Polson Track: Speed & Strength

by Brandon Hansen & Sports Editor
| April 19, 2012 8:00 AM

MISSOULA — Polson’s Riley Sampson unleashed a shot put throw of 51-1.5 last Saturday. It was impressive on many levels. Sampson’s personal record won the Missoula County Public Schools Invitational and earned him the ABC field event MVP award. It’s also the best shot put throw recorded by a Class A athlete so far this season.

“He has improved by eight feet since last year,” Polson head coach Mike Ellis said. “It’s impressive but I expected that from him after the hard work he did in the offseason.”

Sampson hit the weight room and attended many of the football summer camps which helped him increase his strength and post big gains in his shot put marks. Sampson wasn’t alone. The crowded MCPS track meet, which saw teams from all classes compete, was a good one for Polson. The girls finished second-highest among Class A schools in ninth while the boys were fourth-highest in 11th. In both instances, Ellis was happy with finishing ahead of Columbia Falls, a Northwestern A conference opponent with the most kids on their team and the best depth to score points.

“We kind of treat Columbia Falls like an AA school,” Ellis said “To outscore them this weekend made me happy because they’ll have three and four kids in an event while we have one or two. With the other AA schools at the meet, those big schools are great to compete against.”

GIRLS

Polson runners exceled for the Lady Pirates and scored 26 points in a meet full of Class AA schools. Anna DiGiallonardo continued to burn up the track with second-place finishes in the 100 (12.95) and 200-meter race (26.44). DiGiallonardo has the ninth-fastest 100-meter time in the state out of any class this year.

“Her times are really competitive,” Ellis said. “Her preliminary times in the 100-meter trials were faster than her time in the finals. In her 200 time, they had timed heats instead of a final and she let up on the final four steps a bit because she was so far ahead of everyone else.”

Ellis added that DiGiallonardo recorded a 62-second split time in the 400-meter relay which would put her in the top 10 in Class A for the 400-meter race.

“She might do that race when it comes to divisionals,” Ellis said. “We try not to kill her though, she’s our workhorse with the events she does.”

Distance runners also made their mark. Claudia Hewston placed sixth in the 800-meter and Aja Starkey took fifth in the 1,600-meter race (5:37.35).

“Aja ran on the track for the first time in two years and she’s one of the best runners in the state,” Ellis said. “She ran faster than we expected her to in her first race back, we had told her we wanted her to run a 5:40.”

BOYS

Along with Sampson’s throw, which former head coach Bob Gunderson estimates is the best shot put throw by a Polson athlete since the 1980s, the Pirates had two other placers at the meet and scored 23 points.

Basketball star Zack Camel showed his speed in the 400-meter race with a fifth-place finish (54.75). Fellow teammate and MSU Bobcat signee Vince DiGiallonardo notched a sixth-place finish in the long jump (20-3.5).

Clark Rubel, who suffered an ACL injury during football season, made a 45-foot throw from the standing position. While he’s been cleared to throw, he’s continuing the rehab and, along with Sampson, could be a force in the shot put event this year.

“He was the only one doing the standing throw,” Ellis said. “He was throwing 47 feet last year and we see him going over 50 once he starts with the spin or slide. Hopefully that strength comes back and that should place him and Riley both in the top three.”

FLATHEAD INVITATIONAL

KALISPELL — Polson got impressive performances from the Hewston sisters and and shot put thrower Riley Sampson at the Flathead Invitational on Tuesday. While it was a non-scoring team meet, the Pirates and Lady Pirates captured four first-place finishes and 22 placings overall. They’ll travel south to the Missoula County High School Invitational this Saturday.

GIRLS

Sophomore Claudia Hewston captured a pair of first-place finishes while her sister, Maddie, placed first in the 400-meter race (1:07.40).

Claudia was tops in the 800-meter race (2:33.97), the pole vault (8-06) and placed third in the 1,600-meter race (5:42). She improved across the board from her first meet in Columbia Falls in March. Hewston’s 1,600-meter time was three seconds faster, her 800 time was a four second improvement, and she increased her height in the pole vault by nearly four inches.

“They’re tough,” Ellis said of the Hewstons. “Those two are competitive and they’re the kind of kids that they’ll do any event we ask them to. At the Missoula County meet, Claudia was sick but she still begged us to let her do the relay. We didn’t let her because the key isn’t April, it’s May when we have divisionals and the state meet.”

Elizabeth Jore was stellar in the middle-distance races as well, placing third in the 400-meter (1:08.86) and sixth in the 800-meter (2:47.13). Anna DiGiallonardo continued to show her speed in the sprint races, placing fifth in the 100-meter (12.90) and sixth in the 200-meter race (28.32). Her 100-meter time was an improvement from her 13.06 race in Columbia Falls. In the 100-meter hurdles, Amelia Brooks took second (16.90) and the girls 400-meter relay team was third (53.43).

