A tremendous slate of track and field meets brought out the finest in Montana’s athletes last week. Top 10 meets around the state took center stage early last week, ultimately setting the tone for the weekend’s competitions. Here’s a look at a few marks over the past week that stood out.
- Kalispell’s Archie Roe Invitational boasted some of the best distance runners Montana has to offer. Bozeman’s Will Dauenhauer ran the season’s fastest 800-meter race, crossing the line in 1 minute, 57.2 seconds. Kalispell Flathead’s Ben Perrin ran the third-fastest 1,600-meter race of the season, finishing in 4:18.81.
- The girls competitions at the Archie Roe were just as competitive. Kalispell Glacier standout Annie Hill squared off with Bigfork’s Bryn Morley in the 800. Hill and Morley currently own the Nos. 1 and 2 times in the event. Hill defeated Morley with a time of 2:11.39, the fastest Montana has seen this season.
- Bozeman distance runner Camila Noe ran the 3,200-meter run in 10:21.76 at a triangular meet with Billings Senior and Billings West. The time is the fastest ever recorded at a meet on Montana soil. Noe will have a shot at the official state record on May 25.
- The John Polich Invitational in Miles City was the site of a couple state-best times over the weekend. The Class A boys 100-meter dash had a trio of athletes move to the top of the list. Miles City’s Keith Vanderlaan (10.89 seconds) and Kip Krebsbach (11.0) were joined by Billings Central’s Phillip Knisely (11.07) as the top three sprinters in the classification.
- Forsyth’s Cade Johnstone also had a nice performance at the John Tomich Invitational. Johnstone ran 22.03 in the 200-meter dash, which is currently the top time in Montana. Johnstone also owns the state’s fastest time in the 400-meter dash.
- At the Al Walker Stillwater Memorial in Laurel a pair of state bests were set on the boys side. Park City’s Connor McNeil threw the javelin 169 feet, 4 inches to move to the top of the Class C list. The Class B leader in the pole vault improved upon his season best. Joliet’s Brett Robinson cleared 13-09 and now leads Class B by nine inches.
- The girls 100-meter dash at the Al Walker Stillwater Memorial provided a photo finish. Class B leader Maddisen Marema of Shepherd finished in 12.87, but was bested by Winnett-Grass Range sophomore Zoe Delaney, who crossed in 12.86. Delaney’s time currently ranks her No. 3 in Class C.
