WORDEN — Huntley Project track and field star Avery Gerdes vividly remembers her narrow 400-meter dash victory versus Shelby's Regan Torgerson at last spring’s state meet, which featured the two fastest Class B times in over 20 years.
“Regan, she's a great athlete. I really wasn't expecting her to be that close to me," Gerdes said. "Coming up on the finish I could hear the crowd getting louder and I could see her in my peripheral vision and I started stumbling. It was definitely a little scary, but it was a really fun race and I was glad to race against her."
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That title in the 400 marked her third straight, and she added a third consecutive championship in the 800-meter run, as well. Toss in a triple jump title and it’s no surprise that she’s one of the Montana State Bobcats' most coveted in-state recruits.
“Both of my parents went to Bozeman and I've grown up going to football games there. I've always wanted to go to Bozeman, so I think it made the decision pretty easy when I got an offer," Gerdes said.
Gerdes will hope to cap her high school career with a sweep of titles in the 400 and 800, and she may have a little assistance in doing so as the memory of her late grandfather serves as added motivation.
“My grandpa died this past month, so I feel like I'm doing my senior season for him," Gerdes said. "He came to a lot of my track meets and cross country meets, all my sporting events. He lived kind of far away, but he would always come visit us and it was always an exciting thing to see him come visit. Me and my grandpa were really close."
Keep an eye on Gerdes this spring, as she also has a Midland Roundtable Top 10 meet record in the 400 on her resume.
