GREAT FALLS — Great Falls CMR senior Jackson Tarver is having a track season that continues to get better with time.
Tarver is currently leading the state in the 200-meter dash after finishing with a time of 21.6 seconds at a dual with Helena Capital. That mark also places Tarver second in CMR’s history books, following only Chris Wilson who posted a 21.06 in 2009, which still remains the state record.
Not only is Tarver ranked second in the Rustler history books for the 200, but he is also the record holder for the 400-meter race. He posted a time of 49.44 at the Skor Dekam meet in Helena, beating the previous record of 49.5 set by Paul Luwe in 1975.
“It was a little rainy, wet and windy, and I had just been working a lot on my form. I knew I was hopefully going to go and win that, being the top seed, but it was when I was hitting that last 100 (meters) where I still had some movement moving forward and I didn’t feel like I was dying,” said Tarver. “I kind of just pushed through, and seeing that on the clock was great.”
The success coming from this year not only gives him a confidence boost heading into the state meet where he will attempt to secure his first state title, but it also gives him confidence as he prepares to live out the first part of his childhood dream.
“Division I track has always been a dream of mine," he said. "The Olympics has been my ultimate dream since I was 7 years old.”
Tarver has committed to run track at Southern Utah next year. He told MTN he is excited to join a program that has been breaking records all season long, but more importantly a program that he can grow and bond with. Tarver decided to run for the Thunderbirds because he enjoys running at the altitude in Utah and wants to compete in the Western Athletic Conference.
