BILLINGS — What a week it was on the high school track and field scene across Montana.
In a seven‑day stretch defined by personal bests and leaderboard shakeups, eight Montana athletes posted the top marks in the state and rewrote season standards ranging from sprints to throws.
Helena Capital’s Brayden Brisko soared 16 feet, 4 inches in the pole vault in a meet Tuesday at Vigilante Stadium, a height that now stands alone atop the state rankings. Gallatin’s Riley McGrath continued his dominance in the discus, uncorking a 194‑5 throw at the Billings Invite on Saturday to add nearly four feet to his season best, while Bozeman’s Sam Kenck reached 188‑3 in the javelin at the same meet.
McGrath’s throw, by the way, broke the Billings Invite record set in 1998 by Matt Drinkwalter of Billings Senior by more than 12 feet.
The girls leaderboard saw even more movement. Billings Senior’s Emery Peel took over the top spot in the 100 meters with a 12.18 at the Billings Invite, and Miles City’s Peyton Frame ran 2:16.10 in the 800 to clock the fastest girls time of the season.
Kalispell Flathead’s Bristol Lenz became the first Montana girl to dip under 15 seconds in the 100‑meter hurdles this year with a 14.95 at the MCPS Invite, and Gallatin’s Aizalyn Flaten powered to a 45.37 in the 300‑meter hurdles at the Billings Invite for the state lead. In the field, Corvallis’ Ella Varner jumped 38‑5 in the triple jump at the MCPS Invite.
While many of the week’s headline‑grabbers came from both Missoula and Billings, the depth beyond the new No. 1 marks is just as impressive.
At the MCPS Invite, Helena Capital’s Oliver Mow clocked 14.15 in the boys 110‑meter hurdles, moving to No. 2 statewide, with teammate Jaden Bartell close behind at 15.34 for a top‑10 ranking. Flathead’s Brett Chivers delivered a sharp 39.71 in the boys 300 hurdles, good for No. 2 in the state, and Glacier’s Colby Minton ran 51.31 in the 400 meters to crack the top‑10 list.
In the field, Missoula Sentinel’s Tobias Jacobson tossed the shot put 51‑6 to move into the top‑10, while Cascade’s Brant Ligameri scaled 6‑4 in the high jump for a shared state No. 7 mark. The girls competition in Missoula also brought a wave of strong results: Whitefish’s Ginger Bergland posted 46.01 in the 300 hurdles, landing top‑three statewide, and Stevensville’s Reagan Johnstone hit 17‑11 in the long jump for a top‑five ranking.
The Billings Invite the next day showcased an equal mix of firepower and emerging talent. In the girls 100 and 200 meters, Havre’s Macy Brandon ran 12.53 and 26.22 to sit comfortably in the top tier. Bozeman’s Phoebe Maixner clocked 2:19.42 in the 800 for a top‑five state mark, and Billings Central’s Addison Kegel landed in the top‑three at 4:58.70 in the 1,600.
In the boys events, Billings West’s Sean Klem leapt 22‑4½ in the long jump for a top‑three spot, while Lewistown's Chaz Walsh added 44‑0 in the triple jump to solidify his place among the state’s best. Throwing events remained a strength in Billings: Brittyn Boyce (Billings West) reached 131‑4 for No. 2 in the girls discus, and Billings Senior’s Kolby Palm threw 170‑10 for fifth on the boys list.
Meanwhile, relays came alive across Montana during the April 13–18 stretch, with several quartets tightening their exchanges and lowering their season times. On the boys side, Laurel stole the spotlight in the 400 relay at the Billings Invite, clocking 43.0 to edge into the upper tier of state rankings behind only Billings West.
West itself had a strong showing in the 1,600 relay in Billings, going 3:28.11, while Big Sky turned heads the day before at the MCPS Invite, running 3:27.17. Gallatin’s crew also delivered at the Billings Invite with a 3:29.37, tightening the fight in the sub‑3:30 club that’s shaping up for postseason showdowns.
Helena High's boys set the standard last Tuesday in the 1,600 relay with a time of 3:26.11.
The girls relays in Billings proved exceptionally fast. Billings Senior’s 400-meter squad posted 49.23 — the week’s best — to solidify a position just behind the state leader (Billings West). That same meet featured a flurry of girls 1,600-meter speed from multiple programs: West clocked the week’s top time in 4:03.22, while Miles City (4:07.10) and Billings Senior (4:07.62) also dipped under 4:10. Gallatin wasn’t far back at 4:09.73, showing impressive depth.
Elsewhere ...
- Flathead’s William Hollensteiner blitzed to a 10.81 in the 100 meters at the MCPS Invite on Friday in Missoula, edging into the top three in the state.
- Sentinel’s Reed Joseph Finneman clocked 11.01 in the 100 at a meet in Helena, while Malta’s Dawson Hammond posted 11.08 there and added a 50.74 in the 400. Shepherd’s Preston Welch ran 22.51 in the 200 at the Billings Invite for a top‑10 mark.
- Harlem’s Ethan Walker ran 4:31.04 in the 1,600 at the Golden Eagle Invite, and Billings West’s Lucas Keith recorded 9:41.63 in the 3,200 at the Billings Invite.
- Capital’s Rhys Jensen went 15.46 in the 110 hurdles in Helena, Glacier’s Liam Palmer ran 40.32 in the 300 hurdles at the Butte/Glacier meet, and Fergus’ McKay Shobe posted 41.12 in the 300 hurdles at the Billings Invite.
- Havre’s Tommy Lewis threw 51‑6½ in the shot put at the Billings Invite, and Libby’s Tristan Andersen fired the javelin 179‑7 at the Libby Invitational for No. 3 statewide.
- Billings Central’s Kegel ran 10:34.37 in the 3,200 at the Billings Invite for No. 2 in the state, and Hardin’s Zoey Real Bird posted 11:01.80 in the same event for a top‑five ranking.
