LOCKWOOD — The Big Sky State Games spiced up its opening ceremonies this year by adding the Montana 100, a sprint in search of the fastest man and woman in the state.
The inaugural winner on the women's side is a senior-to-be at Shepherd High School, as Kaimea Dalke etched her name in the record books with a winning time of 12.54 seconds.
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"My coach does speed and agility training at our school. She's been gone in Idaho, so I've been going to the gym," Dalke said. "Other than the gym, I just have a good mindset about my goals and what I keep myself set on. As I said at state, I don't like to lose, so I push myself to run faster, regardless."
Dalke saw her status steadily rise throughout the spring, culminating at the Class B state track and field meet where she won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and set the Class B record in the 100 (12.24 seconds). Add in a victory in the Montana 100 and she's built quite the resume in the span of about four months.
"Oh, absolutely built up (my confidence). I feel stronger and I feel like I can definitely do it again," Dalke said.
It hasn't always been smooth sailing on the track for Dalke, though. She battles asthma, which can make it difficult for her to breathe at times.
"Actually, it really affects me afterwards. I don't do long distance for a reason, that's why I'm sprinter. If I run good, push myself through it, asthma is not a problem for me until after I get done running," Dalke said.
Asthma, much like her competitors on the track, has proven to be no match for Dalke, as she'll be one of the stars to watch in the coming year.
