Montana being Montana, Jefferson High’s spring sports are still facing the usual weather challenges. But as the schedule unfolds, disrupted by the usual April snow and cold, the Panther tennis, track and golf squads all are showing the potential for a strong season.
Tennis
The tennis team finally got into action the past weekend, spending a lot of time on the courts at a two-day tournament in Choteau with teams from Townsend, Great Falls Central, Conrad, Chinook, Three Forks, Fairfield, Choteau and Red Lodge.
Singles player Macee Murolo had a great singles match against Simms’ top player. Down 5-0 in the first set, she came back to win three games before losing in the end. Murolo also lost to Red Lodge, 5-7, 6-7, 7-9, and Townsend 4-6, 4-6—both very close matches. Coach Eliza McLaughlin and assistant Conner McCauley were very proud of her effort and believe she is going to be the one to watch this year. (Editor’s note: Eliza McLaughlin is a staff reporter at The Monitor.)
In other matches, Candela Ruiz de Erenchun beat Red Lodge 6-2, 6-3, Townsend 6-2, Choteau 6-2, and Three Forks 6-1. Joelle Quigley beat Red Lodge 7-5, 6-3, and Townsend 6-4, 6-4, but lost to Chinook 2-6, and to another Chinook player 5-7. Grace Quigley beat Red Lodge 6-2, 6-3, and Townsend 6-3, 7-6, (7-3), and lost to Chinook 4-6, and Fairfield 2-6. Morgan Knickerbocker beat Three Forks 6-1, and lost to Fairfield 3-6.
In doubles play, Aliza Hayes and Rylee Baird beat Red Lodge 6-3, 7-6, (7-5), 7-1, lost to Townsend 2-6, 2-6, beat Great Falls Central 6-4, lost to Conrad 2-6, and lost to Chinook 4-6. Shayna Williams and Mikayla Murolo lost to Red Lodge 4-6, 3-6, and to Townsend 2-6, 2-6. Williams and Ida Kalderon lost to Conrad 2-6, to Chinook 1-6, and to Three Forks 1-6. Agnes Lindberg and Oma Chin beat Red Lodge 6-3, and Great Falls Central 7-6, 7-5, and lost to Conrad 1-6, and to Three Forks 1-6.
This week the tennis girls were originally scheduled to play East Helena on Tuesday and Three Forks on Wednesday, but snow storms led to the cancelation of both. McLaughlin said the matches could be rescheduled.
Track and field
The Panther track teams were in Polson for the Dave Tripp Memorial meet on Friday. The boys won easily, their 176 team points more than double second-place Seeley-Swan’s 83. The girls finished sixth, with 47 points. Individual results were not available at press time.
On Saturday the teams were in East Helena—a cold and very windy day that was no fun for anyone. After the long meet the day before in Polson, most Panthers chose not do their normal events in East Helena.
Still, the 4×100 relay squad of Braden Morris, Tom Meyer, Michael Emter and Joey Visser took first in 44.8 seconds, and the 4×400 team of Emter, Morris, Visser, and Dylan Root won in 3:46.80. Wade Rykal won the shot put at 47’ 11”, while his teammate Dalton Noble tied for fourth at 38’ 2”, and Abram Williams took sixth at 37’ 4.5”.
Jack Johnson was 10th in the 400 in 59.96 seconds. Dominick Hurlbert won the 3,200, and Root took third in the 110 hurdles in 16.9 seconds. Trent McMaster was fifth in the discus at 103’ 4”, and Jake Genger won the high jump at 5’ 8”. John Armstrong took fourth in the pole vault at 9’, while Root, Genger and Riley Stock tied for fifth at 8’ 6”.
For the girls, Clare Ronayne took fifth in the 100 in 13.55 seconds, and Arena Faler was fifth in the 400. Renae Parker won both the 1,600, in 5:22.1, and the 3,200, in 11:29.66. The 4×100 relay team of Mackenzie Layng, Emma McCauley, Arena Faler and Ronayne took first in 54.7 seconds.
Kai Taylor took third in the shot put at 31’ 2.5” and second in the discus with a throw of 96’. Layng was seventh in the javelin at 82’ 6”, Brooklyn Miller took fourth in the long jump at 14’ 2.5”, and Erica Shields was fifth at 14’ 0.5”
This week the track teams are scheduled to be at Livingston on Friday, with an 11:30 a.m. start.
Golf
The golf squads were in Townsend on Tuesday. The Panther boys took second, led by Colin Field’s 80; Preston Field shot 85, Ben Werner 86, Marcus Lee 89 and Tyson Lee 90. For the girls, Celi Chapman carded an 83 to lead the team to a second-place finish; Brynna Wolfe shot 107, Maryah Lindsay 113, Jessie Harris 115 and Izzy Morris 124.
Over the weekend, the boys won both ends of a two-day tournament in Eureka. On Friday, Eckmann and Werner both shot 78 to tie for second place individually, while Colin Field shot 80, Lee 88 and Preston Field 89. For the girls, Chapman took second with an 82, while Harris shot 113, Lindsay 126 and Morris 131.
On Saturday, Preston Field was fourth, Eckmann fifth, Werner sixth, and Colin Field seventh. The girls finished second on the day, with Chapman placing second individually, as well.
Wednesday’s meet at Cottonwood has already been cancelled in anticipation of bad weather. There may be more of that to come.
