At last: The snow had melted off, and temperatures had busted out of single digits. It was time to run.
After its first three meets of the 2019 season were canceled due to persistent winter, the Jefferson High track and field teams finally launched their campaign against 17 boys teams and 18 girls teams Saturday amid unfamiliar spring weather in Choteau. Most of those schools were from the northern part of the state, and for some this was their third meet of the year. The wind in that country dries out the ground a lot quicker than in Boulder, where the Panthers have practiced mostly indoors this year.
The Panthers produced some very good times and distances – despite the distractions of the District music festival and Saturday night’s prom – showing that they’ll be in the mix by the time State rolls around in Kalispell in late May.
Avery Stiles, for one, started the season by breaking his own school record in the high jump. Last spring, Stiles set the school mark by clearing the bar at 6’7”, and he won the class B title at State at 6’6”. In Choteau, he did not come in until the bar was at 5’6” – and the way he cleared that height, most watching could tell he was going to have a great day. His final height was 6’8”, a new JHS record and almost a foot above the other jumpers. Trent McMaster took second with a jump of 5’10”, very good for the first meet of the year.
Stiles also placed 4th in the 100, in 12.01, and 7th in the long jump at 18’8”. Other Panther boys in the top 20 in their events were:
•Joey Visser: 12th in the long jump, 18’2”; 7th in the 400, 57.65
•Riley Stock: 11th in the 200, 26.17
•Richie Canzona: 15th in the 200, 26.58
•Jake Genger: 17th in high jump
•Carter McCauley: 1st in the 110m hurdles, 16.68; 7th in the 300m hurdles, 47.42; 18th in the long jump, 17’3.75”
•Braden Morris: 5th in the 110m hurdles, 17.87; 9th in the 300m hurdles, 48.39
•Josiah Williams: 8th in the 110m hurdles; 13th in the 300m hurdles; 11th in the pole vault, 7’6”
•Dalton Rylal: 2nd in the shot put, 41’9”; 6th in the discus, 114’2”; 5th in the javelin, 127’10”
•Drake Schake: 3rd in the shot put, 41’1”; 3rd in discus, 115’8”
•Wade Rykal: 14th in the discus, 95’10”
•Ryan Nelson: 11th in the discus, 99’11”; 2nd in the javelin, 138’4”.
In the girls’ competition, Callie Warfle won the 400 in 1:05.53, and finished 4th in the javelin at 96’ and 9th in the 100 in 13.99. Hailee Stiles took 3rd in the long jump at 15’2”, 4th in the high jump at 4’4” and 12th in the 100 in 14.33. Ashley Pankratz was 14th in the 100 in 14.45. Ashley Sullivan finished 6th in the shot put at 25’11” and 5th in the discus at 78’9”. And Emma Brown took second in the pole vault at a nice 8’.
Those showings put the Lady Panthers in fourth place, behind Havre, Fairfield, and Belt. The boys finished second to Fairfield, and ahead of Great Falls Central and Belt. Next up (assuming spring continues): the Sweet Grass County meet in Columbus, on Thursday.
