MISSOULA — There are specific moments during a state track and field meet that can make even the most cynical fans fall back in love with sports.
These aren't the record-setting performances or jaw-dropping achievements — though there are always plenty of those — that showcase Montana's extraordinarily talented high school athletes. No, these moments highlight the depth of our athletes' character and bring out the best in not only their competitiveness, but their compassion.
"If you're finishing, you're winning, so you're doing something everyone's not — you're running at state," said Shelbi LaBrie, a senior from Whitewater who won both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the Class C state track and field meet last weekend in Missoula County Public Schools Stadium. "A lot (of respect) to all of them, too. I know what it takes to get here and all the practices, so I have a lot of respect for everybody out in the line in every race."
The distance races are perfect examples of the camaraderie between track and field athletes. Whether runners are competing for medals or personal-best times, the support is the same. They share exhausted hugs after crossing the finish line, congratulate each other on races well-run and are there to pick each other up — sometimes literally when their tanks are empty after pouring their all into those laps around the track.
What's more, their compassion for each other is reflected in the grandstands. The crowd roars to rally home the final finishers of the grueling 3,200-meter run — the decibel levels of those cheers only rivaled by the cheers during the unified races, which join student-athletes with and without intellectual disabilities in inclusive competition.
The unified events, which this year included the 100 meters, shot put, long jump and 400-meter relay at the Class B/C meet, are everything good about sports. The unrivaled joy and celebration of the athletes participating is a reminder of why we love sports in the first place.
The field events have their own signature. When the slow, rhythmic clapping begins, those in attendance know they're witnessing something special at the throws, jumping pits or pole vault or high jump mats. As the clapping increases in speed and intensity, fans aren't just seeing an athlete chase individual achievement; they're seeing athletes cheer on their competition, the pursuit of greatness relegating the gold medal to secondary importance.
"It's just awesome that we can all just kind of get along with each other," said Chester-Joplin-Inverness sophomore Dane Grammar, the Class C champion in the shot put and discus. "And it just makes it a lot more of a fun experience, I think, for everybody."
"State’s a special time. Track is such an individualistic sport that you're kind of like, 'Oh, this isn't with my team, but yet it's still with my team,'" added Missoula Loyola senior Ethan Stack, who helped the Rams to the Class B team championship with his first-place finish in the triple jump. "I'm going to show off my athleticism but also just compete and make each other better — it's great."
The state meets undoubtedly raise the bar for Montana's high school athletes. They continue to improve upon state-record marks that at one time or another have seemed unbreakable.
Seven class records fell at the Class B/C meet. In Class C, Noxon's Ricky Williams high jumped 6 feet, 9¼ inches; Philipsburg's Montannah Piar and Richey-Lambert's Jolee Klempel marked matching long jumps of 17-9½; and Fort Benton's girls ran the 400-meter relay in 49.82 seconds.
In Class B, Shepherd's Kaimea Dalke posted a 12.24-second time in the prelims of the 100-meter dash; Red Lodge's Nolan Evenson cleared 15 feet in the boys pole vault; Joliet's Auston Schellig clocked a 1:53.79 in the boys 800; and Superior's Trizten Avila ran a 22.0-second time in the boys 200.
"At the end of the day, if you beat me, then I'm going to be happy for you," Avila said, "and I'm going to celebrate your victories as well as mine."
