Stevensville Girls Track Team Achieves First-Ever State Trophy

Against all odds, the Stevensville girls track team secured a historic third-place trophy at the 2026 Class A state meet with just three athletes.

The Stevensville girls track team has etched their names into the school’s history books by winning the third-place trophy at the 2026 Class A state track meet in Laurel on May 30. This remarkable achievement marks the first time any Stevensville track team, boys or girls, has brought home a state trophy.

With only three athletes representing the team, sophomores Reagan Johnstone and Eva Brunell, and senior Sophia Hutchison, the girls defied expectations and made a significant impact on the state meet. Their journey to victory was not an easy one, as they faced numerous challenges, including subpar track facilities and limited participation.

The Bitterroot Valley’s Track Legacy

The Bitterroot Valley is renowned for its excellence in Class A track and field. Corvallis, often considered the best Class A track program in the state, has claimed 18 total team state titles. Hamilton, another powerhouse in the valley, has secured six total team state titles and consistently finishes near the top.

While individual Stevensville athletes have found success at the state level, the team had never previously secured a first, second, or third-place state trophy in track. The disparity in facilities between Stevensville and its rivals, Corvallis and Hamilton, is stark. The latter two schools boast some of the best track facilities in the state, featuring clean pits, newer runways and hurdles, and rubberized tracks. In contrast, Stevensville’s facilities are in dire need of repair, with a dirt track, cracked and hole-ridden rubber runways, and pits that require attention.

A New Era Under Coach Chris Jones

Stevensville’s second-year head track coach, Chris Jones, is determined to change the program’s trajectory. Jones, who previously served as an assistant coach at Missoula Sentinel, was drawn to the challenge of rebuilding the Stevensville program. “Something about it just felt right,” said Jones. “I knew we had a lot of work to do, the facilities weren’t in good shape, and participation was low. It’s been a struggle at times, but it’s been rewarding as well.”

Jones has been instrumental in fostering a supportive track community in the Bitterroot Valley. Spencer Huls of Corvallis has been particularly gracious, offering recommendations for assistant coaches and lending Stevensville their line sprayer to paint lane lines on their track. Jones aims to shift the perception of track from an individual sport to a team sport, emphasizing the importance of a team dynamic and building a culture of support among all athletic teams at Stevensville.

The Historic 2026 State Meet

The 2026 state meet presented a formidable challenge for the Stevensville girls. With only three athletes competing, they faced off against teams with significantly larger rosters. Havre, the first-place team, brought 10 girls, while both second-place Corvallis and fourth-place Hamilton brought 11 girls each.

“We knew it was going to be an uphill battle to place at state,” said Jones. “Reagan was in five events, Sophia in three, and Eva in one. We had an outside chance, but everything needed to fall into place for it to work.” And fall into place, it did. Johnstone had an outstanding state meet, winning the 100m and 300m hurdles, taking third in both the 200m and triple jump, and finishing sixth in the long jump. Hutchison won the triple jump and secured second place in the long jump, while Brunell achieved fifth place in the discus.

The team standings at the state meet often hinge on the smallest margins. In the 2026 Class A girls team standings, Stevensville scored 53 points to claim third place, just one point ahead of fourth-place Hamilton, who scored 52 points. The Stevensville girls’ peak performance at the perfect moment secured their historic victory.

“Eva had a personal-best throw on her very last attempt at state, moving her into fifth place for two points,” said Jones. “Sophia won the triple jump by just one inch with a personal-best leap, earning the team ten points. Finally, Reagan secured her best jump of the meet on her last attempt in triple jump, taking third place and scoring six more points.” Without these final efforts, Stevensville would not have won a trophy.

Looking Ahead

Jones hopes that the girls’ success at state will inspire growth and development within the program. “We still have a lot of work to do,” said Jones. “We’re certainly going to miss Sophia next year. But our boys saw what the girls did, and they are hungry to succeed as well. I predict that Stevensville will do great things in the next couple of years.”

The historic achievement of the Stevensville girls track team serves as a testament to their dedication, hard work, and the supportive community that has rallied behind them. As they look to the future, the team is poised to build on this success and continue making strides in the world of track and field.