Lady Pirates, Pirates track team get ready for Gene Hughes

Polson Lady Pirates track athlete Bea Frissell, who has become synonymous with Lady Pirates running success whether it be in cross country or track, is hard pressed to not find her in the conversation of the top-5 in any event she has competed in.

Last year, Frissell finished a historical year for Lady Pirates’ track excelling in the distance event and she fell just short of capturing the Class A distance title to Pipi Eitel, who is now continuing her running career at Northern Arizona.

Frissell, who was one of the best distance events runner in the state, was able to challenge Eitel in the 3200 but still finished 29 seconds behind her en route to a second-place finish. Eitel ran a time of 10 minutes, 56.69 seconds and Frissell was the closest one to her with a time of 11 minutes, 25.23 seconds.

Frissell finished third in the 1600-meter race with a time of 5 minutes, 10.84 seconds. Frissell finished behind Heidi Nisly of Corvallis, who clocked in at second with a time of 5 minutes, 10.62 seconds. Eitel finished first with a time of 4 minutes, 57.07 seconds.

This year, with Eitel gone Frissell’s name will be in the conversation to add more accolades to her trophy case as the Pirates and Lady Pirates track and field season gets ready to start at the Gene Hughes Invitational Saturday at 9 a.m. at Corvallis High School.

Frissell has plenty of accolades and the defending Class A cross country champ will sure to add more as the track season gets underway.

Frissell was a member of the 4X400 relay team that finished 12th, recording a time of 4 minutes, 25.64 seconds. The relay team consisted of Shaeley Brown, Gwen Reese, Shayla Olson, and Frissell.

Other runners that were members of Matt Seeley’s state-placing cross country team will look to translate last year’s success into more accolades this year.

Naima Crowl finished 19th in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 43.49 seconds. Crowl also finished 15th in the 3200-meter run with a time of 12 minutes, 55.83 seconds.

Lady Pirates’ Mikaela Ducharme finished 9th in the triple jump recording a leap of 32 feet, 10 inches.

Gwen Seeley finished 18th in the 3200 recording a time of 13 minutes, 39.84 seconds.

The young Pirates look to make an impact

Polson Pirates boy’s track and field lost two of its biggest impact participants in Matthew Rensvold and Tanner Wilson.

Both Wilson and Rensvold went on to play with the University of Montana football team’s and the loss can’t be measured for this young Pirates’ team.

However, there should be several Pirates that will look to have an immediate impact headed into this track season.

Two of them will be Quin Stewart and Conner Lanier.

The Pirates’ Connor Lanier finished in the top 10 in three individual events he qualified for. Lanier finished 7th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.63 seconds, 9th in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 42.18 seconds, and fourth in the triple jump, recording a distance of 42 feet, 7.25 inches, a new PR for Lanier.

Pirates’ runner Quin Stewart finished 14th in the 800-meter relay with time of 2 minutes, 4.95 seconds. Stewart also placed 19th with a time of 4 minutes, 49 seconds.

Another impact runner will be Kyle Druyvestien.

Druyvestien was a key piece to a team that finished second in the 4X100 meter relay. That team consisted of Danny DiGiallonardo, Rensvold, Kyle Druyvestein, and Tanner Wilson, who finished second with a time of 43.61 seconds.

The team that finished 10th in the 4X400 consisted of Connor Lanier, Quin Stewart, Tanner Wilson and Dugan Davis, who finished with a time of 3 minutes, 34.12 seconds.