Throughout the 2023-24 school year, the Hellgate Knights sports teams continued to compete at their best for the entire year. The Knights managed to grab multiple state titles and awards on a team and individual level. Let’s take a look at each of the sports teams as they reflect on their seasons.
Knights soccer had an incredible season, with the Lady Knights even going to the state championship for the first time in program history. They fell just short of the state title but still had a tremendous amount of support from the Hellgate community. Carmen Anderson, a senior on the team, reflects on the season. “The best memory I have from the year is winning the state semi final game for the first time in our program’s history in front of a home crowd,” said Anderson. “It was just the best feeling since we’d never gotten that far in the state tournament before.” The boys team had a rough start to the season with a loss to Glacier, but was able to make it to the semi finals in the state tournament before being knocked out. “I’m proud of how far my team went despite any setbacks we had. The whole team is a great group of guys,” said senior Gabriel Schwartz. “A piece of advice I’d have for the team would be to not take any of your time on the field for granted,” he said. “You never know when your last soccer game will be; always play as best as you can despite the outcome of the game. It goes by a lot quicker than you think.”
The basketball teams both had strong seasons and grew tremendously together. The Lady Knights won the divisional tournament and made it all the way to the championship game of the state tournament, falling to Billings West. Placing second in the state was an incredible experience for the team. “We proved many people wrong, as we were not even ranked in the statewide rankings [originally],” said senior Chloe Larsen. “I think just getting to know the team and just accomplishing such a great thing was an absolute blast.”
The Knights softball team had a memorable season, even winning their first game in five years. Shannon Kane, a junior on the team recalls the event as a “major highlight” of the year. “I believe that we deserved and earned it. It has boosted our confidence in ourselves and each other! Our energy has increased as we have gained more hope in the program,” she said. Kane hopes that next year, the success can grow. “As for next year, I would say that everyone just has to believe in themselves and each other as well as being confident! You have to want to win. Be patient with the development and you will see the outcome,” she said.
Last year, the girls cross country team was able to win the state title. And in 2023, they did it again. The girls had trained tirelessly for the season and worked to be their best when the time came. In the end, they were able to snag a seven point win. Kaitlyn Skinner, shared a word of advice for the future team. “Spend time with your team outside of practice and get to know everyone well. Running together and running for each other becomes easy when you are close and consider your teammates as good friends.” The boys placed fifth at the state meet, overcoming several challenges that made the race more difficult. Both teams won the city title as well, and are proud of what they were able to accomplish.
Football had a tough season, and while they did not end up with a win, they played their hardest and were supported by the Hellgate community through the entire season. The student sections showed up to support the team and allowed for the students to enjoy the games.
The Hellgate volleyball team started the season strong with a crosstown win against Big Sky, in front of a very excited student section. They played many close games over the course of the season, but unfortunately did not capture another win. They hope to continue to progress next year, and build upon the success that began this season.
Both the boys and girls swim team worked hard to have a good performance at the state meet. Despite challenges with the team, including sizing, they were able to put up some good results. Grace Wandler, a senior, said “The season went well for the Hellgate girls team, considering we had a very small team this year. Everyone worked hard and we were able to pull out some great performances at the state meet.” The boys placed seventh at state and the girls placed eleventh overall.
As the track season comes to a close, the teams are excited to compete in the state meet on the weekend of May 24-26. The girls team is especially excited as they have the chance to win the state meet for the first time in program history. “Going into state we are seeded to perform really well as a team and I am looking forward to seeing how that turns out,” said senior Sophia Miller. Miller leaves the team with a piece of advice for their future, “Be patient with yourself. The time and work you put in will be worth it and success will come with patience.”
The Hellgate golf team had another great season with our own Anna Stensrud getting her second all state finish, placing third this year. “The golf season went really well for both me personally and the team. The dynamic between all of us is so great it’s like playing with my best friends,” said Stensrud. “Enjoy every round, practice, team dinner, etc because it goes by so fast,” she said.
While the wrestling team had a tough season, they were able to win their first duel in ten years. The season did not come with any more team wins, but individually, Hellgate’s Dillon Gunlock had a great season and even placed as an all-state athlete. The program continues to grow and the athletes are excited for the future.
