And just like that, the regular season is done for Jefferson High’s spring sports. Barely a month after finally going outside to play, the Panther tennis, track and field, and golf squads head this week into their respective post-season competitions.
Jefferson’s tennis team enjoyed a 4-2 win over Whitehall last Thursday. Hanna French and Tempe Solomon lost their singles match – but their teammates came on strong. Sam Zody won 6-4, 6-3, and Simonie Mendenhall by 6-4, 5-6, 10-5; The doubles pair of Laurynn Armstrong and Kylie Marks won 7-5, 6-4, while Quincee Starz and Abbie Supalla came back to take their match, 2-6, 6-2, 10-7.
On Thursday and Friday, Jefferson’s top four singles and top two doubles teams will face rivals from Three Forks, Whitehall, and Broadwater in the divisional tournament at Belgrade. The top four singles girls and the top three doubles teams from that competition will advance to State in Bozeman May 16,17,18.
The golfers finished up at Three Forks. Preston Fields shot a 43-48, 91, to lead the Panthers. Luke Eckmann had a 49-45, 94; Cole Oie scored a 46-52, 98; and Andy Johnson finished at 50-63, 113. Just three Panthers were set to join the division tournament in Anaconda on Monday and Tuesday, where the top 15 qualified for State in Missoula.
The track and field teams finished the regular season at a large meet in Missoula, facing 24 schools spanning classes A, B and C. Frenchtown claimed the boys title with 132 points, far ahead of any other schools. Jefferson tied Manhattan Christian for fourth place with 46 points.
Avery Stiles continues to pace the Panthers. He won the high jump at 6’6”; placed second in the triple jump at 41’8”, a personal record; and took fourth in the long jump at 20’1.75” and seventh in the 100 in 11.66, another personal best.
Coen Guisti took second in the shot put at 46’10.50 and second in the discus at 144’1”, and personal record.Dalton Rykal placed third in the shot put 45’3”, and the 4X400 relay team of Casey St Clair, Josiah Williams, Braden Morris and Joey Visser took fifth in 3:55.94.
Other Panther boys with personal bests were Hyrum Parke in the 800, 2:29.27; Dominick Davis in the 3200, 12:06.47; Williams in the 110 hurdles, 17.26, and the 300 hurdles, 46.45; and Morris in the 300 hurdles, 46.46.
The girls squad finished eighth, with 22 points. Grace Alexander won the 300 hurdles in 49.89 and placed sixth in the 100 hurdles in 17.34. Grace Jones took second in the shot put at 33’11.5”, a personal best; and Hailee Stiles took fifth in the triple jump at 31’11.25”. The 4X100 relay team of Ashton Oxarart, Stiles, Alexander and Ashley Pankratz took sixth in 53.47. Pankratz also had a personal best in the long jump at 15’3”.
The track and field teams travel to Belgrade on Thursday for the district 5B meet. The top six finishers in each event advance to the Southern B divisional in Laurel, May 16. The top eight at division advance to the state meet in Kalispell, May 24-25.
