Lady Pirates, Pirates track team get ready for Gene Hughes

March 22, 2018 at 10:48 am | By Jason Blasco

POLSON RUNNERS Bea Frissell (left) and Molly Sitter (right) run a race at the MHSA Class A Divisionals at Corvallis High School. (Jason Blasco/Lake County Leader)

Polson Lady Pirates track athlete Bea Frissell, who has become synonymous with Lady Pirates running success whether it be in cross country or track, is hard pressed to not find her in the conversation of the top-5 in any event she has competed in.

Last year, Frissell finished a historical year for Lady Pirates’ track excelling in the distance event and she fell just short of capturing the Class A distance title to Pipi Eitel, who is now continuing her running career at Northern Arizona.

Frissell, who was one of the best distance events runner in the state, was able to challenge Eitel in the 3200 but still finished 29 seconds behind her en route to a second-place finish. Eitel ran a time of 10 minutes, 56.69 seconds and Frissell was the closest one to her with a time of 11 minutes, 25.23 seconds.

Frissell finished third in the 1600-meter race with a time of 5 minutes, 10.84 seconds. Frissell finished behind Heidi Nisly of Corvallis, who clocked in at second with a time of 5 minutes, 10.62 seconds. Eitel finished first with a time of 4 minutes, 57.07 seconds.

This year, with Eitel gone Frissell’s name will be in the conversation to add more accolades to her trophy case as the Pirates and Lady Pirates track and field season gets ready to start at the Gene Hughes Invitational Saturday at 9 a.m. at Corvallis High School.

Frissell has plenty of accolades and the defending Class A cross country champ will sure to add more as the track season gets underway.

Frissell was a member of the 4X400 relay team that finished 12th, recording a time of 4 minutes, 25.64 seconds. The relay team consisted of Shaeley Brown, Gwen Reese, Shayla Olson, and Frissell.

Other runners that were members of Matt Seeley’s state-placing cross country team will look to translate last year’s success into more accolades this year.

Naima Crowl finished 19th in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 43.49 seconds. Crowl also finished 15th in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12 minutes, 55.83 seconds.

Lady Pirates’ Mikaela Ducharme finished 9th in the triple jump recording a leap of 32 feet, 10 inches.

Gwen Seeley finished 18th in the 3200 recording a time of 13 minutes, 39.84 seconds.

The young Pirates look to make an impact

Polson Pirates boy’s track and field lost two of its biggest impact participants in Matthew Rensvold and Tanner Wilson.

Both Wilson and Rensvold went on to play with the University of Montana football team’s and the loss can’t be measured for this young Pirates’ team.

However, there should be several Pirates that will look to have an immediate impact headed into this track season.

Two of them will be Quin Stewart and Conner Lanier.

The Pirates’ Connor Lanier finished in the top 10 in three individual events he qualified for. Lanier finished 7th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.63 seconds, 9th in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 42.18 seconds, and fourth in the triple jump, recording a distance of 42 feet, 7.25 inches, a new PR for Lanier.

Pirates’ runner Quin Stewart finished 14th in the 800-meter relay with time of 2 minutes, 4.95 seconds. Stewart also placed 19th with a time of 4 minutes, 49 seconds.

Another impact runner will be Kyle Druyvestien.

Druyvestien was a key piece to a team that finished second in the 4X100 meter relay. That team consisted of Danny DiGiallonardo, Rensvold, Kyle Druyvestein, and Tanner Wilson, who finished second with a time of 43.61 seconds.

The team that finished 10th in the 4X400 consisted of Connor Lanier, Quin Stewart, Tanner Wilson and Dugan Davis, who finished with a time of 3 minutes, 34.12 seconds.

Ronan track ready to make impact

March 22, 2018 at 10:49 am | By Jason Blasco

The Ronan High School boys track and field team hopes to duplicate its success after capturing the Class B state Divisional title last year.

Gone are some of the some of the significant contributors to the team that placed first last year, but the current Chiefs’ track team still boasts of several key returners including James Normandeua (800, 1,600, 3,200 and 4X400 relay), Nate Dennis and Kiry Detwiler.

“We will have some really strong distance running,” Chiefs’ track coach Brian Labbe said of his team’s prospects.

Labbe is also excited about what the future holds with a strong crop of freshman that might make an immediate impact on the team and possibly be a strong contender in the team’s future.

“We also have a good group of freshman and a lot of good talent,” Labbe said. “We have a lot of good young sprinters and mid-distance kids. The thing about freshman is that you put them in several events and see where they do well.”

The track team will also have a bunch of jumpers from the class that consists of 22 freshman that will be on the track team this year.

“We will have six seniors and five juniors out this year,’ Labbe said. “Our roster is filled with underclassmen and the majority of our jumpers will be very young athletes.

Ronan, who will now compete in Class A after moving from Class B because of the reclassification of late 2016, will have a “chip on their shoulder,” as one of the smaller schools in Class A. Labbe said he felt his team will have “something to prove” as they head into the 2018 season as one of the smallest Class A schools.

