Polson Track: Fast and Furious

by Brandon Hansen & Sports Editor
| May 3, 2012 10:00 AM

MISSOULA — Against the best athletes that Western Montana had to offer, Anna DiGiallonardo turned on the afterburners and excelled in the sprint races at the 14th Annual Russ Pilcher/Western Montana Top Ten Meet last Tuesday.

DiGiallonardo placed second in the 100-meter dash (12.66) and third in the 200-meter dash (26.18). It was DiGiallonardo’s best 100-meter time by two hundredths of a second. She was also close to her best time in the 200-meter race, just three hundredths of a second off her top mark.

Polson thrower Riley Sampson was the only Northwestern Montana placer in the field events. He took second, notching a 50-11 mark in the shot put.

At the crowded field of the A.R.M. Invitational in Whitefish last Saturday, Polson’s entire track team found ways to shine with the girls taking third place in team scoring and the boys getting two first-place finishes.

DiGiallonardo got the best of Whitefish’s Amanda Foley, who had beaten her at the Top Ten meet with a record setting speed. DiGiallonardo took first in the 100-meter dash (12.94) and showed her versatility by placing fourth in the 400-meter dash (1:05.14) and third in the high jump (4-09).

Claudia Hewston also placed in multiple events for the Lady Pirates. She was third in the 800-meter dash (2:32.84), fourth in the 1,600-meter run (5:41.74) and sixth in the pole vault (7-06). The Polson girls had several other placers at the meet.

Around the track, Alisha Jore was sixth in the 400-meter dash (1:06.24) and Amy Brooks was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (17.64). Near the pit, Katharina Medland was fifth in the pole vault (8-00) while in the throws, Shelbi Mallon was fifth in the shot put (31-9.5) and Jewel Zakit Ackerman was fourth in the discus (106-06).

The Lady Pirates took second in both the 400-meter relay (52.44) and 1,600-meter relay (4:25.84).

For the boys, Vince DiGiallonardo and Clark Rubel led the way. DiGiallonardo placed first in the long jump (19-07) while Rubel, who is rehabbing from an ACL injury in football, took first in the shot put (48-4.70).

In the sprint races, Polson got speed from it’s two running backs from the football team. Paul McClurg placed sixth in the 100-meter dash (11.74) while Chris Cote took fourth in the 400-meter dash (54.54). Adam Schmidt placed sixth in the 300-meter hurdles (44.14).

Joey Mullen placed sixth in the javelin (150-03), and both Polson relay teams took fourth (45.64 and 3:43.14). After hosting the Lake County Meet on Tuesday, the Polson track team will travel to Kalispell for the Archie Roe Invitational on Saturday.

A.R.M. Invitational in Whitefish

BOYS

Team scores — Glacier 104, Flathead 87, Thompson Falls 67, Columbia

Falls 49, Bigfork 45, Polson 35, Whitefish 34, Havre 32, Libby 20,

Troy 14, Shelby 12, Cut Bank 11, Plains 8, Browning 5, Eureka 4.

100 — 6, Paul McClurg, Pol, 11.74. 400 — 4, Chris Cote, Pol, 54.54.

300 Hurdles — 6, Schmidt, Adam, Pol, J44.14. 400 Relay — 4,

Polson ‘A’, J45.64. 1,600 Relay — 4, Polson ‘A’, 3:43.14

Long Jump —1, Vince DiGiallonardo, Pol, 19-07. Shot Put —1, Clark

Rubel, Pol, 48-04.50. Javelin — 6, Joey Mullen, Pol, 150-03.

GIRLS

Team Scores — Glacier 90, Whitefish 75, Polson 58, Havre 56, Cut

Bank 52, Flathead 49, Bigfork 36, Plains 34, Columbia Falls 30, Libby

21, Eureka 10, Thompson Falls 9, Troy 4, Shelby 2.

100 — 1, Anna DiGiallonardo, Pol, 12.94. 2, Amanda Foley, WF,

12.94. 400 — 4, Anna DiGiallonardo, Pol, 1:05.14. 6, Alisha Jore,

Pol, 1:06.24. 800 — 3, Claudia Hewston, Pol, 2:32.84. 1,600 — 4,

Claudia Hewston, Pol, 5:41.74. 100 Hurdles — 4, Amy Brooks, Pol,

17.64. 400 Relay —1, Whitefish ‘A’ (Phoebe Guercio, Mirjka Derivier,

Amanda Foley, Marlow Schulz), 51.74. 2, Polson ‘A’, 52.44.

1,600 Relay — 2, Polson ‘A’, 4:25.84. High Jump — 3, Anna DiGiallonardo,

Pol, 4-09. Pole Vault — 5, Katharina Medland, Pol, J8-00.

6, Claudia Hewston, Pol, 7-06. Shot Put — 5, Shelbi Mallon, Pol,

31-09.50. Discus — 4, Jewel Zakit-Ackerman, Pol, 106-06.