Jefferson High’s spring sports season is underway—and the opening days couldn’t have gone much better.
The boys golf squad, which last spring earned a place at the state championship meet for the first time in school history, threw down the gauntlet in its first week of 2022, winning team tournaments at home, in Hamilton and at Big Timber.
At the Bill Roberts course in Helena on March 28, the boys put together a team score of 308, besting Anaconda, with 324, Three Forks, Florence, Townsend, Deer Lodge, Manhattan and Whitehall. For comparison: A year ago at Bill Roberts, the Panthers scored 339. Preston Field led the team with a 74, good for second place overall, while Luke Eckmann shot 76, Ben Werner 78 and Colin Field 80.
For the girls, who this year have enough players for a full team, Celi Chapman—last year’s state runner-up—took first with an 89. Jessie Harris shot a 103, good for sixth place, Maryah Lindsay 113, Brynna Wolfe 121 and Izzy Morris 127.
The golfers kept it up in Hamilton on March 31: The boys took first again with a team score of 345, topping Anaconda with 365, Loyola, Florence and Thompson Falls. Preston Field took first with an 80, while Eckmann carded an 86, Werner 91 and Marcus Lee 92. The Lady Panthers did not have enough players this time for a team score, but Chapman won again with an 83; Wolfe finished at 113 and Lindsay at 132.
On to Big Timber on April 2: There, the boys won by 19 strokes with a 331. Eckmann shot an 80 for second place, Tyson Lee took third with an 83, Colin Field and Preston Field tied for fourth at 84, and Ben Werner came in at 85. For the ladies, Chapman shot a 90, Lindsay 117 and Wolfe 132.
This week both golf teams should be at full strength. They’ll be at Townsend on Wednesday and in Eureka on Friday and Saturday. The JV girls were set to tee off Monday at Manhattan with Three Forks and Townsend.
Track and Field
Meanwhile, the Jefferson track teams picked up where they left off last June. The state champion boys squad easily won its meet on a very nice day at an excellent facility in Lockwood, putting up 167 points to best Columbus (97), Huntley Project (86.50), Shelby, Roundup, Shepherd, Three Forks, Joliet, Baker and Colstrip. The girls scored 40 points to finish seventh.
For the boys, Wade Rykal won both the shot put, with 45’ 6.5”, and discus, with 145’ 6”. Tom Meyer took fourth in the 100 meter, in 11.79 seconds, and fourth in the long jump at 18’ 11.25”. Luke Strizich was sixth in the long jump at 18’ 5.75” and third in the triple jump at 37’ 6.75”. Jace Oxarart placed second in the javelin at 142’ 8”, and Martin Kaynen was sixth in the discus at 102’ 9.75”.
Braden Morris won three events—the 110-meter hurdles, in 15.88 seconds, the triple jump, at 39’ 10”, and the javelin, at 156’ 9”. Mike Emter won the 200 in 23.64 seconds, Jack Johnson was fourth in the 800 at 2:23.87, and Dominick Hurlbert won the 1,600 in 4:56.38 and took fourth in the 3,200 in 11:04.38. Luke Mest placed fifth in the 1,600 at 5:05.38 and sixth in the 3,200 in 11:07.82.
Dylan Root took second in the 110 hurdles and won the 300 hurdles in 43.61 seconds. Hunter Steel placed fourth in the 110 hurdles in 18.91 seconds, Riley Stock took fifth in the pole vault at 10’, and Abram Williams took fourth in the shot put at 40’ 9”.
The 4×100 relay team of Morris, Meyer, Luke Oxarart and Emter took first place in 44.51 seconds, and the 4×400 team of Luke Oxarart, Jace Oxarart, Johnson and Root took second in 3:52.91.
For the ladies, Renae Parker won both the 1,600, in 5:21.05, and the 3,200, in 11:48.69. Arena Faler took fifth in the 400 in 1:09.25, and Emma McCauley won the triple jump at 33’ 2.25” and took second in the 100 hurdles in 17.64 seconds.
This week the track squads will be in Polson on Friday and in East Helena on Saturday for the Townsend meet.
Tennis
The Tennis team, meanwhile, will see its first action on Thursday when it takes on Red Lodge and Townsend in Townsend. It will then be in Choteau for a two-day tournament Friday and Saturday.
