The track and field season has reached the final weekend in Montana. Last weekend divisional track meets took place across the state resulting in some eye-popping marks.
Eastern AA
Great Falls CMR’s Damien Nelson is full throttle with the state meet around the corner. Nelson ran the 100-meter dash in 10.74 seconds, while also winning the 200-meter dash in a state-best time of 21.81. Nelson won the Class AA 100 last year and finished second in the 200.
Maddie Brockel of Billings West is the defending Class AA champion in the 400-meter dash, and she showed why at the Eastern AA divisional. Brockel ran the fastest time in Montana this season, clocking in at 57.89 seconds. Brockel also ran on the Bears’ 400-meter relay team that won in 48.26 seconds. Brockel ran on West’s state record-setting team last season when the Bears ran 48.18.
Western AA
Helena Capital’s Justin Jenks continues to put distance between himself and the competition. Jenks launched the discus 181 feet, 11 inches at the Western AA divisional to win by 25 feet. Jenks also threw the shot put a state-best distance of 63-01 3/4. Missoula Sentinel’s Rylan Ortt threw the javelin 194-04, a state best. Mark Estes, along with running the No. 3 time in the state in the 400, launched a long jump of 22-00 1/4, making him just one of six athletes to jump over 22 feet.
Missoula Sentinel’s Shelby Schweyen had quite the Western AA divisional meet. Schweyen won the 100 in 12.5, won the high jump with the No. 2 jump in Montana this season at 5 feet, 7 inches, and ran on Sentinel’s second-place 400-meter relay team. Sentinel’s Ashley McElmurry edged teammate Lauren Heggen in the triple jump and long jump. McElmurry’s triple jump of 38 feet, 5 and three quarters inches is the second best jump in the state this season.
Eastern/Central A
We’ve talked about the pole vaulting excellence of Garrison Hughes, but he just keeps on dropping jaws. Hughes cleared 17 feet at the Eastern/Central A divisional, making him the first athlete to clear that height in Montana. Hughes will take aim at the all-class state record at this weekend’s State A track and field meet in Laurel.
Billings Central freshman Kellan Wahl and Belgrade freshman Bella Pacheco should battle in the sprints in the years to come. Wahl finished second in the 100 and won the 200, while Pacheco finished fourth in the 100, second in the 200, and won the 400. Wall and Pacheco rank Nos 2 and 3 in the 100 in Class A.
Western A
Frenchtown freshman Jace Klucewich and Polson freshman Trenton Adler also look to have a rivalry brewing. Klucewich won the 100 and 200, while Adler finished second in the 100 and third in the 200. Klucewich and Adler rank fifth and sixth in the 100 in Class A and third and sixth in the 200.
Corvallis’ Calla Haldorson has a stranglehold on the Class A discus. Haldorson won the Western A divisional and currently leads the state by nearly 10 feet. Dillon’s Tylia DeJohn and Hayle Sundquist finished 1-2 in the 100 and 200. DeJohn and Sundquist rank first and fourth in the 100 i n Class A, and are first and second in the 200.
Southern B
Casey Gunlikson has had a whale of a season, and it continued at the Southern B divisional. Big Timber’s star won the 100 in 10.91, and the 200 in a Class B-best 22.02. Gunlikson owns Class B’s top time in the 100, 200, and 300-meter hurdles. The Johnstone twins from Forsyth were also impressive. Cade posted runner-up finishes in the 100 and 200 while winning the 400. Paul won the 800, finished second in the triple jump, and won the long jump. Both Cade and Paul ran on Forsyth’s 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams that finished runner-up.
Baker sensation Wrenzi Wrzesinski won both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, but was upstaged in the 100-meter dash. Shepherd’s Maddisen Marema ran the fastest time in Class B this year at 12.64. Huntley Project’s Emily Poole swept all three throwing events. Poole leads Class B in the javelin and discus, and ranks third in the shot put.
