MISSOULA — The track and field postseason got under way last week with the Class B and Class C district meets.
There were seven district meets in Class B and 11 in Class C, many of which were held concurrently. Districts 6B, 13C and 14C got together for a two-day meet at MCPS Stadium in Missoula, where Missoula Loyola, Drummond and Charlo swept their respective team titles.
The Loyola girls, led by Isabelle Berry, scored 116 points at the District 6B meet to edge second-place Anaconda with 103.
Berry, a senior set to run at the University of Montana, won the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles, hitting personal-best times in both. Her 12.47-second time in the 100 and 14.88 in the 100 hurdles both now lead Class B this spring.
The Breakers also got individual wins from junior Victoria Gerhart (high jump, 4-10) and freshmen Sophia Berry (400, 1:00.38) and Allison Gama (300 hurdles, 45.42). Gama’s time is the fastest in Class B this season.
The Loyola boys, meanwhile, scored 198 points to out-pace second-place Florence with 132. Tytus Palma (200, 22.99), Matthew Tobiason (800, 2:03.44), Jake Jamieson (pole vault, 14-00), Malik Lyttle (long jump, 22-08½) and Talen Reynolds (triple jump, 41-01½) won individual events, and the Rams also won the 1,600 relay (3:34.48).
Also at the District 6B meet:
- Florence junior Isaac Bates had a strong performance, winning the 100- and 400-meter races. He won the 100 in 11.27 seconds and the 400 in a Class B-best 50.96. He also ran legs on Florence’s winning 400-meter relay team (44.77) and second-place 1,600 relay (3:41.02) and placed second in the 200 (23.00).
- Curtis Pijanowski also won multiple events for the Falcons, placing first in the 1,600 (4:50.74) and 3,200 (10:48.15).
- Anaconda’s Tytan Cook swept the boys hurdles, winning the 110s in 15.89 seconds and the 300s in 41.40. Both times were off his PRs, but Cook leads Class B in both events.
- Lily Adair of Darby was a multiple event winner on the girls side. The sophomore won the 800 in 2:25.96 and the 3,200 in 12:56.80.
- Freshman Bailey Kroeker of Florence also won two girls events. She won the 200 in 26.78 seconds and the long jump with a mark of 16-11½.
Drummond won the District 13C team trophies behind individual wins from Scott Parke, Dawson Parke, Chance Dunkerson, Trey Phillips and Brody Rasor on the boys side and Natalie Gravely, Danica Yakos and Bailey Parke on the girls.
Scott Park won the 800 (2:03.36) and 1,600 (4:38.64), while Dawson Parke won the 3,200 (10:20.15). Dunkerson (shot put, 44-10) and Phillips (discus, 131-02½) grabbed wins in the throws, and Rasor swept the jumps — marking 41-10 in the triple, 20-09¾ in the long and 5-10 in the high.
Gravely placed first in the 3,200 (13:21.85), Yakos won the 300 hurdles (50.07) and Bailey Parke took the javelin (110-10). Drummond also won both relays, finishing the 400 in 52.47 and the 1,600 in 4:27.53.
And Charlo racked up 10 boys wins and 11 girls wins en route to the District 14C team championships.
Hayden Hollow won the 400 (53.28), 800 (2:00.06) and pole vault (10-06) and also ran legs on the Vikings’ winning relay teams (400, 47.38; 1,600, 3:51.11). Hayden Smith grabbed wins in the 1,600 (4:38.10) and 3,200 (10:40.28), while Jacob Tomlin won the shot put (46-04) and javelin (149-01). Ryan Sharbono added a win in the discus (122-00).
For the Charlo girls, Aida Cote won the 400 (1:05.06), 800 (2:33.39) and discus (102-06) and ran legs on the winning relay teams (400, 55.95; 1,600, 4:41.00). Elsie Detert won both the 1,600 (6:27.35) and 3,200 (15:04.92).
Leah Cahoon also won two events, taking first in the high jump (4-07) and pole vault (6-06), while Shonlee Matt (shot put, 30-11) and Abbigail Wagner (triple jump, 27-06) added more wins in the field.
Around the district track meets:
- Benedikt Syrbe of Chester-Joplin-Inverness became the first Class C boy to break the 11-second barrier in the 100-meter dash. He clocked a time of 10.98 seconds at the District 9C meet in Havre. He also won the 200 in 22.67 seconds. Syrbe leads Class C in both sprints.
- The District 8C meet saw athletes hit three Class C-best marks of the season. Belt’s JD Shepard won the 300 hurdles in a personal-best time of 40.31 seconds; the Belt girls won the 400 relay in 50.92 seconds; and Audrey Baker of Great Falls Central won the discus with a throw of 130-01.
- Whitewater’s Shelbi LaBrie and Paige Wasson hit Class C-best marks at the District 3C meet in Wolf Point. LaBrie won the 1,600-meter run in 5:15.74, and Wasson won the javelin with a throw of 131-09.
- Taylee Chirrick of Roberts trimmed more time off her state-leading 400, winning the race in 56.26 at the District 6C meet. That’s the fastest 400 this spring, regardless of class.
- Wolf Point’s Peyton Summers and Huntley Project’s Avery Gerdes set Class B-leading marks at the District 2B and 3B meets, respectively. Summers won the boys 800 in 1:57.79, while Gerdes won the girls triple jump with a mark of 37-03.
HIGHLIGHTS: DISTRICT 1B, 8C AND 10C TRACK MEETS IN GREAT FALLS
While Class B and Class C schools were competing in their district meets, Class AA and Class A teams were putting the finishing touches on their regular seasons. And athletes enjoyed a particularly fast Saturday at the Nelson-Thomas ABC Meet in Polson.
The top nine finishers in the girls 100-meter dash hit personal-best times, with Whitefish standout Brooke Zetooney leading the way. The future Montana Grizzly crossed the finish line in 12.04 seconds, which would break the all-class state record of 12.08 seconds set by Jaeden Wolff of Billings West in 2022 if Zetooney can repeat the time at the Class A state meet.
Olivia Lewis of Corvallis is positioned to threaten the all-class record in the 300-meter hurdles, as well. The senior, a Montana State signee, set a new PR in the event at 42.36 seconds at the Nelson-Thomas ABC Meet. The current state record of 42.87 seconds was set by Liz Harper of Missoula Sentinel in 2013.
Elsewhere …
- Billings Skyview’s Ryan Dierenfield blazed to a 10.59-second 100-meter dash at the Billings Public Schools City Meet. Damien Nelson of Great Falls CMR set the current state record of 10.5 seconds in 2017.
- Nathan Neil of Bozeman clocked a 4:07.03 in the 1,600 at the Last Chance Invite in Belgrade. The current state record is 4:10.68, set by Bozeman’s Weston Brown last year.
- Scott Klinker of Great Falls marked a 48-0 triple jump at a Crosstown Dual with CMR. That leads the rest of the state by more than 18 inches this season.
- And the Helena girls ran the state’s fastest 400-meter relay at the CHS vs. HHS Dual. The Bengals crossed the line in 48.44 seconds.
