Tracksters punch ticket to state meet
Katelyn Christensen of Hot Springs (fourth from the left) nears the finish line in the girls 100 meters final. Superior's Isabella Pereira is third from the right. (Chuck Bandel/MI-VP)
Superior pole vaulter Isabella Pereira easily clears the bar on her first jump in the Divisional B-C finals this past weekend in Frenchtown. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Noxon's Emily Brown turns loose a throw during the girls javelin competition at this past weekend's Divisional track meet at Frenchtown High School. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
It was a good day for local tracksters to ply their craft as sun peeked through the clouds and winds died down.
And as a result, a solid group of track and field performers from the six high schools in Mineral and Sanders counties will be on their way to Great Falls this weekend to compete in the Montana State B-C championships.
A pair of discus throwers highlight the group of area girls who will advance with hopes of finishing high in the state rankings. And for some that could mean a coveted individual state championship.
Hot Springs standout Katelyn Christensen grabbed first place in the Class C discus event with a throw Saturday morning that sailed 120 feet, 4 inches, a new personal record and good for first place on the medals stand.
She was joined in the discus medal harvest by Plains freshman Alexis Deming, who captured first in the Class B version of the throw with a heave of 114-1, also a new personal best.
They were just two of the local and Western B-C standouts who advanced from the two-day Western Divisional B-C tournament this past weekend at Frenchtown High School.
Christensen also advanced to state competition in the shot put as she finished third behind Natalie Fisher of White Sulphur Springs.
Deming duplicated that feat in the C shot put with a third place finish on a throw of 34-4.5, another personal best. Scout Nadeau of Bigfork won the discus with a toss of 38-6.
The top six finishers in each event advance to the State finals in Great Falls.
Christensen, who helped lead Hot Springs to a ninth place team finish, also advanced to state in the 100 meters dash, and the javelin throw following a third-place toss of 112-03, just behind Superior’s Sorren Reese who was second with a throw of 124-4.
Reese, who has the best B-C javelin throw in the state this year at just over 127 feet, took second to Jessie Struna of Drummond, who had a first place throw of 125-06.
Manhattan Christian won the Class C women’s title in Frenchtown with 27 team points, just ahead of second-place Seeley-Swan with 25.5.
Superior finished in a three-way tie with Gardner and White Sulpur for fourth place in the team race with 16 team points.
In addition to her second place showing in the javelin, Reese also had a third place finish in the 800 meters run, just behind teammate Braelyn Mangold, ran a leg on the winning 4X100 relay and a fifth in the 4X400 relay, and just missed a top six finish in the high jump, placing seventh with a jump of 4-8.
Superior also got points from Isabella Pereira, who was third in the 100 meters, ran a leg on the winning 4X100 relay and fifth in the 4X400 relay, tied for third in the pole vault and tied for fourth in the triple jump.
Other multiple event qualifiers for the Lady Bobcats included Cassie Green who was first and fifth in the two relay events, fourth in the shot put and fifth in the discus.
Top winners in the girls Class B events included Thompson Falls long distance runner Faith Palmer who was first in the 3200 meters run, second at 1600 meters, and was part of the Lady Hawks fifth place 4X400 relay squad.
Hattie Neesvig helped the T Falls cause with a fourth place showing in the high jump, fifth on the 4X400 relay and sixth in the triple jump. Teammate Mollie Nichols advanced to state in both the 3200 and 1600 meters runs with second and sixth place finishes respectively, while Olivia Pimat heads to Great Falls as part of the fifth place 4X400 relay team and sixth in the 300 meters hurdles events.
Trinity Riffle also will represent Thompson Falls in Great Falls following her third place standing in the high jump and as a member of the 4X400 relay. Chesney Lowe qualified in the long jump with a fourth place finish.
Class C Noxon standout Emily Brown will join the others in Great Falls after she placed fifth in the javelin. She had been slowed prior to the Divisionals by a quad muscle injury.
Plains finished eighth in the Class B team competition with 12 points. In addition to the strong showing by Deming, the Trotters aided by the fourth place finish posted by Alexis Helterline in the 800 meters run and the firth place showing in the same event by Payton Wasson, who also claimed fourth place in the 1600 meters run.
The State Championships will be held this Friday and Saturday in the Electric City.
