By Tiffany L. Rehbein
If things continue like they ended, the Chester Coyotes boys' and girls' track teams will be district champions.
In their last outing, the Coyotes won the team titles at the Dutton Invitational which featured all of the District 10C teams.
The district meet will be held on Thursday at Great Falls.
The Chester girls are a powerful force with depth and athleticism throughout the team.
Michele Van Dyke should be a favorite in the high jump. Van Dyke leads the state in all classes in the event, with a personal-best jump of 5-6 1/2.
Van Dyke, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, is also a big point-getter in the 800 meters, triple jump, and 400 meters.
She has a personal-best time of 2:32.00 in the 800, which she set mid-season at the Rocky Boy Invitational.
At the same meet, Van Dkye ran the 400 in 60.05 for her best time of the season.
She has a personal-best mark of 31-8 in the triple jump, which she set at Chester just two weeks ago.
Carlane Jensen might be unbeatable in the district in the triple jump, javelin, and shot put.
Just last week, Jensen set a personal-best mark of 34-10 in the triple jump pit. She is ranked No. 11 in the state with the jump.
She has a mark of 118-9 in the javelin. She is the No. 1 Class C thrower in the event and is ranked sixth across the state in the event.
She also has a personal-best throw of 34-10 in the shot put, which she set last weekend at Dutton.
The high jump is also popular for Jensen, who is ranked tenth in the state in the event at a height of five feet three inches.
Maci Tempel has been consistent in the hurdles for the Coyotes.
She has a best time of 49.92 in the 300-meter hurdles and a personal-best time of 60.03 in the 400 both of which she set at the Rocky Boy Invite at Havre.
At the same meet, she set a time of 27.96 in the 200 meters, which she has not beaten yet.
Emily Tranberg, who had a great finish at the Icebreaker one-mile at Great Falls two weeks ago, is also a fine hurdler.
Her fastest time in the 100 hurdles is at 17.35 and in the 300 hurdles is at 50.8, which she recently set at Cut Bank.
Tranberg can also compete in the pole vault event, where she has a mark of 7-0.
Debbie Brown is a distance runner for the Coyotes. She has a time of 13:09.9 in the 3,200 and a time of 6:03.7 in the 1,600, both of which she set on the Cut Bank track.
Katy Engstrom could be a point-getter in the middle distance runs, with best times of 67.25 in the 400 and 2:46.56 in the 800.
On the boys' side, Jeff Graham is strong in the 200, 400, and 300 hurdles.
At Cut Bank during two different meets, Graham set season-best times of 41.3 in the hurdles, 23.85 in the 200, and 51.77 in the 400.
In the 400, Graham is ranked third in the Class C with his time.
He is ranked second in the Class C in the hurdle event with his time. Blake Barnes of Park City, who placed first in the event at the District 6C track meet on Tuesday, leads the Class C in the event.
Brent Clark is tough in the field events for the Coyotes.
Clark has a mark of 5-10 in the high jump, 20-1 in the long jump, and 11-0 in the pole vault.
Colt Diemert has been making a mark in the 800, shot put, and discus.
He has a personal-best time of 2:10.2 in the 800. He also has marks in the shot and disc events.
Zeb Engstrom has proven himself in the 110 hurdles, javelin, pole vault, and discus. His discus throw is at 169-4 1/2.
