Local athletes shoot for state track glory

Last week, at the Northern C Divisional track meet, the Fort Benton girls track team dominated the running events, en route to a championship. Now, the Longhorns will try to rely on their runners to bring home another trophy, this time from the Class C state track meet.

Fort Benton is just one of a number of local schools from along the Hi-Line that will be in action this weekend as Chester-Joplin-Inverness, Chinook, North Star, Box Elder, Turner, Hays-Lodge Pole and Big Sandy all qualified at least one athlete for the competition. The meet, which is combined with the Class AA state meet, starts today and will continue through Saturday at Missoula Big Sky High School.

While the competition at state track meets is always difficult, things should be very competitive at the girls meet this year and that means, even though the Longhorns are a bit thin, especially in the field events, they could score enough points in the running events to push for a top-three finish.

At the Northern C, the Longhorns essentially rode three performers to the team title and it's the same three they have been relying on heavily all season: Leah Gannon, Maddy Thompson and Kaitlyn Bird.

All three have dominated, especially in the postseason, leading Fort Benton to a district title two weeks ago, as well as a divisional title and even though Gannon, a freshman, may be the most impressive, Bird, a senior might be the most important. She will compete in the 800-meter run, the 1,600 and the 300 hurdles, as well as the 1,600 relay. She won the 800 at the Northern C and finished top three in the other two.

The Longhorns will need points from Bird if they are going to reach their goals, but they will also need Gannon, who has quickly turned into a track sensation, to keep her incredible campaign going. She will run the 200 and 400, which she swept at divisionals, as well as the long jump.

And last, but certainly not least, is Thompson, who won the 100 at the Northern C, but also finished fourth in the pole vault and fifth in the long jump. Thompson, Gannon and Bird are also part of the 1,600 relay team, which won first-place at divisionals by a whopping 11 seconds.

Outside of Fort Benton, the Chinook girls may have the best chance of any local team to put points on the board as both Abigail Ellison, who won the triple jump at divisionals and Kailey Kleinjan, who placed in the 200 and 400 at divisionals, should each have a chance to medal.

Kourtney Hanson will also run for the Sugarbeeters at state in the 800, while Brooke Elliot will throw the javelin. The Chinook girls also qualified its 400 relay team.

The North Star Knights also have a slew of girls competing at state in Lily Pedersen, Katelin Harvey, Sheridan Spicher and Graysen Spicher. The CJI girls will have Kayona Fraser and Anna Jamison in attendance, Jaye Anderson will represent Turner and Jessica Roth will compete for Big Sandy.

When it comes to the Class C boys track meet, there are a number of athletes from the Hi-Line that have the chance to do well, even if none of the local teams appear to be contenders for team trophies.

CJI's Justin May will compete in five different events at state, including the long jump, triple jump, the 200, the 300 hurdles and the javelin. He will be joined by teammates Cory Kelly and Cameron Davis.

The North Star Knights also have multiple athletes that made it to state as they will represented by Devon Miller in the 100 and javelin, as well as Payton Peterson in the high jump and long jump. Matt Helmbrecht will also throw the shot put.

Box Elder's Shane Ketchum will compete in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and has a chance to place in each event. Yet, he is not the only local distance runner to eye a trip to the podium in Missoula, as Turner's Eddie Harmon, who will run the 800, has a strong chance to earn points for the Tornadoes.

Isiah RunsAbove of HLP, also has a chance to medal in the 3,200. Kyler Johnson of Chinook will also compete for the Beeters in the 1,600 and 3,200, while Eric Schwarzbach will run in the 110 hurdles for Big Sandy.

The Class C state track meet gets underway today in Missoula and concludes Saturday. All events will take place at Missoula Big Sky High School.