Page 60 - Flathead Beacon // 5.20.2015

60 | MAY 20, 2015 TRACK AND FIELD STATE PREVIEW
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
STATE TRACK STORYLINES:
BREAKING DOWN THE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS
BY DILLON TABISH
PHOTOS BY GREG LINDSTROM
T HE TRACK AND FIELD STATE championship meet re- turns to Kalispell this weekend with athletes from a combined 54 schools slated to compete in the two-day event. At Legends Stadium May 22-23, the meet will feature competitors from Class AA and B vying for individual and team trophies in their respective divi- sions. It’s only the second time that Ka- lispell will be hosting the state finale and
first since 2009.
Here’s a breakdown of each event
and the field of contenders:
100-METER DASH
Butte senior Dalton Daum is the reign- ing champ and No. 1 seed on the Class AA boys side. The University of Mon- tana football recruit won the Eastern AA title last weekend in 10.77, the fast- est time all spring. Remington Hjelvik of Billings West (11.00) and Bozeman’s Ja- cob Kleinhans (11.11) will be on his heels.
The AA girls race should be one of the most exciting all weekend with over six girls racing within half a second of each other. Cali Modglin, a sophomore at Great Falls C.M. Russell, enters with the top time — 12.52 — slightly ahead of Maddie Brockel of Billings West (12.53) and Great Falls’ Morgan Evans (12.56).
In Class B, Tru Roginske of Joliet is the reigning state champ on the girls side. The Southern B champ has already clocked 12.58, the fastest time in Class B and third fastest overall. Her top compe- tition will be Hailey Phillips, a talented senior from Plains who ran 12.63 to win the Western B title last weekend.
On the boys side, Braden Rykal of
Jefferson has logged the fastest time in Class B with 11.14 but lost to Turner Stone of Manhattan at last weekend’s Southern B divisional.
200-METER DASH
Yet again, Butte’s Daum is the reigning AA boys champ and top-ranked runner. The senior sprinter clocked 21.53 to win the Eastern AA title and log the fastest time in the state for any class. His top competition will be Jacob Kleinhans from Bozeman (22.21), and Helena’s Nick VanHorssen (22.64). Glacier’s Cain Boschee won the Western AA title in 22.23.
In the AA girls race, Brockel of Bill- ings West enters with the top time in the state, 25.52. She’ll have a good group on her heels: Jacey Delaney of Bozeman (25.85), Hannah Porch of Missoula Big Sky (25.90) and Modglin (25.96).
In the Class B boys race, Troy speed- ster Sean Opland will try to improve on last year’s runner-up finish. His 22.57 ranks first in Class B, followed by Man- hattan’s Stone (22.77).
On the girls side, Phillips is in good position to defend her championship. The Plains senior has the top seed with 25.76. Roginske of Joliet, who placed second last year, ranks just behind Phil- lips (26.02).
400-METER DASH
In a tightly contested AA boys field, Helena’s Connor Matthews enters with the top time, 49.44, followed by Butte’s Daum (49.59) and Levi Donaldson of Helena Capital (50.20).
One of the best runners in recent history, Christina Aragon, a junior from
Flathead senior Jess Beaman is one of the top jumpers in Montana.
Billings Senior, excels in four races but her time in the 400 is close to a state re- cord. The reigning state champ has al- ready clocked 56.51 this spring. That’s awfully close to Denise Pidcock of Great Falls C.M. Russell’s Class AA record of 56.30, set in 1980. Aragon will have Car- ly Smiedala, a junior from Helena, push- ing her.
The B girls race will also feature a pair of remarkable runners. Phillips of Plains set a new Western B divisional record last weekend, running 57.63. Her top competition will be Bryn Morley, a freshman who is already making a name for herself as the next great runner from Bigfork, following in her sister Make- na’s fast footsteps. Bryn placed second behind Phillips last weekend in 58.99, which was slightly slower than her best time this spring (58.86).
On the B boys side, Opland is the reigning state champ and top seed (50.32). Manhattan’s Caleb Neth is seed- ed next (50.42). Rahkei Eyer from Jeffer- son edged Neth at the divisional and has clocked 50.68.
800-METER RUN
Seven AA boys runners are within two seconds of each other, led by Helena’s Jeremiah Coon (1:54.93).
One of the most exciting events all weekend, the AA girls race will feature Aragon, the reigning champ who has clocked 2:11.48 this spring, and fresh- man phenom Annie Hill of Glacier, who won the divisional in record time, 2:10.05, a new mark by four seconds.
Bryn Morley enters with the top time among Class B girls (2:11.32). She could threaten the state record of 2:10.52, set by Townsend’s Chiara Warner in 2013. Morley’s sister, Makena, is the reigning champ, but the Bigfork senior has been plagued by injuries this spring. Makena, a senior, clocked 2:15.02 at the divisional meet last weekend.
In the B boys race, Bigfork junior Lo- gan Morley will compete against Kenny Wilbur of Townsend in the lead. They both ran in the 1:59 range recently. Red Lodge’s Moritz Little has hit 2:00.
1600-METER RUN
One of the most anticipated showdowns of the meet, the AA girls race will feature another spectacular duel between Ara- gon and Hill. In front of her home crowd, Hill, the Glacier freshman, will try to unseat the reigning champ, Aragon. Hill has already clocked 4:49.65 on the same track as the state meet. Historically, that stands out as the third fastest time on
record and is one second away from the all-class state record set by Chiara War- ner of Townsend in 2013. State records can only be set at the state meet. Aragon has hit 4:59.90 this spring. Flathead’s Gillian Maness ranks high (5:06).
In the AA boys race, Flathead has a pair of standouts who could contend for a championship. Jake Perrin, a junior, and Sylas Schutt, a senior, have both al- ready logged some of the fastest times in the state for any class. Perrin’s top time is 4:23.77. Schutt’s best is 4:26.45. Both are behind Billings West senior Isaac Petsch, who has logged 4:19.52.
In the B girls race, Bryn Morley will try to capture the title from her sister, Makena. Bryn has the top Class B time (4:54.64). Makena won last year’s title in 4:53.83. It remains to be seen how Makena will be affected by her iron de- finciency and recent injuries.
Logan Morley has the top time en- tering the B boys race (4:28.16). His closest competition is Tyus Mendoza of Colstrip (4:35).
3200-METER RUN
Once again, Hill and Aragon will square off in a battle of two of Montana’s best distance runners in the Class AA girls race. Hill has hit 10:36.34 this spring, the fastest time in the state. Aragon, who placed fourth a year ago, ranks second in AA behind Hill with 10:48.71. Flathead’s Maness has clocked 11:01.41.
In the AA boys race, Big Sky’s Mar- shall Beatty is seeded No. 1 with 9:30, followed by Flathead’s Schutt, 9:34.67, and Flathead’s Perrin, 9:35.55.