GREAT FALLS — Anytime Turner's Bridget Reed and Ali Doyle face off in the same heat of the 100- or 300-meter hurdles, they tend to be right alongside each other at the end.
"We always joke like you take this one, I'll take this one this time, and it's kind of fun," Reed said last Thursday at Memorial Stadium during the Northern C divisional.
"We like to joke around a lot and say, well, I'm going to beat you," Doyle said.
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The two Tornado athletes rank top-10 across Class C in the 100s (Reed sixth, Doyle eighth), while Doyle currently holds the classification's second-best time in the 300s (46.78) and Reed owns the third-best (47.0).
"It's great, I love it," Reed said. "We've been running alongside each other since junior high and (Doyle) was really nervous going in to high school track, moving up from 200s to 300s. I told her, 'It's fine, it's just another couple hurdles,' and that's helped I think. And she motivates me too because she runs great times."
"It's really cool. I mean, honestly at this point I don't care if (Reed) really beats me," Doyle said. "I mean, it's points on the board and I'm really happy when me and her come out on top."
At last week's Northern C divisional meet, the Turner duo finished first and second in both of the hurdle races. Doyle won the 300s, while Reed took gold in the 100s.
"It's great we can push each other," Reed said. "At practice, we run alongside each other and give each other tips and it's just really great to have a competitive little buddy at practice all the time. And in races too."
"(Reed) pushes me a lot," Doyle said. "Considering that she's older and she's done a lot more races than I have, she's definitely my biggest competition. But she's helped me a lot."
Additionally, Doyle finished first in the 200 meters at the divisional and crossed second in the 100-meter dash.
"I have pretty high expectations, but I hope that I can meet those expectations," Doyle said on running in four events at this weekend's Class C state meet.
Reed, on the other hand, took home the win in the 800 and a second-place finish in the 400.
"No better time than now before state. Feel a bit more confident going in there," Reed said.
The two said state will hopefully look similar to most of their heats in the hurdles races.
"Keep (Doyle) close in 300 hurdles, maybe finish alongside her," Reed said with a laugh.
"I really, really hope so," Doyle said. "I mean, at least in those 300 hurdles. But yeah, I'm excited to see what both of us do at state."
Doyle, Reed and Turner compete in the Class C state meet in Laurel this weekend.
