Area athletes shine at David Tripp Meet in Polson

Track and field athletes from smaller Lake County schools took several trips to the podium at the annual David Tripp Invitational, hosted at the Polson Sports Complex. With more than a dozen schools in attendance from across Western Montana, competitors from Charlo, Arlee, Mission and Two Eagle battled at the busy meet.

Superior took top honors in the girls’ team standings with 73 points, narrowly edging Valley Christian (66) and Lincoln (56.5). Charlo led the way for local teams, finishing seventh with 37 points.

Charlo’s girls relay teams impressed with a third-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay, clocking 57.08 seconds behind the efforts of Olivia Carnell, Avery Coleman, Abbigail Wagner and Madison Harris. In the 4x400, the team of Carnell, Leah Cahoon, Coleman and Eva Cote claimed third again with a time of 5:20.53.

In the field events, Coleman launched a 30-foot, 2-inch shot put throw to earn second place, while Carnell wasn’t far behind in fourth with a mark of 28-01. Carnell also placed 11th in the discus (80-09) and tied for third in the pole vault, clearing 6-06.

Cahoon placed fourth in the high jump at 4-06 and added a fifth-place finish in pole vault at 6-00. Jubilee Cole cleared 4-04 for fifth in the high jump, and Jaylynn Buxbaum added a sixth-place finish in the triple jump (27-10) and seventh in the long jump (14-03), rounding out Charlo’s scoring.

Arlee's girls found success in the hurdles and vertical jumps. Gracie Haynes placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (19.04) and 13th in the 200 (30.64), while Karma Tibbetts added a third-place finish in the triple jump (28-06.50) and tied for third in the pole vault (6-06).

Two Eagle River’s Layla Tenas delivered a standout performance in the javelin, finishing fourth with a personal-best mark of 93-07. Teammate Christine Tenas also placed in the 200 and long jump, while Arorah Madplume and Emma SpottedEagle notched top-10 finishes in the 400 and 800.

Mission’s Brooklyn Leishman posted strong middle-distance marks, taking fifth in the 800 (3:00.62) and sixth in the 1600 (7:13.91). Esther Gambrell highlighted the Mission girls' efforts with a fourth-place finish in the 300 hurdles (1:09.34), and the 4x100 team placed fifth (1:04.71).

Hot Springs claimed the boys' team title with 86 points, while Drummond and Valley Christian rounded out the top three. Arlee (51) and St. Ignatius (48.5) finished strong in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Charlo placed ninth with 17 points.

Mission standout Harlon Leishman dominated the distance races, winning both the 800 (2:11.03) and 1600 (4:48.49) with personal-best times. Arlee’s Trevor Van Maanen also impressed with third-place finishes in both the 800 and 1600, contributing valuable points to the Warriors' team score.

Arlee’s sprinters and throwers also made their mark. The 4x400 squad of Keelan DuPuis, River Gray, Marshall Hinther, and Van Maanen posted a second-place finish with a time of 4:07.78. In the shot put, Eli O’Neill placed third with a mark of 41-07, while Ryan Sharbono of Mission took fifth.

Sharbono returned in the discus to take third with a 126-04 toss, and O’Neill followed in fourth with a 122-02 mark. In the javelin, Bridger Smith (131-03) and O’Neill (130-02) finished third and fourth respectively, showcasing Arlee's strength in the throws.

Arlee’s DuPuis also placed third in the high jump (5-06) and fourth in the triple jump (35-10.50), while teammate Dustone Cyrus placed sixth in the 110 hurdles.

Charlo’s boys had a pair of top-five relay finishes, taking third in the 4x400 (4:07.89) and 11th in the 4x100. Tasker Brown led Charlo's individual efforts, finishing second in the triple jump (36-07), while Karson Cox cleared 11-00 for fourth in the pole vault.

Mission’s Iyezk Umphrey claimed the triple jump title with a leap of 39-03 and finished second in the long jump (18-05). Lex LaFrombois added sixth in the long jump (17-05), and Mission’s 4x100 relay team clocked 48.28 for fifth.

    Mission’s Iyezk Umphrey finished second in the long jump and claimed the triple jump title with a leap of 39-03. (Christa Umphrey photo)
  

    Two Eagle Sophomore Keke Tenas glides through the air during the triple jump at last Saturday's meet in Polson. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
  

    Charlo freshman Dalton Carey runs smoothly at last Saturday's meet in Polson. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
  

    Mission's Cage Salmelin seems unphased by the wind during the 400 meter in Polson last Saturday. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
  

    Arlee's Saiawana Haynes flies through the air in the triple jump at last Saturday's meet in Polson. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)