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1985 National High School XC Rankings

"To look back for a while is to refresh the eye...to restore it and render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward"

Honorable Mention:

16. Punahou, HI; 17. Pine Forrest, NC; 18. Saugus, CA; 19. Phoenix Trevor Browne, AZ; 20. Redmond, WA; 21. Reno, NV; 22. Dimond, AK; 23. Xavier, CT; 24. Murray, UT; 25. Countryside, FL

1. Flathead, Montana: National Champions

In the annuals of cross country history few teams come along that produce such in-state dominance that they spark the attention of the nation. One such team arrived in Montana in 1985. Long before Bloom's National Rankings teams throughout the country were performing at epic competitive levels.

Looking back, the legacy of Flathead high's cross country programs in the annuals of Montana State Cross Country history have been legendary. No team has been so dominant, had such a reign of victory, and brought as much national recognition as Flathead high. It all began with the 1985 Flathead team.

In 1985, Flathead went undefeated, storming through the season on some of the most difficult courses in the country. The Kalispell team, led by coaching legend Paul Jorgensen, competed in the hills, at elevations above 4800 feet and yet averaged times comparible to team throughout the country. In the end, the 1985 Kalispell team will be regarded as one of the great teams in U.S. history.

Dog Team

In something of a joke the '85 Flathead team were known simply as the "Dog Team". Assistant coach Fred Longhart, a top notch math teacher at Flathead high school coined the '85 team as the "Dog Team", because the team competed like dogs. In Alaska, each year bobsled races are contested. In these races, packs of dogs carry the sled to victory. Through much adversity and trial these "Dog Teams" traverse trial and tribulation for one objective, victory. So it was with Flathead, a pack mentality that sought to win through all obstacles and challenges.

Pulling as a team, the Flathead team ran through Montana undefeated. The team used to call the top runners of other teams "dog meat", as they ran them down and dominated in team scoing. On this team we had "Top Dog" Scott Menghini, "Swift Dog" Navar Swift, "Corn Dog" Tom Arnone, "Bird Dog" Dan Alexander, and "Cold Dog" Colden Baxter. This amazing team set forward on a trek to national stardom. Little did they know, the "Dog Team" would be setting in motion the destiny of a state while establishing themselves as the National Champions.

At the Montana State Championships, the "Dog Team" produced a truly epic performance. At an elevation of 4800 feet, over a very hard course Flathead claimed the team championships with 43 points. With a final mile that goes uphill Flathead competed on a course that may be regarded as one of the most difficult in U.S. history. Yet the result has been something of Montana lore. Individual standout, Scott Menghini claimed honors in a state record and what Coach Paul Jorgensen calls the race of his life in an unbelievable 14:47.5. Knowing this course and the surrounding challenges that Flathead faced that day this performance IS equal to a 13:50-14:00 3-mile performance at sea-level on a flat competitive course. Imagine that! As Jorgensen recalls, "I watched as Menghini come around the bend and I could not believe he was so far ahead, we waited for over 30 seconds before we saw the 2nd runner, it was one of the greatest individual performances in Montana history." Possessing a true front runner, the Flathead team managed a 13 second spread from the second runner to the fifth runner.

A Coaching Legend

Cross Country Coach Paul Jorgensen has accumulated 11 boys cross country titles, 13 girls cross country titles. Coach Jorgensen has been the Montana Coaches Association Coach of the Year 25 times, is a member of the National Coaches Hall of Fame in Cross Country (2003), and in 2008 was named the National Cross Country Coach of the Year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. In all, Coach Jorgensen has garnered 2435 wins against 352 losses over 34 years of coaching. The Flathead Cross Country team under the leadership of Coach Jorgensen was featured in 2004 in the popular running book Training for young distance runners 2nd edition by Larry Greene and Russ Pate. Congratulations Paul Jorgensen on a National Cross Country Team Championship!