LAUREL — Huntley Project’s boys ran away with the team title at the Joliet/Park City Invitational in Laurel on Thursday, while Big Timber narrowly held off Shepherd and Columbus for the girls team title.
Huntley Project’s team depth was certainly on display on Thursday afternoon. The Red Devils scored 113 points, nearly doubling second-place Big Timber’s 65. Project sophomore Mitchell Burns won the 400-meter dash in 52.56 seconds. Burns also placed third in the 200. Noah Bouchard won the 110-meter hurdles in 16.27 and the Red Devils’ 400-meter relay team won in 45.43.
Project also won two events in the field, as Chris Kistler won the pole vault at 13 feet, qualifying for the State B meet in the process. Journey Grimsrud won the discus for Huntley Project with a toss of 139 feet, 6 inches.
Several Huntley Project athletes also placed in the top four of their events. Isaiah Bouchard placed third in the discus and second in shot put, while Grimsrud finished third in shot put. Noah Bouchard also placed second in the high jump and third in long jump. Asher Croy finished third in the 100 and fourth in the 200
Big Timber sprinter Casey Gunlikson continued his hot start to the season, winning the 100 (11.18 seconds), 200 (22.69) and 300 hurdles (41.96). Gunlikson won the same three events at last May’s State B meet. He also ran on Big Timber’s second-place 400-meter relay team.
Melstone’s Brody Grebe also won three events on the day, winning the shot put (46 feet, 03.5 inches), long jump (21-06) and triple jump (42-08.5). Grebe placed second to Gunlikson in both the 100 and 200.
Heading into the final girls event of the day, the 1,600-meter relay, Big Timber trailed Shepherd by less than two points. The Herders crossed the line nearly seven full seconds ahead of Shepherd to clinch the team title. Columbus won the relay to finish third as a team, less than three points behind Big Timber. Shepherd finished .33 points behind the Sheepherders.
Big Timber freshman Alyssa Boshart pulled off an upset in the 100, topping defending State B champion Maddisen Marema of Shepherd as well as RaiLeigh Strommen of Columbus. Boshart also placed third in the 200.
Kendel Hudec took first in the 3,200 (14:41.30) and finished second to Melstone freshman Draya Wacker in the 1,600. Brooklyn Pederson won the shot put for the Herders with a throw of 32-04.5.
Shepherd missed the team title by less than two points, which was the difference between Marema winning the 100 and placing second. Her time of 13.51 was .01 seconds behind Boshart’s winning time. Marema also placed sixth in the 200.
Columbus kept pace with Big Timber and Shepherd throughout the day, as Strommen won the 200 and placed third in the 100. Freshman Hannah Obert also finished third in the 400 and Columbus swept the relays. Brenna Rouane placed second in the high jump and fifth in long jump.
For full results of the 2019 Joliet/Park City Invitational click here.