“We have kind of a little chip on their shoulder being one of the smaller schools,” Labbe said. “We are trying to get our kids to realize that you can’t just go out there and compete in the relays as individuals. That is one of the events that is a team concept, especially in that 4X100 relay. Our kids need to ‘buy in’ to being successful in that event and our kids really have to work hard in order to bridge that gap.”

Labbe knows with a younger team that you have to modify expectations in order not to put too much pressure on a player as they get acclimated to the varsity level of competition.

“With over half of our roster being underclassmen, you have to embed that team concept and make them understand they have to put in the work in the off season,” Labbe said. “We have to do what we have to do in order to stay competitive with some of the bigger schools.”

Maidens have different look headed into 2018

Last year, the Ronan Maidens track team was loaded with upperclassmen that were top-tier all-around athletes in Montana including Micalann McCrea and Lee Camel.

The Maidens, who boast of one of the top-tier cross country teams, will have plenty of competitors that will be strong in distance events.

Gone is the college-bound talent like Ashley McCready, who signed to run cross country at the Montana State University at Havre, but the Maidens still have stockpiled plenty of other distance runners that should have competitive seasons.

One member of the track team Labbe praised is distance runner Penni Wyant.

“She is one of those girls that will do whatever you ask and she is preparing to have a great senior year,” Labbe said. “We will have to see what she does in the 400, throw her into some distance events, see where she will be successful and try some different events this year.”

Labbe admits his team is going to be really young, but with youth comes enthusiasm about the future of the program holds.

“We are going to be a really young team,” Labbe said. “We should have a lot of underclassmen that are going to be stepping up this year and we will see what we can accomplish headed into the season.”

Havre High track teams trying to work around winter's relentless grip 

By Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson

Havre's Laiken Harris throws the shot put during an HHS track practice Monday in the Havre High gymnasium. The Blue Pony track teams have not been able to go outside yet, and the season is already 11 days old.

When you live in North Central Montana, on the Hi-Line, then you know what to expect when spring rolls around. It's going to be cold, it's also probably going to be windy, there might even be a little snow.

However, what residents in Havre and the surrounding areas have had to deal with the past few months and so far this spring, is well beyond the norm and the havoc it's wreaking on local sports has continued into track season.

Of course, track isn't the only sport that is being affected. Tennis and softball are having their issues as well, along with golf, which is played by Class B-C this time of year. One of the worst winters in memory had a huge impact even on basketball, wrestling and swimming, with games and trips being canceled or postponed. At this point, the Havre high track team still has a few weeks before its first meet of the year, which is April 4, with the annual Cal Wearley Track Meet, held at the Havre Middle School track, but this point, even that is looking unlikely.

"If you want to see something impressive, go see the snow at the track," HHS head coach John Ita said. "The only black track that you can see is right in front of the door, kind of where the start for the 100 meters is. But other than that, there is 4-5 feet of snow all the way around. There will be no one on the track in the month of March. It could be 60 degrees tomorrow and stay that way and you are still not going to be on the track. It's like a glacier, you can't even get on the track, you would have to dig through all the snow just to get there. It's pretty impressive to see."

Of course, a big part of track is running, so you might think it would be easy to practice, but when it comes to running sprints, hurdles and even distance, there is a lot more to it than just lacing up the shoes and going for a jog. There is form that needs to be perfected and starts that need to be practiced. Getting out of the blocks is important, especially for sprinters and that's something that the Blue Ponies have been able to practice, in just a limited fashion inside the walls of the Havre High School.

"We are fortunate that our high school has those two hallways," Ita said. "So we are very fortunate that we can get some work done. But, those hallways on young bodies, beat them up pretty quick, so you have to be really careful. So we will work some form stuff and do some form sprinting, then the next day we go to the (pool). We come down here and do some conditioning and tempo work to make sure that we are off our legs. We are getting our heart rates up and getting a lot of cardio and endurance stuff in the pool. There is a lot of strengthening going on, we are just trying to be aware of not beating them up in those hallways. It doesn't take very long to start getting shin splints and things like that."

The reason it's called track and field, are the field events. Certainly, the sprints, distances races, hurdles and relays are a really exciting part of the sport, but another part that's equally exciting are the field events such as pole vaulting, long jump, high jump, triple jump, javelin throw, shot put and discus.

And while some of those events have been hampered, Ita said his throwers have probably gotten the most normal practice repetitions of any athletes on the team.

"I think that coach Gabrielsen has done a really good job with our throwers," Ita said. "We have an indoor shot put and he has kids throwing the discus out on the soccer field. You just have to keep track of where it's going because of all the snow. He has worked on a lot of form and footwork, but for the first two weeks, that is what he works on anyway."

Ita said the athletes who are hurt the most are the pole vaulters and the relay teams, which don't get to work on their timing and handoffs.

