MISSOULA — There must have been something in the air last week, because Montana’s high school track and field athletes recorded dozens of stellar performances.
At least 49 marks set the new standard in their respective classes last week, including nine that went down as the best in the state, regardless of class. Twenty-three boys and 23 girls posted their classification’s top mark last week, with three of them — Jack Murray of Gallatin and Kougar Kappel of Red Lodge on the boys side and Alivia Rinehart of Kalispell Flathead on the girls — doing so in two events.
Kappel set Class B’s fastest times in both the 200- and 400-meter runs at the Harlo/Park City meet last week, clocking a 22.6-second time in the 200 and 50.46 in the 400. His time in the 200 is a personal best, while his 400 time is just a shade off his PR of 50.43, which he set last season.
List: 2025 Montana high school track and field state qualifiers — April 28
Murray recorded Class AA’s best throws in the shot put (56 feet, 10 inches) and discus (183-08) at the Crosstown Dual last week, with his discus doubling as the best mark in the state across all classes. Murray set the state record in the discus last spring with a throw of 198-01 and appears to be rounding into form with less than a month remaining in the 2025 season.
Rinehart achieved a state-best mark last week, as well, running the girls 100-meter hurdles in 14.4 seconds at the Russ Pilcher Top 10 meet. She also clocked a Class AA-best 25.13 in the 200.
In addition to Rinehart, Helena’s Madilyn Todorovich (44.07 in the 300 hurdles), Corvallis’ Ella Varner (18-07¾ in the long jump) and Joliet’s Cori Coombe (36-08¾ in the triple jump) also hit state-best marks last week.
On the boys side, Flathead’s William Hollensteiner (48.29 in the 400), Butte’s Sam Henderson (48-04¾ in the triple jump), Polson’s Astin Brown (61-10½ in the shot put) and Cascade’s Brant Ligameri (6-6 in the high jump) posted state-best marks.
Boys throwers continue to shine
The throwing events don’t always get the same shine as the track events, but Montana’s boys throwers are making themselves impossible to ignore this season.
State records are within reach for the leaders in the shot put, discus and javelin. Brown's 61-10½ throw at the Whitefish ARM Invitational last week is not only the best mark in the state this season, it's better than the Class A record (which can only be set at the state meet) of 60-09½ set by Wyatt Miles of Corvallis last year.
Gallatin’s Murray, Columbia Falls’ Lane Voermans and Thompson Falls’ Braedon Ferris could all push records in the discus at state, as well. Murray, at 183-08, is getting back within shouting distance of his 198-01 record throw last year, while Voermans (181-02) is just off the Class A record of 182-07 set by Colstrip’s Jason Small in 1996. And Ferris (166-08) now has in his sights the Class B record of 178-08 set by Austin Forson of Deer Lodge in 2017.
Corvallis javelin thrower Hunter Loesch, meanwhile, hasn’t yet surpassed the 204-04 he threw in early April, but he’s been remarkably consistent in his four meets since. Loesch has throws of 201-07, 193-04, 198-11 and 194-08 over the past few weeks. The all-class state record is 213-04 set by Nate Bache of Thompson Falls in 2005, and the Class A record is 212-01 set by Libby’s Blaine Baker, also in 2005.
Girls triple jumpers start to heat up
The Treasure State has produced some triple-jumping gems in recent years, and this year’s group has started to hit its stride.
Led by Coombe, who won the Class B state triple jump championship as a sophomore in 2023 before placing fourth last year, six girls hit their season- or personal-best jumps last week, all popping off jumps longer than 36 feet. At 36-08¾, Coombe has the best mark in the state, just ahead of Stevensville freshman Reagan Johnstone, who PR’d at the Russ Pilcher Top 10 with a mark of 36-07¼.
Billings Senior’s Mikayla Champlin (36-06¼) and Richey-Lambert’s Brynne Hill (36-01½) also set personal-best marks, while Huntley Project’s Avery Gerdes (36-04¾) and Corvallis’ Ella Varner (36-01¾) hit their best jumps of the season. Gerdes and Varner are the reigning state champions in Class B and Class A, respectively.
Whitefish’s Simon Douglas rises to challenge
It was an impressive week for Whitefish senior Simon Douglas, who placed first in the three races he ran.
First at the Russ Pilcher Top 10, Douglas surged across the finish line to beat a talented field of competitors in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.44. Four days later at the Whitefish ARM Invitational, he PR’d in both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, clocking times of 4:21.88 and 10:04.05, respectively.
Douglas, whose personal record in the 800 is 1:54.43, has Class A’s fastest times in both the 800 and 1,600. He ranks fourth in the 3,200 but has surpassed the state-qualifying standard in the event, which he is running this season for the first time in his high school career.
Bozeman runners compete at Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays
A handful of Bozeman Hawks ran at the prestigious Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays in Oregon on Friday, April 25.
In the 3,000 meters, Miles Halvorsen had the best time of the Hawk boys, finishing in 8:45.27. Taylor Neil (8:46.62), Drake Fricke (8:54.23), Branlin Foote (9:00.71) and Jacob Posdon (9:18.40) also ran.
For the girls, Kylee Neil won the varsity 3,000 meters with a time of 10:19.27. Lucy Erickson (11:06.91) and Annie Emmerich (11:16.93) also ran.
Note: All marks are compiled from Athletic.net, the official database of Montana High School Association track and field results.
