Tracking glory

Heading into the 2012 spring season, the Ronan-Mission track team will have lots of competition after moving down to Class B.

“Going to Class B does not make it easier. There are still some very good athletes no matter the size of the school,” Ronan-Mission head coach Crystal Pitts said. “One thing that is a shift in your mind is trying to learn who the athletes in the Class B schools are.”

Heading into the 2012 spring season, the Ronan-Mission track team will have lots of competition after moving down to Class B.

“Going to Class B does not make it easier. There are still some very good athletes no matter the size of the school,” Ronan-Mission head coach Crystal Pitts said. “One thing that is a shift in your mind is trying to learn who the athletes in the Class B schools are.”

Ronan-Mission is coming off a successful campaign in 2011 that saw the girls capture third place at the Northwestern A Divisionals and the boys place second.

Both teams placed ninth at the state meet.

A total of 35 boys and 29 girls have come out for the team, which are strong numbers, especially for Class B. The promising thing is that 16 of the boys and 12 of the girls are upperclassmen, meaning lots of experience will be lined up on the track.

“Our turnout was a little less than the last couple of years yet still very strong,” Pitts said. “We were young last season and those athletes are all back adding some seniority this year.”

One of the highlights last season was the Ronan- Mission “Fab Five” boys 4x100 relay setting a new school record and scorching tracks across Western Montana. This year, there will be new faces, but it’s looking like they could provide plenty of speed.

“The boys relay could do well,” Pitts said. “We lost two very good seniors in Eric Malmquist and Jordan Franklin, but we have picked up some boys that could really help us stay strong with Carston Baertsch, Jake Skelton and Edmond Dupuis.”

The Ronan-Mission boys sprinting corp should be a talented one. Marcus Hungerford returns to show that his nickname in football, The Jet, still rings true. Riley Dennis, who just signed to play soccer at Rocky Mountain College, will be able to showcase that college-level speed around the track. Pitts said that they will lead the way for young athletes like Brennan Andrews, Michael Knabe, Bryce Cullen and Barret Sargent.

There will be a bunch of girls ready for the sprints this season, trying to gain experience and continue to score points for the team.

“The girls sprint core will still be young with the sophomore class leading the way with Kianna Howell, Janay Wunderlich, Lindsay Barber, and Lindsey Rogers,” Pitts said. “Along with them is the addition of Sydnee Clairmont and Sierra Smith.”

In the hurdle events, Pitts has lots of experience coming back and some new kids to bolster depth.

“In the hurdles we have Stephanie Lewandowski a state qualifier in both hurdles,” Pitts said. “Also Shelby Grant, Connor Benn and Brandon Dumont are back and we picked up Sierra Smith and Cole Snyder.”

Benn, Grant, Chase Rhine and Jade Gray will return

at the pole vault.

“They are a year older,” Pitts said. “Most of them last season were in their first competitive season in the pole vault.”

With Ronan and Mission cross country teams tearing things up in the fall, Pitts is liking what she’s seeing in her team’s longer running events. Her roster includes a group of state placers in cross country from both schools and Mission’s Paden Alexander was a state qualifier last season in both the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter events.

“I believe some strength will be in the distance races as we added some of St. Ignatius cross country athletes to our distance core which is a very nice benefit,” Pitts said.

Rachel Hardy, Jade Gray and Courtney Clairmont will be joined by Rose Bear Don’t Walk, Ashley Courville, Courtney Heath and Nicki Jo Mays for the girls. For the boys, Danny Romero, Nate Rogers and Paden Alexander will lead the way.

The jumpers, headlined by Jalen Bell who placed second at state in the triple jump last year, should have depth to go along with talent. Among the returners is Jenny Larsson, who placed sixth in the high jump. The talented Lewandowski will also be in the high jump event while Kaylie Durglo will compete in the long and triple jumps.

The boys will match up in a good Western B conference that saw Deer Lodge, Florence and Thompson Falls finish in the top 10 at state. Deer Lodge led the way with a third-place finish.

Loyola finished just out of the top 10 at 11th, while Florence was fourth and T-Falls was eighth. For the girls, the Western B conference had a multitude of top 10 finishers as well. Bigfork finished fourth, T-falls was fifth and Loyola was seventh. Florence rounded things out with a 10th-place finish.

“Anything is possible and I do believe we have good potential and some athletes who will surprise people as the season goes along,” Pitts said. “Keys to our success are staying healthy, getting in shape and improving as we go. Our goal is to be ready in May when it counts.”