 

Havre Daily News/Colin Thompson

A sliver of the surface of the Havre Middle School track shows Tuesday, but the remainder of the facility is buried under piles of snow.

"The only thing that is really being hurt is track time for the relay teams, we will have no sense of that," Ita said. "And also things like pole vaulting. I can long jump them, triple jump them and high jump them, I can work on all those things. But we have no way to work on pole vault."

While the track teams are managing the best they can, splitting time between the high school and the swimming pool, Ita said his biggest concern was low morale should the weather issues continue, keeping both teams inside for longer and longer.

"Kids didn't sign up for track and field to be indoors," Ita said. "They want to be outside. That's where they want to be and I don't like seeing them in the hallways. But attitude, moral and motivation, I worry about that. But, I think once we get them on the track, they will realize that they haven't lost that much."

Maroons start track season (and practice) in Corvallis

Butte Central’s Lindsay McGree jumps to fourth place in the long jump during a meet May 6 in Butte. (Butte Sports file photo) 

By Bill Foley

Butte Central’s track team won’t be close to mid-season form Saturday when they open the 2018 campaign in Corvallis Saturday morning.

Actually, the Maroons will not even be in first-meet form when the meet kicks off at 9 o’clock.

“Tomorrow is just going to be a practice for us,” BC coach Zack Stajcar said Friday while watching his Maroons practice inside the Maroon Activities Center.

With the track and field at the Charlie Merrifield Track still covered with snow and ice, the Maroons have been forced to work out inside every practice since March 12.

“Nobody has had a chance to do anything full speed or really throw anything,” Stajcar said. “We’re just going to treat it as practice.”

The Maroons bring a mixture of youth and experience into the new season. The team includes five seniors, three juniors, seven sophomores and nine freshmen.

“Most of the juniors and seniors have seen the state meet, which is an advantage for us,” Stajcar said. “The freshmen and sophomores who are coming in are an athletic bunch, too.”

Butte Central’s Brian McGeehan runs hard on the second lap of the 800-meter race April 21 in Butte. (Butte Sports file photo)

The Maroons lost half of the 16 athletes who competed in the Class A State meet last May to graduation or transfer. Those losses include state champions in Nate McGree and Rachael McGree.

Stajcar, though, is excited for the athletes he has back. He said what the Maroons lack in numbers, they more than make up for with determination.

“There’s the goods and bads about the low numbers,” the coach said. “It’s unfortunate because that’s how you score all your points is with numbers. But the good thing is that the ones that are out are the ones who want to be here. They’re working every day.”

Junior Lindsay McGree leads the way. She placed third in the long jump at the state meet in Laurel. She also competed in the triple jump, 100 and relays on the big stage.

“She’ll be fun to watch,” Stajcar said. “You can probably expect good things in the triple jump and long jump. In the 100 she was running really well down the stretch last year.”

Olivia Bolton and Brian McGeehan are seniors who competed at state last year. Classmates Zeb Antonioli, Allen Boyle and Nathan Ortega are looking to join them there.

McGeehan is a veteran distance runner for the Maroons, while Bolton emerged as a true contender late last season.

“She started to run the 400 really well last year,” Stajcar said of Bolton. “She was jumping well last year, too, so she should have a good year.”

Juniors Cade Holter and Clay Fisher competed in Laurel last year. Fisher ran the relays, while Holter represented the Maroons in the javelin and high jump.

The Maroons have a strong group of sophomores, led by Cutter Thatcher and Aaron Richards.

Thatcher qualified in the long jump, triple jump and relays.

“His triple jump and long jump we’re really good for a freshman,” Stajcar said.

Butte Central’s Cutter Thatcher gets off a big jump in the triple jump last April in Butte. (Butte Sports file photo)

Richards went to state in the weights, throwing the shotput and discus on the final weekend of the season.

“For a freshman boy to make state in an individual event is pretty good,” Stajcar said.

The coach also singled out fellow sophomores Thomas McGree and Jared and Matt Simkins on the eve of the season. Matt Simkins ran the relays at state last year.

Jayden Mitchell and Ryan Wahl are other sophomores to keep an eye on.

BC’s list of freshman include athletes who have experienced success in other sports during the 2017-18 school year.

That list includes Amira Bolton, Sophia Burton, Brennan Cox, Allyson Mueller, Cheyanne Parks, Savanah Parks, Jaci Stillwagon, Paige Weber and Ian Williams.

Stajcar said he is looking forward to seeing what his newcomers will do when they finally get to compete outside.

“I don’t know a whole bunch about the freshman, so tomorrow will be fun to see,” he said.

The Maroons’ next scheduled meet is April 3 in Butte, though that event is, to say the least, questionable right now.

Butte Central’s annual John Tomich Invitational is set for April 28, and divisionals will be ran in Dillon May 18-19. The state meet is May 25-26 in Laurel.

(Season schedule)