Tuesday, March 19, 2024
33.0°F

Clark Fork's Reese, Pereira heads to U.S. Junior Olympic Nationals

by SCOTT SHINDLEDECKER
Hagadone News Network | July 28, 2021 12:00 AM

For those who have watched Sorren Reese and Isabella Pereira compete as members of the Clark Fork track and field teams, it’s probably not a surprise they are competing this week in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Both compete with Missoula-based Mountain West Track and both placed well enough at the Region 11 championships a few weeks ago at Utah Valley University (formerly Utah State) in Orem.

Reese is coming off a Class C state championship in the javelin and at the regional meet, she also won it with a personal best throw of 130 feet, 5 inches.

She is seeded seventh among 65 entries and among 17-year-olds, Reese is third.

Reese had a very memorable weekend at the state Class C championships and helped her Mountain Cat teammates win state medals in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays. She also set a school record in the 800-meter run and had a personal-best time in the 1,600, just missing medal finishes in both events.

Reese will compete in the 800 run and high jump. She was third in the 800 at regionals, but first in her age group. At nationals, she is seeded 28th with a time of 2:27.56.

Reese, who according to her dad and coach, Josh, high jumped for the just the second time ever, hit 4 feet, 11 inches and placed third at regionals. She’s seeded 29th at nationals.

Reese also competed in the heptathlon at a regional meet in Idaho Falls at the end of June and placed fifth, despite the fact she hadn’t performed in the shot put since fifth grade.

For Pereira, who is in the 15-16 age group, she will compete in the long and triple jumps and 100 dash at nationals.

She was fifth in the 100 at regionals and is seeded 86th. Pereira is seeded 29th in the triple jump at 35 feet, and 83rd in the long jump at 15-3.75.

Pereira, who will be a junior this coming school year, medaled in the 100 and set a personal-best mark in the triple jump with a leap of 35 feet at the state track and field meet.

Pereira also holds the Superior record in the long jump, breaking a 10-year record held by former standout Kinzie Cooper earlier this year.

Pereira also helped lead the relay teams to medal-winning finishes. Molly Patko and Cassie Green joined Reese on both teams.

“Both are very humble, very coachable, hard working and dedicated young women,” Josh Reese said. “It’s the best year we’ve had and they are just a great group of young ladies to be around.

“It’s exciting to be going to national and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Both athletes have been surrounded by standout coaches, including Clark Fork head coach Logan Labbe, the principal at Superior High School. Labbe is a well-known name in Western Montana track and field. He still holds the Class C state record in the javelin, 193 feet, 9 inches.

Josh Reese has helped coach as well as jumps coach SamiJo Firestone, an elementary school teacher at Superior, and the staff at Mountain West.

Once track and field season wraps, both Reese and Pereira will begin preparing for their respective seasons in volleyball and basketball.

Reese is an all-state volleyball player for the Mountain Cats while Pereira was all-district in basketball.

Josh, who has also coached at Alberton in volleyball, said he is not coaching this year.

“This year, I’m just going to enjoy it. She’ll be fun to watch and I just want to enjoy the ride,” Reese said.

The Junior Olympic Nationals began Monday and will end Saturday.

Recent Headlines