Teams from the Helena Vigilante Runners club garnered one championship and two runners-up finishes Saturday at the 17th annual Montana Cup cross country race.

The open team titlists were the Missoula men, with 50 points, and the women from Billings, at 48.

The race, which was comprised of two steep climbs and descents in the Spokane Hills, was a 3.2 mile course through the BLM Recreation Area near Winston.

Seven teams competed in the event; Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, Kalispell, Helena, Bozeman and Butte. There were 209 runners entered in the competition, including 128 males and 81 females.

The open individual champs were Matt Winter of Missoula, in 20 minutes, 4 seconds, and Great Falls' Rachel Brewer, who clocked a 22:08. Winter was a four-time state track and cross country champion for Billings Central.

"Those hills were brutal," said a bare-footed Winter afterward. "My feet were burning so bad coming down that last slope I couldn't get my shoes off quick enough when it was over."

Brewer, who is the UGF assistant cross country coach, placed 17th at the NCAA national finals while competing for Northern Arizona University.

Helena's masters women won the 40-plus title, edging Billings by a score of 37-38. The Capital City group was led by a pair of former Boston Marathoners, with Debbie Gibson placing third and Vadine Rispens finishing seventh.

The top local open individuals were Tom Jodoin in third (20:35), and Genevieve Hanson, who came in eighth (24:43). Hanson attended Minot State, capturing two NAIA national crowns, one each in cross country and track. Jodoin was a member of this year's Governors Cup winning marathon relay team.

Helena High's Dan Osborne won the juniors race and placed 10th overall. Peter Dan Sullivan of Helena took fifth in the masters race.

Nicole Hunt of Deer Lodge placed second in the women's open, despite having just given birth just four months ago. She is a six-time Montana Cup titlist and a nationally ranked runner. Her husband, Ray Hunt -- who along with Helenan Patrick Judge co-founded the Cup in 1992 -- finished fourth in the men's race.

Helena's second-place teams were the men's open and masters squads. The local ladies open team placed third. Bozeman won the men's master title, while Missoula and Butte captured the junior boys and girls, respectively.

Reporter Curt Synness: 449-2150 or curt52s@bresnan.net