Bolstered by state championships in boys and girls cross country in the fall and boys and girls golf in the spring, Manhattan Christian is the winner of the 2020-21 Class C all-sports trophy.
The all-sports rankings were calculated by applying point totals to team finishes in the fall sports of boys and girls cross country, volleyball and football; winter sports of boys and girls basketball and boys and girls wrestling; and spring sports of boys and girls golf, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls track and field, and softball. Ten points were awarded for a state title, seven points for a second-place finish, six for a third-place finish and so on, down to one point for an eighth-place finish.
The Eagles won state titles in boys and girls cross country and placed second in volleyball to total 27 points in the fall. Manhattan Christian student-athletes also play football at Manhattan High, which won the state championship. However, those points were not added to Manhattan Christian’s total, as the Tigers compete at the Class B level.
Manhattan Christian continued its strong performance with appearances at both the boys and girls State C basketball tournaments. The Eagles placed third at the boys tournament and fourth at the girls tournament.
They racked up even more points in the spring, sweeping the boys and girls State C golf titles. The Eagles capped off their year with a sixth-place state finish in boys track and a fifth-place state finish in girls track. Manhattan Christian concluded the 2020-21 school year with 65 total points.
Fort Benton finished second in the all-sports rankings with 49.5 points. The Longhorns were fourth at the state volleyball tournament and advanced to the semifinals of the 8-Man playoffs, splitting the third- and fourth-place points. They made hay in the winter, though, getting a state championship from their girls basketball team, a fourth-place finish from their boys basketball team, and another fourth-place finish from the Fort Benton-Big Sandy wrestling team. The Longhorns and Pioneers split those five points.
Fort Benton closed out its school year with a boys track state championship and a third-place tie in the girls team scores. The Longhorn girls added a third-place finish at the State B/C tennis meet.
For State B/C wrestling team scores, teams were divided by classification (Class B or C) and then re-ranked by total points, resulting in a Class C top eight of Circle, Plains-Hot Springs, Cascade, Fort Benton-Big Sandy, Chinook, Simms, Broadus and White Sulphur Springs. Co-ops including Class B schools, such as Columbus-Absarokee-Park City, were placed in the Class B standings. The same methodology was applied to girls wrestling, boys and girls tennis and softball.
Seeley-Swan vaulted to a third-place finish in the all-sports rankings, scoring 27.5 points. The Blackhawks won the State C girls track championship and placed second in girls cross country, fourth in boys track, tied for fifth in girls basketball and seventh in girls golf.
The complete Class C all-sports rankings for the 2020-21 high school sports seasons are below.
Note: Lone Peak (2.5 points) scored points in boys soccer.
Manhattan Christian — 65
Fort Benton — 49.5
Seeley-Swan — 27.5
Plentywood — 26
Scobey — 26
Chinook — 22
Belt — 20.5
Simms — 16.5
Cascade — 16
Ennis — 15
Drummond — 14
Saco-Whitewater-Hinsdale (includes Hinsdale’s second-place girls track finish) — 14
Valley Christian — 14
Bridger — 14
Froid-Medicine Lake — 13.5
Twin Bridges — 13
Westby-Grenora — 13
Richey-Lambert — 13
Circle — 12
Darby — 12
White Sulphur Springs —12
Alberton-Superior — 11
Broadus — 9
Harlowton-Ryegate — 8.5
Fairview — 8
Big Sandy — 8
Savage — 7.5
Plains — 7.5
Hot Springs — 7
Lone Peak — 6
Roy-Winifred — 6
Chester-Joplin-Inverness — 6
Shields Valley — 5.5
Valier — 5
Philipsburg — 5
Culbertson — 5
Melstone — 5
Charlo — 4.5
Centerville — 4.5
Park City — 2.5
Power-Dutton-Brady — 2.5
Jordan — 1.5
Melstone — 1.5
Charlo — 1
Highwood — 1
