Plains track and field start off season

PLAINS – The Horsemen and Trotters paid homage to the Greeks by running, throwing and jumping across the track and field in preparation for the first meet of the season. The athletes, particularly the girls, have much to live up to this year.

Last year, the Trotters won the State Championship and they are eager to continue their reign. Four members of last year’s team are gone and no freshmen have joined up but, according to Head Coach Denise Montgomery, all of the girls that performed well at state last year are back.

Coach Montgomery likes how the girls are looking in practice.

“I think we are headed where we were last year in strength,” Coach Montgomery said. “They are fit and motivated.”

The girls are not the only ones looking good this season. Coach Montgomery is excited to see what the Horsemen are capable of.

“We didn’t have very many guys we took to state last year so we are looking to improve on that,” Coach Montgomery said. “So far, the guys that we did take to state last year are already performing better than last year which is encouraging to see.”

As of now, the coaches are still in the process of shuffling athletes around to harness their greatest strengths. With so many different track and field events, and each event worth team points, putting the right athlete in the right event is of the upmost importance.

Many events have yet to be assigned but several athletes already know where their strengths lie. For example, Leah Thompson will continue with her specialties of discus and shot put.

“Leah Thompson looks to be competitive again. She is already feeling better than last year,” Coach Montgomery said.

Last year, Demi Horton and Kimberly Earhart excelled in distance and went to state as freshmen. They will continue to compete in distance and are expected to do the 800 meter, one mile, two mile and possibly a long-distance relay.

Earhart might be competing in a new event as well. According to Coach Montgomery, Earhart is trying her hand at the javelin and is looking promising. Perhaps Carly VonHeeder, who was State Champion in javelin last year, can give Earhart some pointers.

VonHeeder is also expected to compete in the triple jump and long jump. The jumping events were a struggle for her last season because she came in with an ankle injury from basketball. Despite the injury, VonHeeder still managed to qualify for Divisionals in jumping events.

“She is very athletic and there is a lot of potential there with her,” Coach Montgomery said.

The Trotters track team is full of superb athletes. For instance, Kayla Holmes is skilled at throwing events such as discus and shot put but is also an exceptionally fast runner. Coach Montgomery expects to have her compete in the 4X4 100 meter relay.

“She was on the podium last year and can handle the pressure,” Coach Montgomery said. “She is a gifted athlete so it will be fun to see what she can do with that experience behind her.”

Finally, in the arsenal of Plains athletes, there is Hailey Phillips. Phillips competes in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles, the long and triple jump, and runs the 200 and 400 meter races. She scored many points for the Trotters last year.

The talent is there but it takes more than that to be champions. It takes hard work, dedication and a string of good luck.

“We will see how it all goes. We need everyone to be healthy. The thing with repeats is a lot of things can go wrong and a lot of things have to go right,” Coach Montgomery said. “If we can keep everyone improving we should have success.”

The first track meet of the season will be Saturday, March 29 in Ronan. The Horsemen and Trotters are not only preparing for the regular season meets, they are aiming higher.

Several of the athletes are working towards qualifying for the Top Ten competition. The Top Ten features the best runners, jumpers and throwers in any given event in the state of Montana. The competition is invitation only and will be held on April 29 at Big Sky High School in Missoula.

“It is a really fun event to watch because it goes so quickly with only ten athletes in each event,” Coach Montgomery said. “It is an honor to be invited and that is the goal for a lot of our athletes. All of the coaches are working to help them meet that goal.”

Last year, a few of the Plains athletes were fortunate enough to qualify for multiple Top Ten events. Coach Montgomery said when that happens the coach and athlete have to choose the one that they will actually compete in. It is too grueling to do multiple events is such a short period of time, especially distance events.

The Top Ten tournament is not far away but in the meantime the coaches are still busy matching athletes to events and testing the waters before the competitive part of the season begins.

“I am serious about coaching and making sure each athlete meets their potential. I hope we have a great season,” Coach Montgomery said. “The kids are upbeat and focused which makes me excited.”