GREAT FALLS — The final weekend of May went quite well for the Havre girls track and field team, as it scored 62 points to win the Class A state championship.
Leading the way by contributing over half of those points came courtesy of senior Macy Brandon, who won three individual sprints.
Brandon's 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash titles provided a crucial spark to her team in the overall race.
"In the offseason, like I train so hard," Brandon said Monday while visiting with MTN Sports. "There's so many tears, so many times I just wanted to quit but I just kept going. And so finally seeing all my hard work pay off ... it just felt awesome.
"I got up on the line and told myself, you know, this could be my last race in a Blue Pony uniform. So don't take anything for granted and just go out there and run your best."
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The team trophy came down to the very end with the 1,600-meter relay, Brandon said, an event which Havre needed to at least score points in to seal the deal. While they didn't win it, the fifth-place finish was just enough to beat out Corvallis for the team title.
"I kind of just told them to relax and, you know, I think we all trusted each other so much," Brandon said. "We ran the 4-by-1, we won that. It came down to that at divisionals too. We'd felt that feeling before, so we were prepared for it."
On top of it all, Brandon set a new Class A record in the 100 with a finals time of 11.99.
"Being in that moment, it was just surreal," Brandon said. "And then everybody's like pointing at the board — 'Look, look at your time,' and I'm just like, oh my gosh."
Those around her were a big part in her success, Brandon said.
"Without Havre, I wouldn't have been able to do it," she said. "I really take pride in wearing a Blue Pony uniform and my community has helped me in so many ways. Without them, I would not be here today.
"I couldn't have done it without my team either. Having all my teammates that push me at practice. The boys team, they still played a big part in our story."
Coming up for Brandon, she'll be joining the Montana State track and field team, where she said she hopes to run the 200 and 400.
There's a lot to like within the Cats' program, she said.
"My coach is doing a really good job, I really like his energy," Brandon said. "I really like the team and how they're all committed.
"I just vibe with them well."
To get her prepared for the next level, she said she's kept busy so far this summer.
"I'm doing a few club meets and then just training, not letting up," Brandon said. "Winning state was cool, but I have bigger and better plans now. I want to get medals in the Big Sky too, so I've just got to keep pushing."
