach of the Year for Boys Class A Soccer by the Montana Coaches Association. Clark has led Stevensville to the state semifinal game two years in a row.
Garrett Middleton, Corvallis’s assistant track & field coach, was among 10 Montana coaches who have been selected as a finalist for national coach of the year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) under the Boys Assistant Coach category.
Gatorade Players of the Year
Bitterroot Valley student-athletes achieved remarkable success in 2025, but two stood out above the rest to win the prestigious Montana Gatorade Player of the Year award. This celebrated distinction recognizes not only athletic excellence on the field but also outstanding achievement in the classroom and dedication to the community.
This year, the award went to a pair of exceptional local competitors: Hunter Loesch of Corvallis, who was named the Boys Track & Field Gatorade Player of the Year, and Cash Lawrence of Hamilton, who received the Montana Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year.
Hunter Loesch of Corvallis was awarded the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for boys track & field on June 25th.
Loesch made headlines in 2025 in the boys javelin. Loesch’s best throw of the season was 219’11” at the Western A Divisionals on May 17. This was the best throw in Montana for 2025 and the second best throw in the nation during the high school season. Loesch took 3rd place at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon on June 22 with a throw of 217’ 4”.
It’s extremely rare for a Montana track & field athlete to be at this level nationally.
Loesch won the Class A state championship in Kalispell on May 24 with a throw of 209’04”.
Cash Lawrence of Hamilton was awarded the 2024-25 Gatorade Montana Baseball Player of the Year on June 2.
Lawrence, a pitcher and third baseman, led Hamilton to a 17-4 record and a 4th place finish at the state tournament in May. Lawrence went 7-0 with a 1.11 ERA and had 60 strikeouts in 44 innings this season. Opponents batted just .120 against him and he recorded a 0.750 WHIP.
Hamilton’s Cash Lawrence (shown here) and Corvallis’s Hunter Loesch were both awarded the Montana Player of the Year in 2025, Lawrence for baseball, and Loesch for boys track and field. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Snyder weightlifting champion
One of the top Bitterroot Valley sports stories in 2025 was the exploits of Holly Snyder, a third grade teacher from Corvallis. Snyder became a world champion at the IPL World Powerlifting Championship in Wolverhampton, UK in November.
Snyder was in women’s 82.5 KG division for Team USA, and won the World Championship in the following six categories in the raw subcategory, “raw” meaning she didn’t use any sort of wraps on her body: Full Power (the total of all three lifts) Open Class, Full Power Master Class (ages 40-44), Bench only Open Class, Bench only Master Class, Deadlift only Open Class, and Deadlift only Master Class. In the Open Class she competed against every woman in the event, not just her age group.
One of the top Bitterroot Valley sports stories in 2025 was Corvallis’s Holly Snyder, who became a world champion at the IPL World Powerlifting Championship in Wolverhampton, UK in November. Photo courtesy of Holly Snyder.
At the World Championships, Snyder lifted a total of 970 pounds (353 pounds in the squat, 182 pounds in the bench, and 435 in the deadlift). Snyder qualified for the World Championship by winning the same events at nationals, and was invited to be part of Team USA at the World Championships.
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