Lake County athletes shine at Frenchtown Invite
The Polson and Ronan track and field teams made a strong statement at the highly competitive Frenchtown Invitational on Saturday, March 29, racking up top finishes, personal records, and championship-worthy performances.
Leading the charge for Polson was senior thrower Astin Brown, who turned in a dominant performance in the field events. Brown captured first place in both the shotput and discus, setting the tone early for the Pirates. He launched a 58-foot, 9-inch throw in the shotput, outdistancing the competition by a wide margin. In the discus, he flung a 159-foot toss to secure another first-place finish.
Brown’s double win was one of several standout showings from Lake County athletes, with both the Polson and Ronan teams showcasing their depth and emerging talent.
On the track, David DiGiallonardo showed why he's one of the top distance runners in western Montana. The Polson junior placed second in the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:40.61, then followed it up with a strong third-place finish in the 800 meters, clocking in at 2:05.65.
Distance dominance from Polson’s Girls
The girls’ distance races were equally impressive for Polson. Morgan Delaney and Kimora Scott led the charge, combining for three podium finishes in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200-meter races.
Delaney raced to victory in the 1,600 meters, posting a time of 5:21.85, and finished second in the 800 meters at 2:29.34.
Scott took third in the 1,600 with a personal-best 5:34.59, then delivered another PR in the 3,200 meters, crossing the line in 12:06.53 to take first place. The pair continues to provide a powerful one-two punch for Polson’s distance squad.
Polson’s Kellyn Nelson added to the team’s tally with a third-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles at 51.36 and also contributed in the relays and jumps. She was part of the Pirates’ fourth-place 4x400-meter relay (4:29.90) and the fifth-place 4x100 relay (53.99). Nelson also took 10th in the long jump with a leap of 15-2.5.
Sprinter Amelia Stene continued her strong season with a fifth-place finish in the 100 meters (13.00) and was a key leg in both relays.
Ronan’s Durglo takes second in triple jump
Ronan’s top finish came from junior Connor Durglo, who soared to a personal record of 43 feet, 3.5 inches in the triple jump, earning him second place overall. Durglo also cracked the top 10 in the 100-meter dash, placing 10th with a time of 11.79.
On the distance side, Ronan’s Devon Big Medicine placed sixth in the 3,200 meters with a time of 11:14.82.
In the throws, junior Masyn Wayman had a productive day, finishing sixth in the shotput (42-2) and seventh in the discus (127-0.5), showing promise in both events.
Relays and team depth
Polson’s relay teams showed competitive depth, particularly in the boys’ 4x100-meter relay, where the team of Wyatt Bartel, Mac Campbell, Luke Horner and Jesse Vail clocked a 46.59 to take fourth. The Pirates’ 4x400 boys team of Nick Ramsey, Hayden Ricks, Afton Hatch and Wyatt Boogerd placed sixth at 3:51.33.
The Polson girls 4x400 relay took fourth, while Ronan’s girls 4x400 placed seventh.
Polson’s Luke Horner grabbed eighth in the 200 meters (24.74), and teammate Wyatt Bartel placed 10th in the long jump with a mark of 19-0. Jack Sherry took 10th in the shotput for Polson, throwing 39-11.
For Ronan, Oliver Rowe placed ninth in the high jump (5-4), and Destiny Finley earned 10th in the girls triple jump (30-6). Maddy Illig cleared 4-6 to take eighth in the high jump, representing the Ronan girls.