Plains' Thompson qualifies for Western Montana Top 10 invite
CREE LULACK of Plains competes in the long jump at the Frenchtown track meet.
HAILEY COE of Plains lets it fly during the discus event at the Frenchtown track meet this weekend.
THOMPSON FALLS runner Parker Klaus (left) clears a hurdle during the 110 meter race. (Kathleen Woodford photos/Clark Fork Valley Press)
Plains trackster Jess Thompson is a dual sport spring athlete balancing time between track and softball, and Thompson is excelling in both, according to her track coach Denise Montgomery.
Because of Thompson’s track prowess, she’s been invited to compete in Russ Pilcher Western Montana Top 10 invitational meet.
Plains is no stranger to this invitation-only event.
“We haven’t had this few invited in years,” Montgomery said. “Since the first year I’ve coached, we’ve had three individuals and then I had a relay. I wish more people would go out for track.”
Several Trotters PR at Seeley-Swan Invite
Denise Montgomery said several of her Trotters’ tracksters PRed in the Seeley-Swan Invite Saturday at Frenchtown.
Analisa Loberg, a mid-distance runner in the 800, 1,600, and 300-hurdles participant, PRed in the 400-meter with a time of 1 minute, 10.18, to take 13th place.
Kara Altmiller PRed in shot put with a throw of 31 feet and placed third in discus with a throw of 104.3, a personal shot put record of 31-0, and a javelin throw of 104, 11.5, another PR.
Cree Lulack PRed in the 400-meters, the 100-meters, 300-meter hurdles, and the long jump. In the 400-meter hurdles, Lulack finished with a time of 1 minute, 10.18 seconds. In the 100-meter hurdles she had a time of 20.16, a 300-meter hurdle time of 54.10, and a long jump of 12 feet, 4.5 inches.
Bailey Cole PRed in the discus with a throw of 29-7 and Kylie Altmiller jumped 4 feet, 8 inches in the high jump.
Next week, the Horsemen and the Trotters will travel to the A.R.M. Invitational in Whitefish where they compete against Class-A and Class-AA opponents.
“We will get to see and compete against a lot of national athletes in this area and that is a pretty cool deal,” Montgomery said. “It is also an opportunity because not many people get see the caliber of athletes that will be at this competition.”
Thompson Falls’ Holt continues to dominate
Thompson Falls’ trackster McKenzie Holt seems to only know single-digit finishes when he competes in an event.
Holt’s worst finish this season was sixth place in the 100-meters at the Frenchtown Invitational when he clocked in at 11.73 on April 8.
In the Seeley-Swan Invitational Saturday at Frenchtown, he carried on this pattern of success.
Holt finished second in the 100-meter with a time of 11.86, second in shot put with a throw of 45.05 feet, second in discus with a throw of 162-2.5, fourth in javelin with a throw of 155-5, and was a part of Thompson Falls’ first place 4X100-meter relay winners along with Casey White, Garrett Strine, and Danny Hoisington with a time of 45.48 in the relay competition.
Strine also captured first in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.32 and placed second in the pole vault with a throw of 11 feet, 6 inches.
Bluehawks’ Ryan Schraeder finished the 200-meter dash with a personal record of 25.84. Nate Tibeault finished with a personal record in the 400-meters with a time of 55.95.
Thompson Falls’ Parker McConnell also had a PR in the 3,200-meter relay with a time of 11 minutes, 36.49 seconds.
Bluehawk Kade VanElswyk had a personal record and finished second in the javelin with a throw of 179-03.
Lady Bluehawks shine in Frenchtown
Thompson Falls runner Ember Schwindt placed third in the 100-meter relay with a time of 13.54. Schwindt teamed up with May Stiles, Gillian Nelson, and Bethanie Ulrick in the third place effort.
Schwindt was also a member of the 4X100 relay team that finished fourth with a time of 53.27.
Madison Wheeler finished third in shot put with a personal record of 115-08.50.
Lawson, Paro, and DeTienne continue to make an impact for Savage Heat
Thompson Falls’ Wheeler finished second behind Hot Springs’ Karly Lawson, who had a throw of 116-02, another person record for Lawson.
Lawson’s Savage Heat teammate James DeTienne and Trevor Paro both captured first place finishes in Seeley-Swan.
DeTienne finished first in the 800-meter distance with a time of 2 minutes, 10.45 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of Loyola-Secred Heart’s Nick Mitzel.
Paro captured first in the triple jump, leaping 39-08.50 feet. The closest competition to Paro was St. Regis’s Brandon Managhan, who threw 39 feet, 5.00 inches.