Lions Invite a big day for Pony tracksters

The Havre High track teams have a couple of meets under their belt, but the Blue Ponies will take the competition to another level Saturday when they host the Havre Lions Invitational track meet.

Havre and a number of other teams from throughout the area such as Chinook, North Star, Turner, Harlem, Box Elder and Big Sandy will be in attendance. The meet will get underway at 9:30 a.m. and will be held at the Havre Middle School track.

"It's still really early in the season," Havre head coach John Ita said. "We are still working kids into things and still pretty cautious in terms of injuries and trying to keep people healthy. But with this team being so young, any time we can get out there and compete, it's going to help."

Both Havre teams come into the meet fresh off solid performances in the recent Cal Wearley track meet, which was held at the Havre Middle School track Wednesday. The Pony boys finished second, just behind Glasgow, while the Havre girls managed to finish fourth.

The boys team is strong in a number of areas, but no part of their team has more depth than the sprinters. For starters, there is Michael Loftus, who excels in the 100-meter dash and the 200. There is also Nate Rismon, who was the only Havre athlete to place at the Class A state meet a year ago. He is capable of doing well in the 100, 200 and the 400. Both Loftus and Rismon are strong relay runners as well and will at times run in both the 400 and 1,600 relays.

Yet, Rismon and Loftus are not the only strong runners on the Havre roster. Jacob LaBrie is always a threat to do well in the 400 and Luke Karnauskas has the potential to place in both the 400 and the 800. Karnauskas is also a strong jumper and comes in the triple jump, as does Nik Keller, who placed fifth in the Cal Wearley.

The Ponies also tend to do well in the pole vault. Sophomore Ivar Aageson won the Pole Vault Wednesday and will have a good chance to win the event again Saturday. Rismon is a skilled pole-vaulter. Havre also has some talented throwers, too, such as Thomas Keith, who finished second in the discus Wednesday.

The Havre girls didn't score quite as many points as the boys did at the Cal Wearley, but they still had some solid performances. Two of Havre's more talented girls are dealing with nagging injuries right now as Rachel David and Naomi Terry have both been limited on the season.

David is a top distance runner and earned All-State honors in cross country, while Terry excels in the sprints and the hurdles. Another area of strength for the Pony girls is the pole vault. Loni Waid and Amelia Beard have each won the event at a meet so far this season and Kaylee Nystrom is another threat to place there.

The HHS girls also do very well in the throwing events with Jordan Keith and Kristen Nash competing in all three events. Each have placed in the first two meets of the season. Two others that always have a chance to place are distance runner Megan Erickson and hurdler Logan Huebsch.

"Right now we are really focused on the fundamentals," Ita said. "We are trying to work the kids on how to properly warm up for a race and how do all the little things like that. A lot of our kids our young and have a lot to learn."

The Havre Lions track meet starts Saturday morning at the Havre Middle School at 9:30.