Along with Hewston, Annie Venters reached impressive heights, placing fifth in the pole vault (7-0). Jewel Zakermann looked good in the throws, placing fourth (31-4) and fifth in the discus (94-3).

BOYS

Riley Sampson qualified for state with a toss of 49-5 and placed first at the meet. Clark Rubel wasn’t far behind him in fourth place (45-4). Polson also had success in the 1,600-meter relay, placing second (3:43.26).

In the hurdles, Adam Schmidt got a pair of sixth-place finishes in the 110-meter hurdles (17.17) and the 300 hurdles (44.14). Ellis said that he likes what he sees from Schmidt, who is a transfer, and the girls’ Amelia Brooks. Their speed is good in the hurdle events, they’re just fine-tuning the strides and getting over the hurdles and should be competitors as the season continues.

Montana State football signee Vince DiGiallonardo placed fifth in the long jump (19-4.50).

In the 3,200-meter race, Andrew Perkins placed fifth (11:09.20). In the 800-meter race, Polson basketball standout Zack Camel took third (2:10.38) and Pirates running back Chris Cote powered his way to a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter race (54:07).

COMING UP

After competing at the Big Sky/Florence tri-meet on Tuesday (results not available by press time), Polson will gear up for the Sapphire Invitational in Corvallis. Running events start at 6 p.m. meaning it will be the one and only night meet of the season.

“That’s a fun meet,” Ellis said. “That’s a twilight meet and we’ll take our varsity team and they’ll get the chance to run under the lights.”

Ellis added that he’s been happy with the job his fellow coaches have been doing with the kids so far this season.

“I’ve been extremely happy with all our coaches and our volunteers,” Ellis said. “Rob Alfiero and Rob Kelley were carried over from Bob Gunderson’s coaching staff and they’ve done a great job.”

FLATHEAD CLASS A INVITATIONAL

GIRLS

100 – 5. Anna DiGiallonardo, Pol, 12.90;

200 – 6. Anna DiGiallonardo, Pol, 28.32;

400 – 1. Maddie Hewston, Pol, 1:07.40; 3. Elizabeth Jore, Pol, 1:08.86;

800 – 1. Claudia Hewston, Pol, 2:33.97; 6. Elizabeth Jore, Pol, 2:47.13;

1.600 – 3. Claudia Hewston, Pol, 5:42.52;

100 hurdles – 2. Amelia Brooks, Pol, 16.90;

400 relay – 3. Polson 53.43;

Pole vault – 1. Claudia Hewston, Pol, 8-06; 5. Annie Venters, Pol, 7-0;

Shot put – 4. Jewel Zakermann, Pol, 31-4;

Discus – 5. Jewel Zakermann, Pol, 94-3

BOYS

400 – 6. Chris Cote, Pol, 54.07;

800 – 3. Zack Camel, Pol, 2:10.38;

3.200 – 5. Andrew Perkins, Pol, 11:09.20;

110 hurdles – 6. Adam Schmidt, Pol, 17.17;

300 hurdles – 6. Adam Schmidt, Pol, 44.14;

1,600 Relay – 2. –Polson 3:43.26;

Long jump – 5. Vince DiGiallonardo; Pol, 19-4.50;

Shot put – 1. Riley Sampson, Pol, 49-5; 4. Clark Rubel, Pol, 45-4.

MCPS INVITATIONAL

GIRLS

Team results – Corvallis 108, Missoula Big Sky 101, Kalispell Flathead and Great Falls CMR 84, Missoula Hellgate 56, Missoula Sentinel 48, Belgrade 47, Kalispell Glacier 42, Polson 26, Charlo 19, Hamilton 17, Stevensville 14, Dillon 8, Columbia Falls 5, Darby 2, Butte Central 1.

100-meter dash – 2. Anna DiGiallonardo, POL, 12.95;

200 – 2. DiGiallonardo, POL, 26.44;

800 – 6. Claudia Hewston, POL, 2:30.55.

1,600 – 5. Aja Starkey, POL, 5:37.35

BOYS

Team results – Flathead 91, Big Sky 84.5, Corvallis 80, CMR 72, Sentinel 52, Hellgate 46, Glacier and Charlo 40, Dillon 35, Stevensville 33, Polson 23, Columbia Falls 16, Victor 14, Darby 13, Hamilton 12, Belgrade 10, Butte Central 1.

400 – 5. Zak Camel, POL, 54.75.

Long jump – 6. Vince DiGiallonardo, POL, 20-3.5.

Shot put – 1. Riley Sampson, POL, 51-1.50;

MVP awards – ABC field events, Sampson, POL