MISSOULA — Challenging weather has predictably affected the young track and field season, but a number of athletes have still managed to hit their respective qualifying standards and record some impressive marks.
Corvallis’ Hunter Loesch is the first Montanan with a legitimately eye-opening mark this spring, as the senior uncorked a throw of 204 feet, 4 inches in the javelin at the Hamilton Bronc Invitational on April 4. That’s the second-longest throw in the nation this spring and the longest in Montana since 2019, according to Athletic.net.
Loesch is no stranger to competitive marks in the javelin. He placed third at the Class A state track and field meet as a sophomore in 2023 and second last year. Entering this season, his personal-best throw was 189-04, and he started the spring with throws of 186-02 and 186-08.
But a 200-foot throw puts him in rare company and makes him one of the athletes to watch as this season unfolds.
A couple other throwers will garner extra attention this spring, as well. Gallatin’s Jack Murray entered the season as Montana’s all-class record-holder in the discus after throwing 198-01 at last year’s state meet. He has a season-best mark of 168-03, which is the best in the state.
Polson’s Astin Brown is also off to a strong start in the throws, going 58-09 in the shot put in both of his meets. Now a senior, Brown is among the favorites in Class A after placing third at state last year.
On the girls side, Helena senior Madilyn Todorovich will try to help the Bengals to a fourth consecutive Class AA team title. The reigning state champion in the 400-meter run, 300-meter hurdles and high jump, Todorovich has the state’s best marks in all three events (59.32 seconds in the 400, 46.27 in the 300 hurdles and 5-05 in the high jump) so far this season. She also leads in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 17-11½.
Kaitlyn Noyes of Townsend and Ella Varner of Corvallis have also gone over 17 feet in the long jump this season, with Noyes marking 17-08½ and Varner marking 17-06. Noyes set the Class B record in the event last spring with a jump of 18-0½ at the state meet.
Other notable results from the first two weeks of the 2025 track and field season:
- Eight Class AA boys and eight Class B girls have already hit their respective qualifying standards in the 100-meter dashes. Kalispell Flathead’s Ben Bliven has the boys fastest time at 11.06 seconds, while Missoula Loyola’s Sophia Berry leads the girls with a time of 12.66 seconds.
- Gallatin seniors Isabel Ross and Claire Rutherford ran the state’s fastest times in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Gallatin Valley Triangular last week, but it’s otherwise a youth movement in the girls distance races. Freshmen and sophomores own 15 of the top 20 times in the 1,600 and 10 of the top 20 in the 3,200.
- Helena has already had four boys hit the qualifying standard in the 1,600. Senior Henry Sund leads the state with a time of 4:16.89, followed by teammates Dylan Hill (4:19.68) and Elliot Stimpson (4:22.82). Milo Kaufman has also qualified for state with a time of 4:27.52.
- Helena Capital sophomore Oliver Mow blazed to a 14.58-second time in the 110-meter hurdles last week to set the state’s fastest time of the season. Kalispell Glacier’s Ethan Anderson (14.67), Missoula Hellgate’s Corbin Weltzien (14.7) and Frenchtown’s Brody Hardy (14.82) have also broken the 15-second barrier this season.
- The Class C boys high jump should be a fun event to track over the next eight weeks, as Ricky Williams of Noxon, Brant Ligameri of Cascade and Dreyden Anderson of Box Elder will look to raise the bar. Ligameri got the best of Anderson at the Cal Wearley Memorial last week, clearing 6-04 to Anderson’s 6-02. Williams currently leads the state with a personal-best height of 6-04½.
- Missoula Sentinel’s Geffen Guscio broke the school record and set the state’s best mark with a 15-06 pole vault last week. It’s the highest vault by a Montanan since 2018, according to Athletic.net.
Note: All marks are compiled from Athletic.net, the official database of Montana High School Association track and field results.
