Bozeman Named 2018 Montana School of the Year
By Danny Waldo
With local schools closing their doors on June 7th for summer vacation, the 2017-2018 school year officially came to a close. So, too, did the 2017-18 sports season.
And what a season it was for the Bozeman Hawks who were recently named the Underriner Motors 406mtsports.com ‘School of the Year’. Bozeman ran away with the title after amassing 28 points over the course of the year, outdistancing runner-up Manhattan Christian (16) by 12 points.
All sports awarded a team trophy by the MHSA counted toward the overall score a school could earn. A first-place finish netted a school three points, second-place was worth two points, and a third-place finish equaled one point. There were also points awarded for a number of unique situations, such as if two teams tied, then both were awarded the appropriate points.
With the scoring system in mind, 28 points is an impressive haul by all accounts.
In total, Bozeman collected 13 team trophies in eight different sports, including four state championships.
For the season, Bozeman earned state titles in girls’ golf, boys’ and girls’ cross country, and girls’ tennis. The Hawks earned runner-up finishes in boys’ basketball, wrestling, boys and girls swimming, girls’ soccer, boys’ tennis and girls track and field. Additionally, Bozeman claimed a pair of consolation titles in girls’ basketball and boys track and field.
The Hawk girls’ golf team earned their second-consecutive state title back in October at the Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena, while the Hawk boys’ basketball team earned their third consecutive runner-up finish after falling to Great Falls – CMR in the March title match in Billings.
But the most impressive feat of the year is Bozeman’s cross-country programs earning their 10th (Boys) and 11th (Girls) consecutive state titles last fall. The girls’ performance was especially impressive as all seven of Bozeman’s runners finished in the Top 15 to easily crush the opposition. Like Bozeman’s other programs, it was total domination.
But Bozeman isn’t resting on its laurels, as several teams are already involved in summer activities in preparation for the 2018-19 sports season, where they hope their domination can continue.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer and genuine sports enthusiast. When he’s not teaching or chasing his kids, he covers Bozeman Hawk and Montana State Bobcat athletics.
