Terrific trotter
Sierra Joner hands the baton off to Kelsey Beagley at the District Track Meet in Bigfork.
With the Plains Horsemen stealing the headlines all season long with high-flying and hard-throwing performances, it was a Trotter who ran away with the spotlight at Districts for the Plains track team.
With the Plains Horsemen stealing the headlines all season long with high-flying and hard-throwing performances, it was a Trotter who ran away with the spotlight at Districts for the Plains track team.
After battling from an illness that sidelined Heather Earhart for a total of two and a half weeks during the track season, the senior is finally feeling her best and her throws are landing further away than ever.
By throwing a career best in the javelin, 116-2, and a season best in the discus, 92-1 1/2, Earhart swept both events at Bigfork.
"I was just relaxed. I just went out there and didn't really worry about anything and just threw," says Earhart.
It was a big showing for a girl who has surprised people since freshman year. Standing at just at 5'3" Earhart says people are surpised when they realize she is a thrower asking her "isn't that what big girls do."
But if she walks up to the javelin throw as one of the smallest girls, she is now bringing one of the biggest throws.
This year she has the second longest mark in the division behind Kiernan Haggarty of Loyola.
"I don't worry about it too much," says Earhart referring to the height disparity. "I know I can throw really far."
She has the sixth longest throw in state this year and hopes to improve upon her 116 by hitting the 120s, a goal she has had since throwing in the 110 range since freshman year.
What Earhart lacks in stature Coach Don Stamm says she makes up for in overall athleticism and quickness.
"Having been around her for four years, it's not surprising. She's quick. She has good form and she's athletic," says Coach Stamm. "The boys have been in the spotlight and it's nice to see the girls step up and it's great to see her perform so well."
Other girls who placed high at the meet were Diamond LaDeaux who placed third in the two-mile, Ashley Holmes who placed third in the 100 hurdles, Nikki Kunzer, who grabbed second in the discus and Kelsey Beagley, who placed second in the long jump and third place in the triple jump.
On the boys side, it was the usual suspects who came away with first place hardware. Dillon Fryxell took home the high jump by clearing 6-4, Taylor Firestone won both the long and triple jump narrowly edging out Charlie Knapp of Thompson Falls in both and Trent Thompson won both the shot put and the discus and placed second in the javelin.
The victories for the boys led them to a third place finish behind Thompson Falls and Bigfork, although Coach Stamm expects bigger things to come in the future as more schools spread out the points.
"With each meet we'll show some improvement. With more schools, they take away points from each other, so with our quality athletes our points will stand up," says Coach Stamm.
A total of 20 Plains athletes qualified for the Divisional meet this weekend in Missoula, which is a criteria for lettering for the track season.
The Plains athletes will be competing at Big Sky High School, a familar and welcome stadium for the team according to Coach Stamm.
"We like it there. We're used to it."