Blue Pony thinclads wrap up the season

LAUREL — The best of the best in Class A track and field were all present at the Class A state track meet in Laurel over the weekend.

Havre High junior Peyton Filius runs the 800 meters at the Class A state track meet Friday afternoon in Laurel. Filius placed sixth in the event for the HHS girls.

And while the Havre High boys and girls track teams didn't make a run at team titles, the Blue Ponies did get a handful of individual placers, as well as saw athletes turn in personal best times and distances over the two days of competition.

Laurel hosted the state meet on Friday and Saturday. In boys' action, it was Whitefish which took the team title with 78 points, while Billings Central was second with 69, and Dillon was third with 64. The HHS boys did not place any individuals this season. And in girls' action, Corvallis ran away with the team title, earning 185.5 points. Sidney was a distant second with 60.5 points, while Belgrade took third with 54. The HHS girls scored seven points over the weekend.

Havre High senior Thurman Holsdclaw races in the 100 meters at Friday's Class A state track meet in Laurel. Holdsclaw set a personal best in the 100 finals on Saturday.

"The weather was great, and the competition was great," Havre High head coach Trevor VanCampen said. "This was the best meet all year, everybody had a great meet, and enjoyed themselves. But we did have some kids that we thought would place, falter and stumble a bit, but those things happen at state. You can't predict that, or even coach for that, so we just have experience it, and be ready for next year. Hopefully the kids we get back will learn from this experience, and we won't have those jitters, and we will perform like we know we can next year."

Still, two girls did place in the top six for Havre.

Martha Stocker had a breakout weekend, as she finished in third place in the shot put. Stocker's best throw of the season going into state was just over 36-5, but on Friday, Stocker bested her mark by a foot, throwing just over 37-6. Peyton Filius also earned a sixth place finish for the Ponies, running the 800 meters in 2:24.37. Filius also shaved off over three seconds from her seed time.

"It was neat to see Peyton Filius place sixth," VanCampen said. "She didn't quit running until she crossed the finish line and she nudged out a girl for that sixth place. She had the determination to not quit until the race was over, and if she would have quit one step earlier, she would have finished seventh. That was by far, her best time in the 800. But Martha Stocker also threw over 37 feet in the shot put. She really head a nice weekend too, and really stepped up for us."

Blue Pony Megan Erickson runs the 800 meters at the Class A state track meet Friday in Laurel.

And while the Ponies didn't earn any other individual top finishers, they still saw a lot of top times and marks turned in from the remainder of their boys and girls.

Katie Christianson was on the bubble, as she finished the 1,600 in seventh place, and the 3,200 in the ninth place. Lacey Waid also capped off a standout season with a No. 7 finish in the pole vault. Christianson ran the 1,600 in 5:25.60, and the 3,200 in 12:08.8. Both times were nearly 20 seconds better than her seed time. Waid cleared 9-6.

Thomas Gruber and Thurman Holdsclaw also just missed out on placing in the pole vault. Gruber and Holdssclaw both cleared 12-6. But the HHS personal bests, and solid marks didn't end there. Holdsclaw ran the 100 in 12.03, as well as jumped 39-7 (previous best 38-0) in the tirple jump. Marc Klimas ran the 3,200 in 10:43.59, and Charlie Christianson cleared 5-8 in the high jump, while Zach Plum cleared 12-0, and Gunnar Aageson cleared 11-6 (previous best 10-6) in the pole vault. Plum also jumped 18-1 in the long jump, while Ryne Antley threw 144-0 in the javelin, and Kade Rismon thre 125-0 in the discus, and 40-5 (previous best 42-9) in the shot put. Both relay teams also improved. The short relay ran a 45.98 (previous best 46.32), and the long relay ran a 3:55.33 (previous best 4:05.69).

Havre's Lexi Olson runs the 100 meters at Friday's State A track meet in Laurel.

In girls action, Lexi Olson ran the 100 in 13.61, and cleared 4-8 in the high jump. Megan Erickson also ran a 2:37.30 in the 800, while Haley Ohm ran the 1,600 in 5:47.06, and the 3,200 in 13:08.75. Jen Nordgulen jumped 31-10 (previous best 31-3) in the triple jump, and Neya Bischoff threw a 95-9 in the javelin. Stocker also had a throw of 95-2 (previous best 87-9) in the discus, while the long relay ran a 4:19.63 (previous best 4:23). The short relay was disqualified after dropping the baton.

"Katie Christianson earned a personal record by more than 15 seconds in the 1,600," VanCampen said. "And she was still seventh, and missed the podium by one place. That just goes to show you, at state, everybody shows up and gives it all they've got. But we had some other really nice performances, and it was nice to see some kids really compete hard.

"I think we ended this season on a high note," VanCampen added. "People were bettering their times and marks, feeling good about themselves, and I don't think anybody walked away too disappointed. Like I said, we did have some kids stumble a bit, but we saw everybody give it their all this weekend. I think the kids who were expected to place, and didn't, if they are coming back next year, they will come back hungry and remember the taste left in their mouth from not placing this year."