LAUREL — Admittedly, Billings Central's William Snell uses track and field as a tool to bolster his credentials as a prospective college football player.
"I'm always trying to get good times to send to coaches," Snell, a big pass-catching target for the Rams on the gridiron, told MTN Sports.
But Snell might be selling himself a bit short on the track — he broke out in a big way Tuesday during the annual Midland Roundtable Top 10 at the LHS Sports Complex, taking down a 22-year meet record in the 400 meters.
Snell finished the race with a time of 48.66 seconds, eclipsing his personal best and eclipsing the previous meet mark of 48.92 set back in 2003 by Bozeman High's Ty Norris.
Snell's time vaulted him to the top clocking in the 400 in Class A and to second place on the list of the state's fastest 400-meter runners, one spot behind Kalispell Flathead standout William Hollensteiner (48.29).
"I really was honestly just hoping to go as hard as I can. I was not expecting to get the school record at all — the meet record," Snell said. "The last stretch is always the hardest. It's always about who wants it. I guess I just wanted it."
Snell wasn't Tuesday's only record-setter, as six meet marks tumbled. Of the 34 event winners, 16 athletes reached first place with new personal records.
The Billings West boys 400-meter relay team of Caleb Conver, Calvin Paczkowski, Westdon Kelly and Matt Ludwig raced to a new meet mark, finishing that race in 42.03. Billings Skyview previously set the record in 2009 (42.37).
Belgrade's Wilson Schmidt also broke a meet record in the 800, finishing in 1:51.73 to surpass Billings West's Simon Petsch from 2016 (1:54.85).
For the girls, Huntley Project's Avery Gerdes continued her remarkable campaign by breaking the meet's 400-meter record previously held by Billings Senior legend Christina Aragon.
Gerdes, one of Class B's top all-round track and field athletes, had a time of 56.07, edging Miles City's Peyton Frame and beating Aragon's previous record of 56.51.
Thrower Rae Smart of Billings Skyview broke the meet standard in the girls shot put with a toss of 46 feet, 5 inches. The previous record of 44-07½ was set by Kylee Zent of Bridger in 2004.
Smart was a three-event winner on Tuesday, also claiming victory in the discus and the javelin.
And finally, Gallatin's 1,600-meter relay quartet of Hazel Cooper, Isabella Donaghey, Finley Samuels and Isabel Ross ran 3:57.27 on Tuesday, nudging past crosstown foe Bozeman High, which set the mark of 3:58.0 22 years ago in 2003.
The full list of meet winners is below (personal records are in italics):
BOYS
- 100: Calvin Paczkowski, Billings West, 11:29
- 200: Louis Kamps, Gallatin, 22.42
- 400: William Snell, Billings Central, 48.66 - meet record
- 800: Wilson Schmidt, Belgrade, 1:51.73 - meet record
- 1,600: Taylor Neil, Bozeman, 4:19.98
- 3,200: Miles Halvorsen, Bozeman,
- 110 hurdles: Trae Headlee, Billings Skyview, 15.44
- 300 hurdles: Caleb Stosich, Big Timber, 39.96
- 400 relay: Billings West 42.03 - meet record
- 1,600 relay: Gallatin 3:22.88
- Long jump: Josiah Coelho, Billings Senior, 22-02½
- Triple jump: Bridger Burrows, Laurel, 44-08¾
- High jump: Wyatt Lowery, Fromberg, 6-02
- Pole vault: Theron Klebe, Laurel, 14-06
- Discus: Jack Murray, Gallatin, 180-10
- Shot put: Jack Murray, Gallatin, 56-08
- Javelin: Kaden Juhnke, Joliet, 180-09
GIRLS
- 100: Emery Peel, Billings Senior, 12.57
- 200: Isabella Donaghey, Gallatin, 25.34
- 400: Avery Gerdes, Huntley Project, 56.07 - meet record
- 800: Hazel Cooper, Gallatin, 2:14.29
- 1,600: Isabel Ross, Gallatin, 5:01.39
- 3,200: Zoey Real Bird, Hardin, 11:45.03
- 100 hurdles: Anita Black, Gallatin, 15.65
- 300 hurdles: Delainey Engen, Billings West, 45.36
- 400 relay: Billings West 48.28
- 1,600 relay: Gallatin 3:57.27 - meet record
- Long jump: Brynn Wilson, Bozeman, 17-07¾
- Triple jump: Cori Coombe, Joliet, 37-09½
- High jump: Morgan Jones, Bozeman, 5-02
- Pole vault: Maya Noble, Three Forks, 10-06
- Discus: Rae Smart, Billings Skyview, 134-03
- Shot put: Rae Smart, Billings Skyview, 46-05 - meet record
- Javelin: Rae Smart, Billings Skyview, 136-11
A previous version of this story omitted Wilson Schmidt's record in the boys 800 meters.
