Cal Wearley meet springs the track season

When it comes to prep track and field, the Hi-Line has plenty to offer. Year after year, schools from the area produce some of the best Class C track and field athletes around.

And this spring should be no different, as several area teams have a boatload of talent. And that talent will be on display Wednesday morning at the Havre Middle School Track as the annual Cal Wearley Invitational kicks off the prep track season in Havre.

Once again, Hi-Line teams will headline a large list of exciting schools in the Cal Wearley Field, a field that also includes the Class A Havre Blue Ponies. Yet, it’s the local schools from around the area that will take center stage Wednesday, while the Havre Blue Ponies will host their invite Saturday.

And the list of local schools who will find track and field success this season is a long one.

At the top of the list, as always, is the North Star Knights. Head coach Brian Campbell’s girls team has dominated the District 9C, been a Northern C contender, and has won one state championship in the last decade. And the North Star girls should be stout once again.

Leading the way for a deep North Star team is senior Tylynn Rettig, who has a chance to win as many as five events at this spring’s 9C meet. Rettig is a top sprinter, as well as a standout pole vaulter for the Knights. But she’ll have help ,too. Graysen Spicher, Mackenzie Hansen and Kristyn Lavery are just a few of the Knights who will score big points for the North Star girls.

But as good as the Knights are, the 9C will be tough this season, with the addition of Chester/J-I, and with Chinook being as talented as ever. On the track, sprinter Kailey Kleinjan as well as runners Katelyn Neibauer and Hannah Weber will help the Beeters keep pace with North Star, while Britney Nelson is perhaps the top thrower in the state.

C/J-I is led by super sophomore Allix Goldhahn, who like Rettig, excels in multiple events. The Hawks are always tough on the track and they have depth, too. Big Sandy has a strong girls team as well, as Abby Gregory can score in several events, while Turner’s Ella Billmayer may be the top distance runner in the district.

The boys race in the 9C will also be competitive. A year ago, North Star rose to the top, and the Knights return with plenty of firepower. But so does Chinook, which had won two straight 9C titles, while C/J-I, Box Elder and Turner will also be in the mix.

Payton Peterson, Gavin Spinler and Jimmy Snow should score big points for the Knights on the track, while Matthew Helmbrecht is a standout in the field events, and a healthy Jaxon Simonson will give the Knights even more depth in the throws.

Not to be outdone, Chinook and C/J-I will be dangerous, too.

The Beeters will be led by Gavin Gunderson in the sprints and Travis Roth in distance races, while the Hawks have a multiple-event star in Justin May. C/J-I also has plenty of depth and talent to make a run at their first 9C title, while Box Elder will lead the way in the distance events with Shane Ketchum, Jerrod Four Colors and Brandon The Boy.

Turner could pose a serious threat as well. Brett VanValkenburg is a speedster, while Lucas Reed can score in multiple events as well. Big Sandy will get big points from Kyle Strutz and Geno Menard, while Hays-Lodge Pole should be strong in the throws.

Once again, the spring is going to be very competitive on the track in the area. And it culminates with the District 9C track meet May 6 in Havre, then the Northern C Divisional May 14 in Great Falls. And from there, the top track and field athletes will move on to the Class C state meet May 22-23 in Laurel.

The annual Cal Wearley Invitational will start at 8 a.m. Wednesday at the Havre Middle School Track.