Havre track heads to Class A State Meet

The season comes to an end this weekend for the Havre High track and field teams. In Laurel, the Blue Ponies will compete in the Class A-C State Track and Field Meet. With one last chance to compete this spring, HHS head coach Kari Filius hopes to see the Ponies put it all out on the line.

"We just want to go out there and be as competitive and excited at state as they were at divisionals and just do the best they can," Filius said. "They've just been excited and competed well all year so I just want them to do the same thing at state."

The HHS track and field teams are coming off the Eastern A Divisional Meet where the girls team finished second and the boys team finished fifth. The Ponies will compete against many tough programs this weekend to end the season. On the girls side, Filius expects Whitefish, Corvallis, Hardin and Eastern A Divisional champion Laurel to be competitive. On the boys side, Filius believes Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Corvallis and Laurel should provide tough competition.

"It'll be a very competitive weekend," Filius said. "Hopefully, we can get as many points as possible and see what we can do."

The Ponies will be taking 20 athletes to the meet this weekend, 11 from the boys and nine from the girls team.

Filius expects the Ponies to perform well in the distance runs this weekend. Caleb Tomac will run in the 800-meter dash, the 1,600-meter dash and the 3,200-meter dash. He has a best of 1:58.43 in the 800, a best of 4:28.59 in the 1,600 and the personal record of 9:8.22 in the 3,200. Brody Henry will run in the 800 with a best of 1:59.37 and he will run in the 1,600 with a personal record of 4:32.28.

Filius also expects the Ponies to do well in their sprints. From the girls team, Kaydance Reiter will run in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 12.71 and she will run in the 200-meter sprint with a personal record of 26.35.

Macy Brandon will also run in the 100 with a best of 13.22 and she will compete in the 200 with a personal record of 26.50. Brandon will also run in the 400-meter sprint with a best of 1:00.74 this season. Her teammate Carolyn Thomas will run in the 100 with a best of 13.43.

On the boys side, Brayden Kimberling will run in the 100 with a best of 11.32 and in the 200 with a personal record of 22.73. Trayden Riley will run in the 400-meter sprint with a best of 52.62.

Filius expects Kyanna Jarvis to perform well this weekend as she will compete in the 100-meter hurdles and the high jump. Jarvis has a best of 16.39 in the 100-meter hurdles and a personal record of 5-02 in the high jump this season.

The Ponies should also do well in the relay events in both the boys and girls meets. In the boys 400 relay, the team of Kimberling, Michael Emge, Carson Harris and Brisbin Reiter will compete with a best of 44.48 this season. In the boys 1,600 relay, the team of Emge, Riley, Jacob Herring and Shane Patacsil will run together with a best of 3:33.22 this season.

In the girls 400 relay, the team of Brandon, Reiter, Thomas and Jarvis will run with a best of 50.95 this season. In the girls 1,600 relay, the team of Brandon, Reiter, Kyanna Jarvis and Amaya Jarvis will compete together with a best of 4:11.19 this year.

The Ponies will compete in several events over the course of the meet. Amaya Jarvis will compete in the girls 300-meter hurdles with a best of 48.44 this season. Herring will compete in the boys 300-meter hurdles with a best of 43.48 this season.

In the field events, Clara Laird will throw in the discus with a best of 103-00 and in the javelin with a personal record of 117-01. Macee May will look to do well as she will compete in the triple jump with a best of 33-09.5 and in the long jump with a personal record of 16-09.

Sierra Parker will also compete in both events with a best of 33-09.5 in the triple jump and a best of 15-04 in the long jump. Taylor Leeds will head to state to compete in the pole vault with a best of 9-00.

The boys team will also have several athletes compete in the field events at state. Tommy Lewis will throw in the shot put with a best of 43-00.5 this season. Kale Van Campen will compete in the triple jump with a best of 40-08.25.

With this being their last competition of the season, the Ponies will be looking to bring home some medals. But along with competing hard this weekend, Filius wants the Ponies to enjoy the atmosphere of their final meet of the season.

"I just hope that they really enjoy being at state because there's nothing like a state track meet," Filius said. "I want them to enjoy it and I hope they do the best that they can do so they feel good about what they did on the weekend and feel good about the year."

The HHS track and field teams will begin the Class A-C State Track and Field Meet this Friday in Laurel.