Fierce competition at Whitefish's ARM meet

There were some familiar things happening in this weekend’s Whitefish ARM Invitational track and field gathering.

Good weather in the form of mostly clear skies and temperatures in the mid-70s greeted the usual throng of many of the area’s top high school track teams and individuals.

The competition was fierce.

And for Sanders County residents, Ellie Baxter was once again piling up the points for the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks.

The women’s team title went to Columbia Falls, which amassed 117 points to nose out second place Bigfork, which had 114.5.

Thompson Falls, behind a first place effort by Baxter in the 800 meter run, finished fifth in the 12-team women’s field with 26 points.

Plains came in seventh with 18 points, while Hot Springs managed one point and finished twelfth.

Host Whitefish’s boys had an easier time winning the team title, piling up 117 points to the 99 gathered by Bigfork’s boys, who were second.

The top local team in the boys’ competition, Hot Springs, came in eighth with 16 points, while Plains was ninth in the team standings with 12 points. Thompson Falls finished eleventh with seven team points.

Baxter, who is headed to Carroll College in Helena next year on a basketball scholarship, won the 800 in 2:36.57, a new personal best for the Lady Hawks’ senior. She also finished third in the 1600 meter run with a personal record time of 5:41:00.

In addition, Baxter ran the anchor leg for the Lady Hawks’ third place 4X400 relay team, which also featured teammates Faith Palmer, Trinity Ruffle and Hattie Neesvig. Class A Havre won the event with a time of 4:21.76, while T Falls posted a time of 4:31.92.

Meanwhile, Plains sophomore Alexis Deming continued her outstanding year with a first place medal in the women’s discus and a second place award in the shot put.

Deming, a state placer from last year as a freshman, threw the discus 109-04 to finish nearly four feet ahead of Bigfork senior Scout Nadeau, with whom she has had a back and forth battle in the weight events all season.

Nadeua evened the score when she won the shot put with a toss of 37-05, while Deming was second at 34-10.5.

Hot Springs promising freshman Kara Christensen had another strong overall performance for the Lady Savage Heat, including her sixth place finish in the women’s 300 meter hurdles, a seventh place showing in the discus, seventh in the 100 meter hurdles, and top 15 places in the women’s 200 meter run and javelin.

Also having a solid day for Sanders’ County and her Lady Hawks was senior Chesney Lowe, who garnered a pair of sixth place finishes in the javelin and long jump, along with seventh place in the women’s pole vault event.

Lady Hawks teammate Riffle was fifth in the women’s high jump and had a seventh place in the women’s 400 meter run.

Local men’s teams did not fare as well as their female counterparts in a strong men’s field. One exception was Plains senior Mason Elliot, who took second in the men’s 110 meter hurdles, to go with his fourth place finish in the men’s 300 meter hurdles.

Hot Springs high jumper, sophomore Nick McAllister, was the top finisher among the Savage Heat, clearing 5-6, good for second place. Whitefish junior Carson Krack won the event with a jump of 6-0.

T Falls senior Breck Ferris was fourth in the long jump, 13th in the 100 meters and ran a leg on the Blue Hawks sixth place 4X100 meter relay. The Blue Hawks 4X400 meter relay squad was fifth.

Hot Springs junior Quincy Styles-Depoe finished seventh in the 300 meter hurdles and eighth in the 110 meter hurdles and took home fourth place in the javelin with a personal record throw of 132-02.

Plains and Thompson Falls will next compete in the Archie Roe Kalispell meet this Saturday, while Hot Springs will take part in the Kim Haines meet in Missoula, also this Saturday.