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Keeping Up With High School Track Season

By Beacon Staff

Track season is moving along quickly and several local athletes have already emerged as some of the best in the state.

There’s a great website, called Montanatrack.com, that gathers results from across Montana and features deep lists for each event. The lists are updated throughout the season and provide a nice resource for fans who like to keep an eye on track and field.

These lists are obviously very fluid as the season develops, and I’m excited to see more local athletes keep climbing the ranks.

There are also a few upcoming local meets that could likely provide the springboard.

The cross-town track meet between Flathead and Glacier is Tuesday, April 23, at Glacier High. The 15th annual A.R.M. Invitational is in Whitefish, April 27. Then there’s the Archie Roe Invitational track meet, slated for May 4, which is in its 39th year at Kalispell’s Legends Stadium. This was one of the highlights of the season every spring when I was in high school, and it remains that way.

Anyhow, here’s a breakdown of our local runners and jumpers who are off to a great start this season. These rankings are statewide, for all classes:

Flathead senior Zach Perrin holds the top time in two of three distances events. He ran 1:57.09 in the 800 at the Class A Invitational at Legends Stadium. Hellgate’s Adam Peterman ranks second, 1:58.89.

In the 1,600, Perrin clocked 4:19.95 at the Missoula Invitational. Peterman ran 4:22.71. Glacier’s Troy Fraley came in at 4:23.59.

In the 3,200, Peterman holds a slight advantage, edging Perrin by half a second. Peterman ran 8:57.10 at the Arcadia Invitational and Perrin earned 8:57.68. Fraley ran 9:12.68.

Logan Harwood, a senior at Whitefish, leads the state in the 400 with a time of 51.27, which he ran at the Class A Invitational.

Glacier junior Noah James has the third best 110 hurdles time at 15.52. Great Falls CMR senior Mason Storm leads with 15.07.

Glacier senior Kyle Griffith holds the best triple jump and second best long jump. In the triple, he leaped 46-7, which ties with Flathead senior Matthew Tokarz for tops in the state. Griffith also jumped 21 -10.25 in the long jump, an inch behind the state leader, Weston Northrop of Big Sky. Tokarz jumped 21-2, the fourth best long jump mark. Nakia Alexander of Columbia Falls is fifth best with 21-1.5.

Flathead senior Dylan Creek is tied for the best pole vault mark, 13-6, with Butte’s Kyle Christie.

Glacier senior Shelton Todd is second in the javelin with 183-7. Hellgate’s Jase Buche leads with 190-4.

For girls, Bigfork sophomore Makena Morley leads the 3,200 and is second in the 1,600 and 800. Morley’s best 3,200 time is 10:30, which she ran at Arcadia. In the 1,600, Morley ran 5:13 in Ronan. Broadwater’s Chiara Warner clocked 5:12.24 in Sheridan. In the 800, Morley ran 2:21.79 in a windy race at Glacier on Tuesday, which is the second best time behind Corvallis’ Ayden Eickhoff, 2:20.82.

Flathead senior Kwyn Johnson, the reigning state champ, has the second best triple jump, 37-8.5, which is behind Lauren Murphy of Big Sky, 38-8.

Source: MontanaTrack.com

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