Braeden Gunlock again league MVP

Add four-time All-State selection and two-time league most valuable player to Braeden Gunlock’s list of accomplishments.

Gunlock, the Bigfork senior, was named the MVP for Northwest A girls basketball for a second straight year.  

The honors teams for the league were released Monday. Browning senior Jude Reevis received MVP honors for the boys. 

The top three vote-getters for the boys and girls earn All-State honors: Joining Gunlock is her sister Peaten Gunlock and Browning’s Shaylee Heavy Runner-Browning for the girls. 

Besides Reevis, the boys All-State selections were Kolby Finley of Ronan and Austin Savik of Bigfork. Finley, Savik and Paeten Gunlock are all juniors. 

Polson’s Rylee Taylor-Jefferson and Columbia Falls’ Taryn Borgen filled out the Northwest A girls’ first team; Borgen is first-team for a second straight year. 

Braeden Gunlock, meanwhile, was an All-State selection for Class B in 2022 and ‘23, before the Valkyries moved up to Class A. Paeten Gunlock was All-State in B in 2023 as well as a freshman and is now a three-time All-State selection. 

The Gunlock’s mom, Cortnee, is league Coach of the Year for a second straight season. The Vals finished fourth at the recent State A tournament after being runners up in 2024. 

Reevis helped Browning win the regular-season Northwest A boys title and into the State A tournament. He averaged 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds, and the Runnin’ Indians won one game at State. 

Columbia Falls junior Bjorn Pederson and Polson sophomore Malakia Curley filled out the  boys Northwest A first team. None of them were repeat picks. 

The one repeat selection: Browning’s DJ Fish, who was the boys Coach of the Year for the second straight season. 

The complete honors teams are below. 

All-Northwest A 

GIRLS 

First Team 

Braeden Gunlock, sr., Bigfork* 

Paeten Gunlock, jr., Bigfork* 

Shaylee Heavy Runner-Browning, sr., Browning* 

Rylee Taylor-Jefferson, so., Polson 

Taryn Borgen, sr.,  Columbia Falls 

Second Team 

Keni Wade, sr., Bigfork 

Arianna Zepeda, sr., Ronan 

Amani Yellowtail, sr., Browning 

Onnika Lawrence, so., Columbia Falls 

Kailyn Marengo, so., Ronan 

Honorable mention —Riley Sweeney, so., Columbia Falls; Nevaeh Perez, jr., Ronan; Samantha Rensvoled, sr., Polson; Tashlyn Lazy Boy, sr., Browning; Emlee Alton, sr., Columbia Falls; Allie Shors, fr., Whitefish; Lauryn Buhr, sr., Ronan. 

Coach of the Year — Cortnee Gunlock, Bigfork. 

BOYS 

First Team 

Jude Reevis, sr., Browning* 

Kolby Finley, jr., Ronan* 

Austin  Savik, jr., Bigfork* 

Bjorn Pedersen, jr., Columbia Falls 

Malakai Curley, so., Polson 

Second Team 

Tristan Crawford, sr., Browning 

Reggie Sapa, sr., Columbia Falls 

Carson Gulick, sr., Whitefish 

Wade Qualtier, sr., Ronan 

Noah Butterfly, jr., Browning 

Honorable mention — Grady Hutton, sr., Columbia Falls; Laurance Lozeau, sr., Ronan; Easton Brooks, jr., Columbia Falls; Joshua Skunkcap, sr., Browning; Chad Higgins, sr., Ronan; Cooper Ross, sr., Columbia Falls; Cooper Dudley, so., Whitefish 

Coach of the Year — DJ Fish, Browning