Maidens capture 1,600

LIBBY — Out performing most of the state’s competition, five Maidens and a Chief from the Ronan-Mission track team earned spots among the best at the Top Ten Meet in Missoula on Tuesday. The Libby invite on Saturday was the final test and those athletes answered like track stars do - by stretching their abilities to new season heights.

Nobody earned it more than Ronan senior Sadie McMillan.

Taking 10 first place medals in one week - there’s only one thing to call that - or one name.

“That’s Sadie, it really is” Maiden head coach Crystal Pitts said. “Sadie is one that when she does something she devotes herself to it, be it her running, her grades or be it her horses. She does it and she does it well.”

That attitude comes with a great work ethic.   

“She put in a great off season,” Pitts said. “She has been very diligent since cross country got over, running and lifting and she’s stronger because of that without question.”

At Libby, McMillan took first in the 100-meter dash (12.99), the 100 hurdles (16.45), the 300 hurdles (48.89) and the high jump (5-0). McMillan also anchored her team in a win in the 1,600 relay (4:17.77).

She won the rest of her medals in Kalispell on Tuesday.

That long relay was the highlight of the meet, Pitts said.

And the Cinderella story was Mission freshman Christina Williams.

Williams hadn’t run the relay before and Pitts decided to put her in after a couple of teammates were unable to race.

Earlier in the meet, Williams had stunned everyone watching by winning the 800 and 1,600 in JV competition. She finished first in both with times that would have placed her in third and fourth in the events at the varsity level.

Those times were good enough to land her just six seconds off the Mission High School for each event.

And then, as was mentioned before, she was promoted to run the varsity 1,600 relay.

Williams ran the second leg of it in 68.5 and the team finished first with a time of 4:17.74.

“Our best going in was a 4.22 and we were shooting for a 4.18,” Pitts said.

The other girls on board were McMillan, Ronan senior Tabitha Carlson, and Mission sophomore Dessa Durglo. There was no doubt Williams was the star of that effort.

“She was the talk of the tournament. It was so awesome to watch her. Out of the blue this girl kind of found her niche,” Pitts said. 

Williams earned a spot on the relay team at the Top Ten Meet in Missoula on Tuesday.

Durglo will also be competing individually at the top ten meet, since she placed first in the triple jump (32-6.25).

The boys made an impression as well.

Ronan senior Jamie Engeldrum was the only Chief to earn a spot at the Top Ten Meet with first place finishes at the 110 hurdles (15.53) and 300 hurdles (41.77).

His time at the 300 hurdles was a personal best.

“He’s just getting so much stronger and quicker both,” Ronan boys’ head coach Noelle Decker said. “Obviously he’s improved each week but I think the benefits of his workouts in the off-season are what we’re seeing make the difference now.”

Ronan senior Adam Skogen and sophomore Jordan Franklin were both hopeful to make it to the Top Ten but fell a little shy.

“Adam Skogen has had a difficult start to the season but I am hopeful that he can turn things around in the next few weeks,” Decker said.

As for Franklin, just a sophomore, making it to the finals in the 100 was a good start but a fourth place finish left him a little short of in the running. Running, however, is something he has done very well for the team, Decker said.

Evan Waldron was hoping to throw the javelin in the 160’s but had to settle for a second place finish (152-11), Decker said.

Waldron also took sixth in the long jump (19-0) and was part of the 1,600 relay team which took third (3:44.43).

Waldron’s work ethic impressed Decker.

“He’s coachable, he listens and that pays off,” she said.

The other members of the bronze relay team were Franklin, senior Ethan Maughan and freshman Marcus Hungerford.

Ronan senior Danny Beavers placed in all three distance races but has not met his own expectations, Decker said.

“He has been fighting a cold for the last two weeks so we are hoping once he gets to feeling better his times will come down,” Decker said.

Beavers took fourth in the 800 (2:18.57), fifth in the 1,600 (5:04.20) and third in the 3,200 (11:08.41).

“Overall, I am very pleased with our team’s effort,” Decker said.

The full teams compete at 3 p.m. on Friday at the Big Sky Quad Meet in Missoula, at 10 a.m. at an invite in Whitefish and at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Lake County Track meet in Polson.