Northern B
Fairfield’s Dawson Allen won all five of his individual events at the Northern B divisional. Allen won the 100, 200, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, and the javelin. Allen ranks in the top 10 of Class B in each event.
Glasgow’s Baylie Chappell posted some of her best times of the season at the divisional meet to lead her team to the title. Chappell won the 100 in 12.72, the 200 in 26.68, and ran on Glasgow’s winning 400-meter relay team. Chappell also won the long jump.
Western B
Florence-Carlton’s Jethro Thorne has been one of Class B’s fastest sprinters all season long. Thorne won both the 200 and 400 at the Western B divisional. Thorne currently ranks second in Class B in the 400 and fifth in the 200.
Bigfork blew away their competition at the Western B divisional. The Valkyries won every event on the track with the exception of the 300-meter hurdles, where Madison Gardner finished second to Deer Lodge’s Kamryn Scully. Bigfork’s 1,600-meter relay team of Jordan Nelson, Bryn Morley, Shae Anderson and Haile Norred broke the Western B divisonal record with their time of 4 minutes, 2.35 seconds.
Eastern C
Riley Linder had a hand in five wins for the Scobey Spartans as they ran away with the Eastern C. Linder won the 100, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, the javelin, and ran on Scobey’s winning 400-meter relay team. Linder is second in Class C in the 110s, leads in the 300 hurdles, and is just one inch shy of Class C’s top javelin throw.
Westb-Grenora’s Kinley Peterson continued her dominance of the Eastern C division. Peterson won the 100, 200, 400, 800, and ran on the Thunder’s runner-up 400-meter relay team. Peterson owns Class C’s fastest time in the 400 (tied with Winnett-Grass Range’s Zoe Delaney) and 800, while ranking in the top 10 of Class C in the 100 and 200.
Southern C
Alex Kosel keeps on impressing. The Roberts star jumper won the long jump with a Class C-best jump of 22 feet, 3 inches. He also won the high jump and placed second in the triple jump. Melstone’s Brody Grebe, holder of the top triple jump in Class C, held of Kosel in the triple jump by just one half inch. Grebe also lept 21-02 3/4 in the long jump to finish second.
Plenty Coups freshman Lena Standsoverbull certainly has a bright future ahead. Standsoverbull won the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 at the Southern C divisional. She racked up 40 of Plenty Coups’ 54 points.
Northern C
Last spring, Denton-Geyser-Stanford’s Kordell Carpenter fell at the finish line of the 800-meter run at the State C track and field meet. Carpenter is on the road to redemption after running the best time in Class C this season, 1:58.78, at the Northern C divisional. Eddie Harmon of Turner, who narrowly defeated Carpenter last season, won the 100, 200, and 400.
The Fort Benton girls team dominated the Northern C divisional led by Maddy Thompson, Abby Clark, Leah Gannon and Nicole Axtman. However, it was Winnett-Grass Range’s Zoe Delaney who put her stamp on the meet. Delaney won the 100, 200, and 400. Delaney owns Class C’s top time in the 100, 200, and is tied with Westby-Grenora’s Kinley Peterson for the lead in the 400.
Western C
Ennis’ Corbin Wood is determined to help the Mustangs to their fourth consecutive Class C state track and field title. Wood ran a Class C-best 10.98 in the prelims of the 100 before easily winning the event in finals. Wood also won the 200 and 400. Corbin’s twin brother Tanner has returned from meniscus surgery and finished third in the 100 and second in the 200.
Manhattan Christian’s Alex Veltkamp is one of the best athletes in the state. Velkamp won the 200, 400, 800, long jump, and ran on the Eagles’ winning 1,600-meter relay team. If Veltkamp can replicate her long jump of 17-09 1/2 at this weekend’s State C track and field meet, it would be a new Class C state record. Veltkamp ranks in the top three of each individual event, and the Manhattan Christian 1,600-meter relay team holds Class C’s top time.
