The Eagles’ vaulting dominance continued on the first day of the State A track and field meet at Van Winkle Stadium, as Aubrey Kessel won Sidney’s 13th girls pole vault title since 1997, winning with a vault of 10 feet, 6 inches.

From the early days when Melanie Prevost began the tradition all the way up to Kessel’s championship performance, the Eagles have built upon their legacy.

Kessel is a proud new member of the club that also includes Leila Ben Youssef, Ashley Taylor, Miranda Fehilly, MaKayla Fink, Vanessa Bawden, Mikayla Minow and Jalyssa Gorder.

“It’s unreal,” said Kessel, who outlasted teammate Harmony Hampton and Hamilton’s Taylor Bess on Friday. “It’s been my dream throughout high school.

“I had a really bad warm-up. I got in my own head a little bit. It’s just the state atmosphere. I had a lot of nerves. I had to calm down and just jump.”

Thanks to Kessel and Co., Sidney finds itself in third place in the team standings entering Saturday. The Eagles have 21 points, trailing second-place Corvallis (29 points) and first-place Hamilton (36).

Corvallis is chasing its sixth consecutive Class A girls' championship.

Corvallis’ boys are in first place after Day 1 with 22.33 points. Sidney ranks second with 16.67 points, while Billings Central is in third with 16.

Sidney’s Garrison Hughes, perhaps setting the tone for Kessel, won the boys' pole vault title Thursday with a vault of 15-0.

Glendive’s Carson Oakland stole the show early Friday, upstaging Laurel’s Casey Cole and Billings Central’s Jacob Hadley to win the boys long jump. Oakland had a top jump of 21-4¾, more than three inches better than Cole and four better than Hadley.

The trio has battled throughout the season, but Oakland placed third among them at last weekend’s divisional meet. Oakland said he saved his best for last.

“We’ve been going at it all year,” said Oakland, who won a triple jump title last season. “I think all of us have won one meet, but I was fortunate to win this one. I think I just kept a level head. It’s a great feeling.”

Hadley ended up placing third in the high jump, also, behind Dillon’s Cordell McGinley and champion Parker Spadt from Frenchtown.

Meanwhile, Central’s Jade Smith came away with the girls high jump crown. Smith’s previous best performance in the high jump at a state meet was a sixth-place finish when she was a freshman.

Now a senior, Smith shattered that glass ceiling by winning with a leap of 5-8¼, more than three inches better than her seeding measurement.

Keaunna Mason of Hardin won her second consecutive shot put title in dominant fashion, heaving it 42-2½. The throw easily outpaced the next-best finishers.

“I came in here with a clear head and came out with relief,” said Mason, who is considering signing to join the track team at Lewis-Clark State in Idaho. “That’s an amazing thing to say, I won state twice.”

Among Friday’s other title winners was Belgrade’s Pipi Eitel, who came away with victories in both the 400- and 800-meter finals.

Results

State A meet

Friday

At Bozeman

BOYS

Team scores: (through six finals):1. Dillon 24; 2. Corvallis 22.33; 3. Sidney 16.67; 4. Billings Central 16; 5. Columbia Falls 15; 6. Glendive 14; 7. Laurel 12; 7. Belgrade 12; 9. Havre 10; 9. Frenchtown 10; 9. Hamilton 10; 12. Lewistown Fergus 8; 12. Polson 8; 14. Whitefish 4; 15. Stevensville 2; 15. Miles City 2

400 –1. Nate Rismon, HAV, 50.331; 2. Bruce Thomas, COR, 50.66; 3. Jacob Grinwis, BEL, 50.99; 4. Tanner Dana, CFL, 51.29; 5. Hunter Casey, STV, 51.61; 6. Milo Carpenter, LAU, 51.70.

1600 – 1. Cameron Meikle, HAM, 4:27.15; 2. Josh Jessop, COR, 4:27.64; 3. Sage Wanner, CFL, 4:30.77; 4. Ashton Jones, GLN, 4:32.31; 5. Kyle McLaughlin, BEL, 4:33.41; 6. Levi Taylor, LAU, 4:37.97.

High jump –1. Parker Spadt, FTW, 6-6; 2. Cordell McGinley, DIL, 6-4; 3. Jacob Hadley, BLC, 6-2; 4. Isaiah Girard, DIL, 6-0; 5. Kyler Burns, CFL, 6-0; 6. Ridge Albright, COR, 5-10; 6. Jared Steinbeisser, SID, 5-10; 6. Michael McGinnis, SID, 5-10.

