It's a Lake County thing

Area schools compete at invitation in Polson

POLSON - The sun was out Thursday afternoon at the Polson High School track and, with championships just around the corner, local athletes toed the line ready to spar.

The Polson and Charlo boys teams were neck-and-neck all afternoon, winning a handful of events each. The Pirates' depth in the throwing and distance events gave them the edge, and a team victory over the Vikings.

The Polson girls won the girls' team competition and 12 of 18 events (179 points) while Charlo (79), Ronan-St. Ignatius (55), Arlee (33) and Two Eagle River battled it out behind them.

Polson

Polson hosted the Lake County Invite on Thursday. Seniors Alex Havlovick (discus, shot put) and Colter Bull (800-meter, 1,600-meter) won two events apiece, with Bull placing second behind senior teammate Miles Bieber in the 3,200. Bieber's time of 10:46.60 was a personal best.

"Alex continues to have a good senior year in his specialty, the discus," coach Bob Gunderson said. "He is consistently over 140-feet and has placed in every meet this year."

Gunderson also praised the efforts of his distance runners, who scored quite a few points for the Pirates.

"We wouldn't have won the meet without their efforts in multiple events," he said. "They were huge in this meet."

On Saturday, the boys traveled to Kalispell for the Archie Roe Invitational where freshman Jimmy Bjorge shined. He ran the 3,200 in 10:53, dropping nearly 45 seconds from Thursday.

"Jimmy always lays everything on the line when he races," Gunderson said. "He has an excellent chance of going to the state meet as a freshman."

Bull was again the top Pirate finisher in the 800 and 1,600, capturing fourth place in both events and helping lead his team to a sixth place finish in the 1,600 relay with an impressive first leg performance. The team of Bull, Mike Devlin, sophomore Chris Cote and senior Jordan Cross recorded their best effort of the season with a time of 3:35.64.

Sophomore Vince DiGiallonardo won the novice high jump with a personal best of 5-10. He and freshman teammate Devlin both PR-ed in the long jump with distances of 20-1 1/2 and 19-10 1/2, respectively.

Taking three events each for the Lady Pirates, junior Breanne Kelley (100, 200, and 100-meter hurdles) and senior Nicole Davey (100, 300 hurdles and pole vault) led the charge at Thursday's Polson Invite.

Junior Mesa Starkey won twice, pacing the first three laps with Charlo's junior Brittany Shaver in the 1,600, but crossing the line first with a time of 5:40.85, only four seconds off her personal best in that event.

"My coaches have really been working on my form," Starkey said. "We've been putting on the hard workouts lately, so I didn't expect it to be that fast, but that was encouraging."

She returned to face Shaver in the 800, again putting on the burn in the final few meters to win in dramatic fashion with a time of 2:36.34.

"She keeps getting better with each race and will be a major factor for us as we try for another state team championship," Gunderson said of his distance runner, who captured the Polson school record with an 11:56.10 in the 3,200 last weekend at the Archie Row Invitational in Kalispell. She currently holds the top time in Class A for that event.

Senior Loni Havlovick had a big week, too; winning the shot put (38-7) and discus (124-2) at the Polson Invite and then taking both crowns again at the Archie Roe with throws of 39-2 and 121-1, respectively.

"Loni has been a consistent winner for us all year," Gunderson said. "She is having a great year - one that is much deserved and is a result of all the work she puts into her events."

The 1,600 relay team of Kelley, junior Katie Finley, senior Christa Red Crow and Davey finished less than one second behind the winners, but in a frustrating fourth place Saturday in what was easily the most exciting event of the day, said Gunderson.

"Our anchor (Nicole Davey) got boxed in on the final corner," he said. "The three girls ahead of her spread out across the track coming down the straightaway and try as she might, she couldn't get inside them or between them. I feel we would have won the race if she could have found a gap to go through."

Gunderson said Davey's afternoon included one of the hardest doubles in track. She competed in the 400-meter dash, placed third, with a time of 1:00.60, and turned right around in the very next event to place third in the 300 hurdles, with a time of 47.88.

"She was in the middle of the pole vault and had easily cleared 9-6 prior to these races," he said. "When she came back to the vault, she didn't have the legs to compete the way she could have. She is very unselfish and always puts the team first."

The Pirates compete next Saturday at the Nelson/Thomas Athletic Booster Club Invitational in Polson.

Charlo

The Vikings' depth in the hurdles, distance and pole vault events helped them score well in the team standings at Thursday's Lake County Invitational.

"We had a really good week," said coach Bret Thompson. "Both the boys and girls are starting to show the depth that we have."

Senior Cody Nitschke and Sophomore Stephen Delaney went one-two in both hurdle events on Thursday and again on Saturday at the Seeley-Swan Invitational in Missoula. Nitschke's times, 15.17 and 41.22 in both events, were faster on Thursday, but that seemed to be the case across the board, due to the weather.

In Thursday's 100-meter dash, junior Chico Stipe (11.98) edged out Ronan's Jordan Franklin (11.99) and Polson's Joe Andrews (12.13) for the win. Stipe combined with his teammates for two more victories in the 400 (44.88) and 1,600-meter relays (3:34.59).

