Track season off and running

For the past four years the local track teams have been using the John Jermyn Memorial Relay Race as a fun way to warm up for the real track season, but while the four teams competing at the Plains' event Thursday may of had fun, there was nothing warm about it.

The 65 athletes from Plains, Hot Springs, Noxon, and Troy who came out to the fourth meet to honor the former Plains runner John Jermyn, who was killed in an auto accident nearly five years ago, were treated to a stiff wind and frigid temperatures throughout the 14-event meet. “Not a good track day,” said Hot Springs coach Dustin Herbert about the weather.

After running the 4x800-meter relay, Noxon's Caplan Weare told his teammates that his legs never became unfrozen. Despite his legs not thawing out, Noxon was able to beat out Plains and Hot Springs to win the event.

James Jermyn, the Plains' discus and shot put coach and brother of John Jermyn, said the wind was making it difficult on his throwers. “It's really hurting them right now, big time,” he said, “especially when you get these crosswinds.” Plains was the most effective team in battling the wind and won all three throwing events. The team of Trent Thompson, Mitch Thompson, and Emma Ehret beat out Noxon in the shot put. Ehret and Mitch Thompson, along with Ethan Harvey, also won the discus and the team of Steven Reistroffer and Kyle and Lacey Hermiston finished first in the javelin.

Each event at the relay was a team event. In the field events, the teams had to consist of two boys and one girl and in the running events the teams consisted of two boys and two girls. “Our objective is to get out here and do some type of meet that they normally don't do,” said Plains coach Don Stamm.

Stamm said that after two weeks of practicing, his team was ready to get out and compete and the meet is a fun way to do that. “I think everybody got to run, jump and throw, so it's better than going to practice,” he said.

Stamm said he thought his team did pretty good, considering the conditions. “I think with the weather everybody did as best as they could,” he said. “It was kind of survival mode with this wind.” Besides the throwing events, Plains also won the high jump and weight relay.

Herbert said that he thought the Savage Heat did good, despite only taking seven of their 21 athletes. “We did pretty good. We had a lot of kids in events they don't usually do,” he said. Even though Hot Springs wasn't able to win an event, Herbert said the meet was a success. “Overall it was a good day. It was a good first meet to get some of those butterflies out of their stomachs,” he said.

Herbert said the meet was a fun way to kick off the season and for the kids to get some experience, although the weather's not always perfect. “It was the coldest one, so far,” he said.

Noxon coach Kelly Moore said his 15 athletes were just happy to get out. He said their track is still covered with snow, so he wasn't going to complain about Thursday's weather. “It was good just to be able to throw and run on a track,” he said.

Moore said he was impressed with his team's performance at the meet. “We did real well,” he said. The Red Devils came in first in the hurdle shuttle relay, 4x100-meter relay, 4x200-meter relay and the progressive relay. They also came in second in the shot put, javelin and discus.

Plains will travel to Frenchtown Saturday. Hot Springs travels to Missoula for the Alberton Invitational Thursday.