It's all on the line at the 9C District Meet

It’s been an exciting season of track and field on the Hi-Line. There have been many great performances, great times and exciting races.

Now, for many area teams and local athletes, the season comes down to one final day.

Wednesday, the Havre Middle School Track will be the site of the 2013 District 9C track meet, where spots into the Northern C Divisional and team titles will be on the line.

The 9C meet is by far one of the most competitive meets in all of Class C track and field, and for many, it’s the beginning of the journey that will take some athletes and teams all the way to state track meet glory.

One such team is the North Star girls, under veteran head coach Brian Campbell. The Knights began their run to the 2012 state championship by scoring a meet record 245 points at last year’s 9C meet. North Star went on to win the Northern C and the state C track title, but it all began with a huge day in Havre last season.

And the Knights are certainly equipped to do it again. Led by sprinter Tylynn Rettig, who could sweep the sprints, as well as place or win several other events, along with the versatile Carlon sisters, Lisa and Bettie, North Star is expected to dominate Wednesday’s field. But it isn’t just a few that lead the Knights to being the best girls team in Class C. North Star has talent across the board, including Delainey Spicher and freshman Graysen Spicher, along with a host of others who will score big points. And the points come from all over, whether it’s sprints and relays, jumps and hurdles, or pole vaults, North Star has just about every event covered.

So many area teams will be giving chase. Chinook is the closest team to North Star this season. The Sugarbeeters have a strong contigent of girls, including throwers Britney Nelson and Makhayla Farmer, as well as Hannah Weber who is strong in the middle distances, and senior Emily Dennis, who does multiple events.

Big Sandy has several strong individuals, but probably won’t be able to keep pace Wednesday in the scoring, while Turner, Hays-Lodge Pole and Box Elder will look to push a few into the divisional meet.

Like the girls meet, the boys meet has been dominated by one team the last couple years — the Chinook Sugarbeeters. And while Chinook is a favorite this week in Havre, the battle certainly will be joined. North Star has been hot on Chinook’s heels all season and the Knights seem to be peaking at the right time.

Chinook has a bevy of runners in the sprints, including star Dylan Surber, as well as Zach Molyneaux, who will likely compete in at least five events Wednesday, including the throws. Geoff Qualls has also been strong for the Beeters this season, and Chinook should be solid in both relay races, which can ultimately settle a team title.

North Star has had an outstanding boys season, led by Cooper Spicher, Quinn Spinler and Jaxson Simonson, among others. The Knights don’t have big numbers, but they get the most out of the boys they have, and they score points in a variety of events. Wednesday, the sprints, jumps and hurdles will be North Star’s strong points, as the Knights try to stop Chinook’s 9C winning streak.

Big Sandy has a chance to turn some heads as well. Trevor Lackner can score big points, while Kaden Beck is one of the top throwers in the 9C. Turner will be a dark horse, as the Tornadoes always have strong jumpers, and Box Elder’s Will Ketchum is probably the favorite in the 800-3,200 meters.

Wednesday's 9C meet begins with field events at 10 a.m. at the Havre Middle School Track. The running events begin at 10:30 a.m. The top five athletes in each event advance to next Thursday's Northern C in Great Falls.