"We're the small school competing against (Class) A schools all year," Stipe said. "We like to go in as the underdogs."

Stipe and his teammates are focused on the relay and they certainly proved they have what it takes to win on Thursday, crossing just ahead of Polson in both events.

"It's the will to want to be competitive," Stipe said. "We've earned everything positive we get. No matter what place you come in, you've gotta give 110 percent the whole way. If I don't do that, I feel like I lost."

The competition is always stiff, but Stipe and company think they have a shot to win the state championships in both relay events, as long as they don't get over confident.

"The relays are the highlight of the day," he said. "You have three guys that you don't want to let down and it drives you."

On Saturday, the 400 relay won easily with a time of 45.26. They didn't quite perform up to their own expectations in the 1,600 relay, however, taking second with a time of 3:44.25, almost 10 seconds slower than Thursday's time.

The Lady Vikings won two events Saturday. Junior Shaelyn Fell, now ranked No. 1 in Class C, took top prize in the 100 hurdles (16.72). The 1,600 relay team crushed the competition with a time of 4:22.89.

Charlo's real strength shows in the pole vault event where they captured the No. 2, 5 and 6 spots against a tough field. Senior Jaris Kelley led the way with an impressive vault of 8-6, followed by senior Stephanie Maughan (8-0) and freshman Derika Stipe (7-6). Kelley is now tied for the top spot in Class C.

In the distance events, junior Brittany Shaver took third in the 1,600 with a time of 6:02.4. Shaver raced hard against Polson's Mesa Starkey on Thursday, crossing the line in the 1,600 with a time of 5:53.02. Her 800-meter time of 2:36.68 from Thursday would have won Saturday's meet by more than a second.

"Brittany had a good meet on Thursday," Thompson said. "The vaulters, boys and girls, are staying consistent and we're hoping to keep improving throughout the year."

Charlo returns to the track this week for the District 14-C meet in Polson.

Ronan-St. Ignatius

The Ronan-St. Ignatius track teams had successful showings at the Polson Invite Thursday.

Coach Noelle Decker said senior Gui Silva was relieved to finally break 45 seconds in the 300 hurdles. He crossed the line in 44.35, in third place.

"He has focused on this event all season, so I was happy for him," Decker said. "I am hoping he can sneak into the top five and make it to state in this event."

Junior Toby Cheff threw 145-9 in the javelin to place second.

"He has missed some meets due to late spring wrestling matches, but is finished up with them and can hopefully focus on finishing strong in track," Decker said.

Junior Adessa Durglo posted 5-1 in the high jump, good enough for first place and a St. Ignatius school record. She prevailed in the other jumping events as well, winning the long (15-31/2) and triple (33-51/2) jumps and snatching third in the 200 (28.4) to prevent a Polson sweep.

Sophomore Jenny Larsson's 100-05 was a personal best in the javelin that is just three feet shy of the St. Ignatius school record.

Junior LaGlen Mitchel throw 92-08 in javelin for a 10-foot improvement and sophomore Christina Williams ran a season best of 2:39 in the 800 to grab fourth place.

Since a number of athletes have been complaining of shin splints and other nagging injuries, the coaches decided to give them the weekend off with the hopes of getting everyone healthy for the home stretch.

The team will compete Saturday in the Nelson/Thomas Athletic Booster Club Invitational meet in Polson.

Arlee

The Arlee track team competed at the Lake County Invitational Thursday in Polson and Saturday at the Seeley-Swan Invitational in Missoula.

Senior Kyle Felsman competed in his first meet since his sophomore year Thursday, winning two events for the Warriors. Felsman cleared 5-10 in the high jump, beating out Ronan's Marcus Hungerford by two inches and his leap of 39-3 won the triple jump. He was third in the long jump and again third in the 200-meter dash, posting 19-5 1/2 and 24.6, respectively.

Saturday, he tied for first place in the high jump, clearing the 6-foot mark.

"He did right about what we expected him to do," said coach Russ Baker, who predicts Felsman will continue to improve by the end of the year.

Sophomore Sam Nelson reached 140-3 in the javelin on Thursday, placing third. On Saturday, his best was 138-9, good for sixth place.

Sophomore Zach Carver ran the 100 under 12 seconds on Saturday and his 200 saw a big drop to 23.8.

"Those were some of the fastest times this year, just out of the placing," Baker said.

Sophomore Becca Nelson brought home a second and two thirds for the Scarlets at the Lake County Invite on Thursday. She launched the javelin 107-feet, cleared 4-6 in the high jump and threw 91-5 in the discuss. Nelson's discus throw of 87-8 was good enough for third place on Saturday.

Sophomore Rachelle Meidinger broke 30 feet for the first time in the shot put reaching 30-2 1/2 and scoring third place.

"It was freezing cold on Saturday, which made for challenging conditions," Baker said.

Nice weather is in the forecast for the District 14-C meet in Polson on Thursday. The meet starts at 9 a.m., with running events at 9:30.