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SPORTS
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DURING HIS 40-PLUS YEARS AS A HIGH SCHOOL track coach, Paul Jorgensen has seen some amazing performances by all-time great ath- letes, many of them his own Flathead distance runners.
What he saw at last weekend’s Class AA state track meet in Missoula ranks right up there among the greatest.
“I was amazed,” he said.
Six all-class records fell in a matter of two days, including a pair of marks by the latest great Brave dis- tance runner, senior Jake Perrin.
Perrin set new records in the 1600-meter race and the 3200-meter race.
In an historic 3200, which saw three runners under 9:14, Perrin powered down the stretch in a race that will not soon be forgotten. His 9:04.35 in the 3200 shattered the previous state record of 9:12.38, set by Hellgate’s Adam Peterman in 2013. It ranks as the fastest time ever in the state of Montana by a prep athlete. His older brother, Zach, previously held that distinction with a 9:06.13, which was clocked in Kalispell in 2013. Hele- na’s Aidan Reed also came in under the all-class record time with a 9:06.91.
Perrin also erased the record in the 1600 by clock- ing 4:12.06. The future Gonzaga runner took the record from another all-time great distance runner from Flat- head, David Vidal, who ran 4:13.29 at the state meet in 2001.
“The idea is to have your best races at the end of the season. Jake did that,” Jorgensen said.
“I kind of gured that Jake had state records in mind. But to get two of them, all-class records, that is amazing.”
Adding to the historic weekend, Billings Senior sen- sation Christina Aragon set three all-class state records, ending her prep career in typical dominating style. She ran 2:05.65 in the 800, which broke her sister Danielle’s previous mark by over three seconds and ranks as the fastest time in the nation. Aragon broke Flathead great Zoe Nelson’s record in the 3200 by another three sec- onds, clocking 10:23.31. She ran 4:43.51 in the 1600 to break her own record from a year ago.
Aragon had a good shot at winning her fourth consec- utive state title in the 400, and perhaps rewriting that record as well, except she was called for a false start and disquali ed.
Connor Matthews of Helena broke the all-class record in the 400, which had survived since 1988, by running 47.75.
The Glacier girls nished second as a team, pow- ered by a state title victory in the long jump by Brynn McChesney and in the discus by Nikki Krueger, who also took third in the shot put. Annie Hill placed second in the 1600 and the 3200 and was third in the 800. Abi Fiske was second in the triple jump, Courtney Mitchell was fth in the discus and Melanie Gassaway was sixth. Katie Dixon took fth in the javelin.
Glacier’s Aaron Robinson won the state champion- ship in the 300 hurdles, clocking 38.44, and the Wolf- pack nished in fth place as a team with 53 points.
Billings West captured the championship with 94 points, followed by Billings Senior (86) and Helena (69). Robinson also ran a leg on the championship short relay team, along with Drew Turner, Ethan Larson and Scout Willcut. The boys clocked 41.96. Robinson also placed second in the 110 hurdles and fth in the 200. Turner also placed second in the 200 and fourth in the 100 and Willcut took sixth in the 200. Ethan Larson was sixth in the 100. Tadan Gilman was fourth in the jave-
lin and Hunter Nicholson was sixth in the triple jump. Flathead’s Micah Bucy took fourth in the high jump, Bram Booth was fth in the javelin and the Braves n- ished seventh with 35 points. Jaden Anderson was sixth in the 800 and Josh McCracken was third in the shot
Columbia Falls’ Mary Baker crosses the nish in the short relay during the Class A state track meet in Bozeman. COURTESY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ, BOZEMAN DAILY CHRONICLE
put.
For girls, Kaitlin Wride took fourth in the 1600, Alyssa
Wisher placed sixth in the javelin and the Bravettes n- ished 14th as a team with ve points.
Billings West won the team trophy with 83 points and Missoula Sentinel was third with 58.
Columbia Falls Boys, Girls Finish Second
Columbia Falls brought home several individual medals as well as two team trophies from the Class A meet in Bozeman.
Sage Wanner won the 3200 in 9:48.15. The Wildcats short relay team — Braxton Reiten, Logan Kolodejchuk, Stephen Lindsey and Tanner Dana — won gold with a time of 43.25. The long relay team took second.
The Wildcats tallied 66 points for second. Dillon won with 84 and Corvallis was third with 45.33.
Dana placed second in the 200, third in the 100 and fourth in the 400. Wanner took second in the 1600. Kyler Burns placed fth in the high jump and Logan Ste- phens was fth in the long jump. Dakota Bridwell was third in the javelin, Kolodejchuk was sixth and Blake Arneson was sixth in the shot put.
White sh’s Luke May won his third state title in the javelin with a throw of 203-6. Teammate Jansen Ander- son was fth in the 110 hurdles and Matt Brewer was fourth in the pole vault. The Bulldogs tallied 18 points.
On the girls side, the Columbia Falls Wildkats brought home some team hardware as well. The girl tied for sec- ond with Hamilton. Both teams had 53 points. Corvallis won the title with 67.
Mary Baker placed fourth in the 100, 100 hurdles and long jump and ran a leg on the championship short relay team, along with Ashley Ca rey, Ellie Johnson and Kiara Burlage. Johnson also placed sixth in the long jump and discus and fourth in the javelin. Kaitlyn Casa- zza placed third in the 300 hurdles, Allyson Gimbel was second in the shot put and Jaclyn Bohmer was fourth in the triple jump. Ca rey also placed sixth in the pole vault. The long relay team took second.
White sh’s Allie Schulz placed second in the 100 hurdles and fth in the 100. Barrett Gray was second in the 3200, Lydia Kryshak was sixth in the 400 and Kate
Doorn placed fth in the high jump. Makenna Benbrook was sixth in the shot put. The short and long relay teams both took third.
Polson’s Jacob Clairmont won the 110 hurdles (14.95) and placed second in the 300 hurdles and pole vault.
Morley Wins Three Titles, Girls Place Second
Logan Morley nished his stellar prep career with three more titles.
The Bigfork senior swept the distance races, winning the 800 (1:57.14), 1600 (4:18) and 3200 (9:40.84) in dom- inating fashion.
The victories propelled Bigfork to third place as a team with 47 points at the Class B state meet in Mis- soula. Manhattan won the team title with 114 and Jef- ferson was second with 63.
Matt Farrier added to Bigfork’s tally with a third place in the 300 hurdles and sixth place in the 400. Ross Coleman was fourth in the discuss. The long relay team placed third.
On the girls side, Haile Norred ran on Bigfork’s cham- pionship long relay team with Jordan Nelson, Mattison McAnally and Alicia Kalenak. The girls clocked 4:09.28 and Vals tallied 50 points as a team, second behind Mal- ta’s 71. Choteau was third with 46.
Norred also was third in the 200 and 400 and fth in the 100. McAnally took third in the 300 hurdles and fth in the 400. Gabby Eaton placed fourth in the pole vault and Miranda Campbell was third in the discus. The short relay team took second.
Plains Girls Win Title
Fueled by double winner Leah Thompson, the Plains girls captured the Class C title in Missoula.
Thompson set a new all-class state record in the discus, breaking Bree Fuqua of Polson’s old mark set in 1999. Thompson threw 154-11, breaking Fuqua’s mark by one inch. Thompson also won the shot put (39-1). Kimberly Earhart won the javelin (142-6).
Plains tallied 66 points to hold o Seeley-Swan, which was second with 62.
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