Page 60 - Flathead Beacon // 4.1.15

60 | APRIL 1, 2015
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STATE TRACK MEET RETURNS TO KALISPELL
SPORTS
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Makena Morley and her sister Bryn, left, lead runners during the start of the Class B cross country championships. BEACON FILE PHOTO
For only the second time in history, Ka- lispell will host state track. The Class AA and Class B state championship meets will take place at Legends Sta- dium, May 22-23. The only other time that Kalispell held the ultimate event was in 2009. Kalispell is a fitting host, considering its rich history of standout track and field athletes. The sport’s his- tory in this town dates all the way back to the turn of the 20th century. In 1907, the Flathead County team won its first state title in just the fourth year that a boys-only prep competition had been held. Nearly 110 years later, Kalispell is home to 25 state championship teams and many more individual champions. No doubt, a few more will be crowned in front of their home crowd. The Morley sisters will battle in the Class B distance races while their brother Logan paces the boys races. Glacier freshman Annie Hill will also pursue her own long-dis- tance glory in the Class AA ranks. Other local champs who will try to defend their titles include Flathead senior Jess Bea- man in the triple jump, Glacier senior Keyawna Larson in the javelin, Bigfork senior Josh Sandry in the high jump and the Bigfork girls long relay team.
WHITEFISH’S LUKE MAY LETS IT FLY
Luke’s got a cannon, whether it’s throw- ing a football down field or heaving a jav- elin through the air. The strong junior is back as the Class A defending champ in the javelin. A year ago, only three throw- ers in Montana surpassed the 200-foot mark and Luke was one of them. In the first meet of this season, last week’s dual with Flathead, May landed 162-7, far from his championship toss of 206-7 but still strong enough to win the event handily. He will face stiff competition from Corvallis’ Tyler Olson, who placed second at state a year ago and Fergus’ Collin Hartford.
MORLEY SISTERS HIT
in the 1,600 at the 75th Nike Chandler Rotary Invitational track meet in Ari- zona on March 21. Bryn clocked 4:51.10, which is two seconds faster than Make- na’s winning time at last year’s Class B state meet and barely three seconds off Chiara Warner’s all-class state record. Bryn has the foot-speed of a sprinter and the endurance of an all-state cross coun- try runner. In other words, she’s Make- na’s heir apparent as the next great Mon- tana runner. Add the fact that Glacier freshman Annie Hill is already on both girls’ heels, and it’s further evidence that we’re in the midst of an unprecedented moment and one of those rare, exciting seasons that only comes around so of- ten.
FLEET-FOOTED FRESHMAN ANNIE HILL HITS STRIDE
By the third lap of the Nike Chandler Rotary Invitational track meet in Ari- zona, two freshmen from Montana were leading the pack of elite runners from across the U.S. Bryn Morley and Annie Hill strode out front, more than holding their own in their first high school track meet. Morley finished third and Hill came in fourth, 4:51.
Hill has been a highly touted runner since she was in middle school but she formally emerged last fall during cross country, when she captured the Class AA championship and clocked some of the fastest 3-mile times on record. Now in track, Hill will be running an as- sortment of events, from the 200 to the 3,200, to build up her strength and en- durance. No doubt, she will challenge the top runners in Class AA, including Christina Aragon, a junior at Billings Senior who won both the 800 (2:11) and 1,600 (4:56). The reigning 3,200 champ
— Caroline Hardin of Bozeman (10:51) — has graduated, meaning that title is up for grabs.
LOGAN MORLEY MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF
Everybody knows the Morley sisters. But they should also keep the name Lo- gan Morley in mind. The junior runner is one of the best in Montana and the reigning Class B champ in the 1,600. He’s coming off a milestone cross coun- try season that included a state champi- onship and a strong winter of training. He relishes competition, and he’ll defi- nitely have some opponents to push him in his pursuit of titles. Kenny Wilbur of Broadus edged Logan in the 800 at last year’s state meet and Colstrip’s Tyus Mendoza won the 3,200 ahead of Logan. Don’t think the Bigfork junior doesn’t remember that and isn’t using it as mo- tivation this spring.
WOLFPACK SLUGGERS RETOOL
The Glacier Wolfpack softball team has a few key players back from last year’s state tournament squad. All-state pitch- er Ali Williams will be back in the circle and all-state infielder Kayleena Ikeda is back at second base for head coach Andy Fors. Also back is Kayla Russell, an all- conference honorable mention player. All together the team has five seniors and three juniors leading the resurgent Pack, which placed fourth in the West- ern AA standings last year with a 7-5 re- cord. The team finished 12-10-1 overall and lost out at the state tournament in two games. Billings West defeated Mis- soula Big Sky to claim the champion- ship. This year’s AA state tournament is May 21-23 in Missoula.
THE TRACK
Likely the fastest sister-duo in America, Makena Morley and Bryn Morley are poised for a memorable season of com- petition, the last featuring both highly touted distance runners from Bigfork. Makena, a senior and future University of Montana runner, will write the final chapter of her amazing prep career by trying to defend her three titles in the distance events and etch her name in the record books. Makena has come close to breaking records in all three distance races, particularly the 800 and 1,600. If the cross country season and her victo- ry at an elite international race in Scot- land in January are any indication, she is in prime shape to do exactly that. But she’ll face stiff competition from none other than Bryn. The fleet-footed fresh- man sibling has already bested her older sister once this spring. Bryn placed third
Glacier freshman Annie Hill.
BEACON FILE PHOTO