MISSOULA — Johnslee Pierre got a mention in this notebook last week, but the Lustre Christian star is taking the lead all by himself this time around.
Pierre, the reigning Class C state champion in the 300-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump, now owns this season's state-best marks, regardless of class, in each of those events. Pierre hit two personal records at the Sidney Invitational last week, marking 47 feet, 10½ inches in the triple jump and clocking 38.46 seconds in the 300 hurdles to become the first hurdler this season to break the 39-second barrier.
Those marks came a week after he PR'd with a 23-9 long jump, and he's also hit the Class C state qualifying standards in the 110 hurdles and 400-meter run with times of 15.31 and 50.87 seconds, respectively.
Pierre, who regularly threw down highlight-reel dunks while helping Lustre Christian to a runner-up finish in boys basketball, has ramped up his track and field competition the past few weeks and appears to be rounding into form as postseason meets are set to get underway this week.
In addition to Pierre's two new state-bests, three other boys and two girls set new standards last week. On the boys side, Belgrade's Wilson Schmidt clocked a time of 1 minute, 52.28 seconds in the 800-meter run and Columbus' Garret "Buck" Prather went 21.61 in the 200 at the Midland Roundtable Top 10, and Kesston Thomas of Choteau threw the javelin 195 feet, 8 inches at the Archie Roe.
For the girls, Billings Senior's Emery Peel ran a smoking 12.03-second 100 at the Midland Roundtable Top 10, and Gallatin's Kate Breeding threw the shot put 44-2½ at a home quad.
Big throws, blazing times highlight Top 10s
Athletes hit more than two dozen class-best marks last week, as there were a number of high-profile meets, highlighted by the Midland Roundtable Top 10 and Norm Girard Top 10.
Prather was one of the stars at the Midland Roundtable Top 10, sweeping the sprints. Laurel's Decker Purkett and Gabriel Glassing also put on a show in the 110-meter hurdles, with Purkett winning in 14.75 seconds and Glassing just behind at 14.8. Glassing added a win in the triple jump with a PR of 46-1¼.
Gallatin's Riley McGrath won both the shot put (61-10¾) and discus (188-0), and Hardin's Darrell Lefthand recorded a Class A-best throw of 189-5 in the javelin.
Like Prather in the boys sprints, Senior's Peel swept the girls 100 and 200. Her 12.03 100 is faster than the state record, which, of course, can only be set at a state meet. Peel crossed the finish line of the 200 in 25.04 seconds, the top time in Class AA this season and second-best in the state, regardless of class.
Billings Central freshman Addison Kegel won both the 800 and 1,600, with a particularly impressive margin in the 1,600. She finished in 4:52.86, nearly 15 seconds faster than second-place Phoebe Maixner of Bozeman. Gallatin's Aizalyn Flaten won three events — the 100 hurdles (15.35), 300 hurdles (44.96) and triple jump (37-1) — and Breeding won the shot (41-9) and javelin (134-3) for the Raptors.
Meanwhile at the Norm Girard Top 10, Turner's Bridget Reed, Malta's Denvyr Tuss and Richey-Lambert's Jolee Klempel were multiple-event winners. Reed won the 400 (1:00.9), 800 (2:22.86) and 300 hurdles (47.72), Tuss won the shot put (37-8) and discus (126-3) and Klempel won the 100 hurdles (15.45) and long jump (18-4½).
Klempel is a do-all junior for the Fusion, but she isn't Richey-Lambert's only star. Senior Brynne Hill is one of the best jumpers in the state — she placed second to Klempel in the long jump at the Top 10 and won the triple jump with a PR and Class C-best of 37-2¼.
For the boys, Pierre, Dawson Hammond, Ethan Walker and Brooks Solem each won two events. Pierre won the 400 (50.87) and triple jump (45-10).
Hammond, a senior from Malta who will play college football for the Montana Grizzlies, continued his stellar track and field season with wins in the 100 (11.13) and 200 (22.6); Walker, a sophomore from Harlem, won the 1,600 (4:27.41) and 3,200 (9:43.98); and Solem, a junior from Culbertson, won the 110 hurdles (16.87) and javelin (165-0). Solem, at the Sidney Invitational, threw 167-1 in the jav, which is the top mark in Class C.
State records in sight as pole vaulters soar
Sidney's Morgan Kindopp is getting company at the top of the girls pole vault leaderboard. She still leads the state with her 12-9 vault, which is just shy of the record of 13-0 set by Shannon Agee in 1998, but three other girls have cleared 12-0 this season.
Kindopp, who has won the past two Class A state titles in the event, is poised for a state showdown with Aubrey Korst of Hamilton. Korst recently cleared a PR of 12-6 at the Ravalli County Invitational. Kindopp and Korst went 1-2 at last year's state meet.
Great Falls High's Addison Smith leads Class AA with a 12-4 vault, and Conrad's Ava Krings lead Class B at 12-0.
Helena Capital's Brayden Brisko has the boys pole vault record of 16-4, set by Helena High's Chase Smith in 2015, within reach. Brisko, who is also one of the top sprinters in the state, PR'd at 16-4 at a triangular in April and cleared 16-0 at the Skor Dekam to begin May.
Looking ahead ...
The postseason has arrived in track and field, with the District 2C and District 4B meets getting us started Tuesday. The rest of the Class B and C district meets are later this week.
Divisional meets get started as early as May 20, and the state meets begin May 28. The Class A and C meets are in Laurel, while the Class AA and B meets are in Missoula.
