The “second season” began last week—postseason, that is—and as the state championships loomed, Jefferson High’s spring squads showed they have the potential to take home some hardware.
Track and field
Amid very windy conditions Friday in Belgrade, the Panther boys took first at the District 5B meet, their 192 points easily besting second-place Manhattan, with 130, and Broadwater. The girls finished fifth behind Sweet Grass County, with 129 points, Broadwater, and Three Forks.
The team now advances to the Southern Division track and field meet this Friday in Laurel, where the top eight placers in each event—plus those who have qualified during the regular season—advance to the State meet in Great Falls May 27–28.
In the district meet, Jace Oxarart took second in the 100 meters in 11.51 seconds, while Tom Meyer was fifth in 11.70 seconds. Michael Emter was second in the 200 meters in 23.02 seconds, and Luke Oxarart was eighth in 24.19 seconds. At 800 meters, Jack Johnson finished third in 2:14.58 and Dylan Mikesell eighth in 2:16.55. In the 1,600 meters, Logan Hornung finished 4th in 4:57.43, Luke Mest was fifth in 4:57.67, and Mikesell eighth in 5:22.13. Mest placed second at 3,200 meters in 10:49.49, while Hornung was third in 10:54.87.
Braden Morris ran second in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.44 seconds, with Dylan Root third in 15.58 seconds. Morris won the 300-meter hurdles in 40.62 seconds, while Root finished fifth in 42.58 seconds. The team of Morris, Tom Meyer, Jace Oxarart and Emter won the 4×100 relay in 44:05, and Root, Jace Oxarart, Meyer and Emter took the 4×400 in 3:36.87.
Among the field events, Wade Rykal won the shot put with a throw of 51′; Abram Williams placed second, at 42′ 11.75″, Dalton Noble third at 42′ 8.50″, Luke Oxarart sixth at 39′ 10.50″, and Taven McMaster 10th at 37′ 5.5″. Noble took second in the discus at 123′ 5″, with McMaster third at 115′ 11″. Morris won the javelin with a throw of 146′ 11″; Luke Oxarart was second at 141′ 8″, and Jace Oxarart third at 134′ 8″.
Jake Genger took second in the high jump at 5′ 10″; Peyton Coates was ninth at 5′ 2″, and Zach Anderson eleventh at 5′. Riley Stock took third in the pole vault, clearing 10′ 6″, while Genger was seventh at 8′ 6″. Jace Oxarart placed third in the long jump at 19′ 5″, with Meyer fifth at 19′ 2.75″, Luke Strizich seventh at 18′ 9″, and Stock ninth at 18′ 4.75″. Morris finished things off with a win in the triple jump at 41′ 5.50″; Luke Strizich took fifth at 38′ 2.50″.
For the Lady Panthers, Clare Ronayne raced to third at 100 meters in 13.37 seconds, with Brooklyn Miller 15th at 14.97 seconds. Ronayne placed fourth in the 200 meters in 27.38 seconds, with MacKenzie Layng fifth in 28.48 seconds. Emma McCauley took second in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.66 seconds, and qualified in the 300-meter hurdles earlier in the year. And Renae Parker qualified in both the 1,600- and the 3,200-meter events earlier in the year.
Ronayne, Erica Shields, Arena Faler and Layng won the 4×400 relay in 4:34.24. The 4×100 relay team of Faler, McCauley, Layng and Ronayne had qualified previously. Kai Taylor won both the shot put, with a throw of 32′ 6.50″, and the discus, at 105′ 11″. Layng took third in the javelin at 101′ 3″, with Faler fifth at 88′ 8″. McCauley was third in the long jump at 15′ 7″, and second in the triple jump at 33′ 0.5″. Miller finished 11th in the long jump, at 13′ 4.75″, and Shields was seventh in the triple jump at 29′ 11″.
Good luck to all in the Division meet.
Tennis
In Butte, meanwhile, the tennis girls placed one doubles team and one singles player into the State tournament in Bozeman May 18–20. Candela Ruiz de Erenchun took third at the division tournament, while Morgan Knickerbocker placed sixth and just missed qualifying. The doubles team of Rylee Baird and Aliza Hays took fifth to make State. Good luck in Bozeman, girls!
Golf
Both boys and girls Panther teams qualified at last week’s Division meet for the state golf championship, set for May 17–18 at Fairmont Hot Springs. But it wasn’t easy: The Panther boys, who have won nearly every meet during the regular season, ran into a little trouble with the strong winds at Fairmont and finished second, just one point behind Anaconda. The girls took third, a very good showing.
This week, both teams have great shots at bringing home trophies. The Panther boys going to State will be Preston Field, Luke Eckmann, Colin Field, Ben Werner and Tyson Lee. Lady Panthers are Celi Chapman, Jessie Harris, Brynna Wolfe, Izzy Morris and Maryah Lindsay.
