CHOTEAU — Choteau sophomore track and field athletes Natalie Hodgskiss (1,600-meter run) and Rusch Yeager (high jump) are each defending an individual Class B state championship from last spring.
With the starts both have had to the 2025 campaign, they're on pace to be right up there again to try to repeat.
"I'm kind of doing a lot better now than I was at this point in the season last year, so that's definitely given me a little bit more confidence," Hodgskiss said at Tuesday's practice. "But I just know that I just need to keep working and training really hard."
"I think me winning last year was a big boost in my capabilities of winning this year," Yeager said.
On top of taking home the best time in the mile, Hodgskiss also posted the second-best mark in the 800-meter run last season. Those results, she said, have provided ample amounts of motivation for this spring.
"I know that's not just going to be given back to me," Hodgskiss said. "So it's really motivated me to just come out here and just work hard every day."
At the recent Choteau Acantha Invitational, Hodgskiss won all three of the mile, 800 and 400, which she said was fun to do.
"I just kind of put it on myself that I just want to keep improving my times and getting new (personal records)," Hodgskiss said. "That's really what I work towards when I'm out here training and when I'm running in my races."
Then in the same meet, Yeager cleared a high jump of 6 feet, 4¼ inches, breaking a Choteau school record.
"It was kind of my goal the whole season so far," Yeager said. "Pretty exciting thing to do for myself, but it's been all my motivation so far."
That jump bumped Yeager up to the No. 1 mark in the event among Class B athletes, and what was even more special, he said, was breaking the record at his home track.
"It was exciting," Yeager said. "My family was around, my friends were around, so it definitely gave me a confidence boost."
Yeager is still aiming higher this season, though, as he said he at least wants to break 6 feet, 6 inches.
"I think it's possible if I just keep putting the work in ... and grinding," Yeager said. "Someday I want to get 7-foot."
Hodgskiss, Yeager and the Bulldogs next compete in the Choteau Twilight meet April 24.
