Just as the spring sports season hit its stride, it’s starting to wind down. As Jefferson High’s track and field teams started looking forward to the post-season, they competed Saturday in the Butte Central Invitational, a large meet featuring AA, A, B, and C schools.
The Panther boys took third place out of 13 schools, with 63 points, trailing just Class AA Butte (74 points) and Class A Laurel (72). Dillon High was fourth with 59 points, and Frenchtown fifth with 58. Laurel won the girls title with 134 points, with Dillon the runner-up at 100.5; Jefferson finished fifth with 46 points.
Among the Panther boys, Luke Mest finished 2nd in the 1600 in 4:42.28, while Logan Hornung placed 5th in 4:59.87. Dylan Root continued his hurdles dominance, taking the 110 in 15.23 and the 300 in 40.47. The boys 4×100 relay team of Luke Strizich, Root, Jace Oxarart and Luke Oxarart took 4th in 44.70, and Jace Oxarart, Jack Johnson, Luke Oxarart and Root placed 3rd in the 4×400 in 3:37.21.
Dalton Noble won the shot put at 49’ 3” and took 2nd in the discus with a throw of 141’ 4”. Tavan McMaster was 5th in the shot put at 44’ 11”. Hunter Stevens took 6th in the high jump at 5’ 10”, while Luke Strizich was 5th in the triple jump at 38’ 9.25”.
For the Lady Panthers, MacKenzie Layng placed 5th in the 200, at 28.01, and 5th in the javelin, at 108’ 3”. Emma McCauley finished 3rd in the 100 hurdles in 16.66, 2nd in the long jump at 15’ 9.5”, and 5th in the triple jump at 33’ 6”.
Renae Parker won both the 800, in 2:32.48, and the 1600, in 5:31.06, while her teammates Hannah Stevens took 4th in the 1600, in 5:59.71. The team of Maddy Averill, Stevens, Arena Faler and Layng placed 5th in the 4×400 in 4:33.26.
Tennis
The Panther tennis squads participated in Broadwater High’s two-day Dawg Bite Tournament, played in both Helena and East Helena.
The boys’ doubles team of Izaak Luhrsen and Cole Christoferson lost twice on the first day, both by 3-6 to Great Falls Central teams. On day two, Luhrsen and Christoferson made it close against East Helena, dropping a fun 6-8 set. They also lost 0-8 to a very strong duo.
Among the girls, Morgan Knickerbocker and Mikayla Murolo dropped 4-8 sets to Wolf Point, while Kenna Moore lost 6-8. Addy Leary was up 5-4 and was on the way to a win when she had to be pulled off early. The doubles team of Grace Day and Holly Keough lost 0-6 to Wolf Point, but Grace Quigley and Arrate Barbarias notched an 8-7 (7-5) win.
Against Fort Benton, Knickerbocker delivered a 6-2, 6-3 win, and Bailee Silvonen won 6-3, 6-3. Quigley and Barbarias were down 3-6, 3-3 when they were pulled off the court early.
Knickerbocker lost 3-6, 2-6 to a strong Chinook player, while Silvonen lost 4-6, 4-6 in a very competitive match. Murolo lost 2-6, 2-6, while Moore and Day both lost, 2-6. Quigley and Barbarias dropped a 2-6, 3-6 match, and Keough and Leary lost, 2-6.
On day two, the girls took on Fairfield first. Knickerbocker lost her match, 2-6, 2-6. Silvonen won, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), while Murolo lost 2-6, 3-6, and Moore fell by 2-6, 2-6. Quigley and Barbarias dropped a very close 6-2, 3-6 (7-10) match, and Leary and Day lost, 3-6, 4-6.
Against Choteau, Knickerbocker lost, 2-6, 2-6, to a very skilled opponent. Quigley and Barbarias fel,l 2-6, 4-6, to another skilled team. And Silvonen dropped a tight 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), (3-7) match to a Simms player.
Finally, the Panthers took on Three Forks. Silvonen, in her first time as the top seed, lost, 4-6, 4-6, in an extremely competitive match. Knickerbocker won, 7-5, 6-2, while Murolo and Moore both lost, 2-6. Quigley and Barbarias dropped a 3-6, 2-6 match, and Leary and Day fell, 3-6. 4-6.
Coach Eliza McLaughlin said: “It was a long weekend, and we saw a lot of tough competitors. Arrate and Barbarias improved immensely as a doubles team, and Silvonen – a freshman – moved up in ranking. We have some injuries/absences among our upper level players which makes our match-ups a little tougher, but the younger players are stepping up and open to competing with the higher level opponents.”
The Panther track teams will be in Missoula for the KLH Meet May 5and 6, with the District meet to follow on May 12 in Belgrade. The Panther golf teams were in Missoula on May 1 and 2 and will be at Three Forks on May 4; the divisional tournament will be at Eureka May 8 and 9.
The tennis squad will host the first Panther Open on May 6, to be played in East Helena this year while the Boulder courts are redone. Jefferson will take on Simms, Three Forks, Superior, Darby and the Townsend JV. The final home event will serve as Senior Night, honoring three graduating players – all of whom have been to state at least once.
The Panthers will be running a concessions stand/bake sale to help fundraise for the program. Please stop by and watch some great tennis!
