MISSOULA — It’s only April 1, and we already have an eye-popping mark on the high school track.
Billings Skyview junior Ryan Dierenfield blazed to a 10.75-second time in the 100-meter dash at a meet hosted at Billings West last Friday. Dierenfield is no stranger to fast times, as he clocked a 10.87 last year. He ultimately placed fifth at the 2023 Class AA state meet with a time of 11.13.
But Dierenfield wasn’t the only the athlete to make a strong early impression this track and field season. Many others hit their respective qualifying standards, with some doing so in extraordinary fashion.
Each week, we’ll compile noteworthy times, distances and heights as recorded on Athletic.net, the official database of Montana high school track and field results. Read on for more highlights from last week's meets:
The Snowflake Invitational in Columbus annually provides an early season peek at the Class B and C schools in southern Montana. Last Thursday, Columbus swept the team titles, with the girls edging second-place Big Timber and the boys topping second-place Jefferson.
Oren Arthun of Manhattan Christian and Luke Mest of Jefferson had the race of the day, with Arthun getting a narrow victory in the 3,200-meter run. Arthun, the reigning Class C state champion, had a personal-best time of 9:39.28 to finish just ahead of Mest’s 9:39.52, also a personal best. Those two times are the fastest in the state this season and would’ve been in the top 10 last spring.
Mest also ran the 1,600, cruising to a win in the event with a time of 4:59.10.
Multiple-event winners at the Snowflake Invitational included:
- Jefferson’s Luke Oxarart (100 — 11.26; 200 — 23.62)
- Manhattan Christian’s Shaphan Hubner (800 — 2:01.65; High jump — 5-10)
- Joliet’s Cori Coombe (100 — 12.96; 200 — 27.00; Triple jump — 34-11¾)
- Joliet’s Kinley Erickson (1,600 — 6:15.65; 3,200 — 13:41.20)
- Columbus’ Megan Copper (High jump — 5-00; Pole vault — 7-06)
Click here for full results from the Snowflake Invitational.
The Frenchtown Invitational also had a good showing in western Montana, where Hamilton swept the team titles. The Bronc boys were led by individual champions Tyson Bauder (100 — 11.43; Javelin — 173-03), Evan Bennett (800 — 1:59.64) and Andrew Burrows (Shot put — 56-04; Discus — 167-01), while the girls were paced by Annalise Lewis (400 — 1:00.71; 800 — 2:27.80) and Mya Winkler (Shot put — 36-03; Discus — 128-04).
Bauder, a senior, is looking to repeat as the Class A state champion in the javelin. He marked a throw of 200-04 last spring and has started this year with marks of 183-10 at the season-opening Blue Devil Invitational and 173-3 at the Frenchtown Invitational.
Corvallis senior hurdler Olivia Lewis, who already holds the Class A record in the 300 hurdles with a time of 43.37 seconds last spring, has Montana’s fastest times in both hurdle races this season. The Montana State University commit clocked a 15.58 in the 100 hurdles at the Blue Devil Invitational and followed that up with a 45.28 in the 300 hurdles at last week’s Frenchtown Invitational.
In addition to Hamilton’s Bauder, Burrows, Lewis and Winkler, here are the other multiple-event winners at the Frenchtown Invitational:
- Corvallis’ Derek Criddle (200 — 23.02; High jump — 6-0)
- Cascade’s Caiden Sekuterski (Long jump — 22-03; Triple jump — 45-02)
- Havre’s Kaydance Reiter (100 — 12.91; 200 — 25.77)
Click here for full results from the Frenchtown Invitational.
Elsewhere, Hardin’s distance runners got off to a fine start at the Laurel Opener. Freshman Karis Brightwings-Pease won the girls 1,600 and 3,200 with times of 5:48.41 and 11:35.35. Teammate Zoey Real Bird, also a freshman, placed second in both events, while Mariah Aragon was third in the 1,600.
On the boys side, Hardin’s Ben Bird, another freshman, won the 3,200 in 10:08.68.
Brooke Reuter, the Class C record holder in the girls 100 and 200, started her season off with a relay and four individual wins at the Glendive Opener. The senior recorded times of 12.71 and 26.78 in the 100 and 200, as well as a winning time of 1:02.94 in the 400, but most notable was her 17-6½ mark in the long jump. It’s the first time in her career she’s eclipsed 17 feet.
Helena’s Logan Todorovich (17-11) and Frenchtown’s Alexis Daigle (17-4¾) also marked 17-foot jumps last week. Todorovich holds the all-class record of 19-4½.