Pole vault –1. Garrison Hughes, SID, 15-0; 2. Jacob Clairmont, POL, 14-0; 3. Marvin Reynoso, COR, 13-0; 4. Matt Brewer, WHF, 13-0; 5. Ty McKay, DIL, 13-0; 6. Jared Craig, LAU, 12-6.

Long jump – 1. Carson Oakland, GLN, 21-4.75; 2. Casey Cole, LAU, 21-1; 3. Jacob Hadley, BLC, 20.10; 4. Morgan Eitel, BEL, 20-10; 5. Logan Stephens, CFL, 20-6; 6. Jared Craig, LAU, 20-4.75.

Shot put –1. Kyle Finch, DIL, 49-7; 2. Matt Harrison, FER, 48-3.5; 3. Carter Hughes, SID, 47-0.25; 4. Micah Holt-Seavy, BLC, 47-0; 5. Cord Murray, MLC, 45-11.75; 6. Blake Arneson, CFL, 45-11.

GIRLS

Team scores (through eight finals): 1. Hamilton 36; 2. Corvallis 29; 3. Sidney 21; 4. Belgrade 20; 5. Columbia Falls 18; 6. Miles City 16; 7. Polson 15; 8. Livingston 12; 8. Whitefish 12; 10. Butte Central 10; 10. Billings Central 10; 10. Hardin 10; 10. Lewistown Fergus 10; 14. Laurel 8; 14. Dillon 8; 16. Stevensville 7; 17. Frenchtown 4; 18. Havre 2.

400 –1. Pipi Eitel, BEL, 58.55; 2. Madison Patrick, LIV, 1:00.23; 3. Heidi Nisly, COR, 1:00.71; 4. Penny Jessop, COR, 1:00.93; 5. Taylor Ludwig, LAU, 1:00.99; 6. Lydia Kryshak, WHF, 1:02.14.

800 – 1. Pipi Eitel, Belgrade, 2:16.81; 2. Heidi Nisly, COR, 2:18.23; 3. Jessica Elmer, LAU, 2:20.70; 4. Bea Frissell, POL, 2:24.14; 5. Pachel David, HAV, 2:25.42; 6. Heather Baker MCY, 2:28.86.

3200 – 1. Jacie Schmalz, HAM, 11:46.75; 2. Barrett Gray, WHF, 11:54.56; 3. Morgan Vosley, MCY, 11:55.79; 4. Kendyl Pierson, LIV, 12:17.55; 5. Molly Sitter, POL, 12:29.58; 6. Albany Jessop, COR, 12:35.73.

High jump –1. Jade Smith, BLC, 5-8.25; 2. Kacia Guisinger, HAM, 5-2; 3. Marissa James, FRG, 5-2; 4. Ashlee Searle, HAM, 5-0; 5. Kate Doorn, WHF, 5-0; 6. Ashley Venable, MCY, 5-0.

Pole vault – 1. Aubrey Kessel, SID, 10-6; 2. Harmony Hampton, SID, 10-6; 3. Taylor Bess, HAM, 10-6; 4. Myka Steinbeisser, SID, 10-0; 4. Lydia Bowman, POL, 10-0; 6. Ashley Caffrey, CFL, 9-6.

Long jump – 1. Rachael McGree, BTC, 17-1; 2. Taylor Bess, HAM, 15-10.75; 3. Mariah Hanson, STV, 15-10; 4. Mary Baker, CFL, 15-4; 5. Halie Warren, MCY, 15-3.5; 6. Ellie Johnson, CFL, 15-2.5.

Shot put – 1. Keaunna Mason, HDN, 42-2.5; 2. Allyson Gimbel, CFL, 39-7; 3. Savanna Walker, MCY, 37-3.5; 4. Adeline Richardson, FTW, 36-8.5; 5. Anna Zimmer, FRG, 36.8.25; 6. Makenna Benbrook, WHF, 35.8.

Javelin –1. Zena Smith, COR, 139-8; 2. Kylie Christiansen, DIL, 120-1; 3. Erin Sampson, POL, 118-3; 4. Ellie Johnson, CFL, 116-11; 5. Jaree Mane, FRG, 116-1; 6. Mariah Hinson, STV, 115-4.

Pole vault - Garrison Hughes, Sidney, 15-0; Jacob Clairmont, Polson, 14-0; Marvin Reynoso, Corvallis, 13-0; Matt Brewer, Whitefish, 13-0; Ty McKay, Dillon, 13-0; Jared Craig, Laurel, 12-6; Aiden Carmody, Hamilton, 12-6.