Track Roundup: Dozens of local athletes qualify for state
Ronan’s Payton Cates set a personal record with a mark of 6 feet, 7 inches to claim first place at the Western Divisional meet last weekend at Hamilton. Cates’ jump is 3 inches higher than any other class A athlete this season. He also qualified in the triple jump, an event he only recently took up.
Cates won’t be the only Chief competing in the high jump at Butte this weekend. Teammate Ted Coffman finished fifth at Hamilton with a jump of 5 feet, 10 inches.
Also for Ronan, Adriana Tatukivei qualified for both the 100 and 200 meters. She’ll also run for the 4X100 and 4X400 relay teams.
Leina Ulutoa finished third in the triple jump to qualify for state. She’ll also run for both relay teams.
Other Ronan state qualifiers are Olivia Heiner, 1600 and 400; Kylie Fetui, javelin; Connor Durglo, triple jump; and Ruben Couture, 300-meter hurdles.
The Ronan boys 4X400 relay team also qualified with a 10th-place finish.
Polson distance runner Ashtyn Wagner finished third in the 800 and sixth in the 1600 to qualify for state. She’ll also run for the 4X400 relay team. Teammate Halle Heninger qualified in both the 1600 and the 3200. Henninger set a personal-best time to finish third in the 3200.
Other Polson qualifiers are Taleah Hernandez, pole vault and 4X400 relay; Hannah Simpson, 400; and Drifter Skillicorn, long jump.
Polson’s 4X100 boys relay team of Lucas Targerson, Cassidy Hendricks, Jaren Keene and Tommy Williams also will compete at state, with Jesse Vail joining as an alternate.
Six Mission athletes punched their tickets to state at the class B/C Western divisional meet last weekend at Frenchtown.
Charles Adams claimed the divisional title in the 100 meters with a time of 11.66 seconds. He also finished third in the 200 and fifth in the long jump, and he’ll run for the boys 4X100 relay team this weekend at the state tournament in Great Falls.
Bryce Umphrey qualified in the triple jump with a third-place finish, and in the long jump. He’ll also run in the 4X100 relay.
Andrew Rush qualified in the 800, 1600 and 3200 with a pair of second-place finishes and a third.
Other Mission qualifiers are Canyon Sargent, shot put and 4X100; Zoran LaFrombois, 3200; and Kellen McClure, javelin and 4X100.
Arlee will send three athletes to Great Falls. Charlie Crawford was fifth in the javelin at Frenchtown with a throw of 146 feet, 9 inches. RJ Knoll finished fourth in the pole vault with a mark of 10 feet, 6 inches. And Shonlea Matt was fourth in the girls shot put with a personal-best throw of 29 feet, 7 inches.
A complete list of class C state qualifiers from Charlo was unavailable at press time.
Keaton Piedalue has the sixth best time in the boys 200 meters this season, but he is the only Charlo athlete listed as a qualifier at montanatrack.com. The deep lists at the site are short, however, meaning there’s room for other athletes to be added and Charlo should have several more in the state field.