M-ettes win 2016 State B Track Title

The Malta M-ettes have won the State B Title for the first time since the Malta's three peat years in the 98-00 seasons. They did so by scoring 71 points, twenty-one points more than Bigfork who came in second with 50. The 2016 State B Track Meet was held alongside the State A Meet at Van Winkle Stadium in Bozeman last Friday and Saturday.

Though nothing is set in stone after winning a divisional, the M-ettes knew that they would have a shot.

"At divisionals, when we found out how everything was set up we knew that we would have a chance to win a state championship but we were probably five to six points out on Big Fork," Malta M-ettes Coach Tad Schye told the PCN.

Working out the projections the coaches knew that they would be in an even better position to win after Friday's event, though the team was not even in the top three.

"On Friday when we scored 13 points, we scored three more points than we were projected to score," Coach Schye said. "On Saturday we thought we would score in the fifty through fifty-five point range and we scored 58, so not only did we do what we needed to do, but we overachieved."

The team was led by Sophia Stiles who scored a meet high of 44 points. Stiles had won three events at the meet, taking first place in the 300 meters with a time of 45.46 a new personal best, first in long jump after a leap of 17-6 and first in triple jump with a length of 36-2.

Stiles had retained her crown in triple jump an event that she has now won three times in a row. She also retained her crown in long jump an event that she has now won two years in a row.

She had a photo finish in the 300 hurdles as opponent Alexa Arthun of Manhattan took second with a time of 45.49, that was only .03 seconds slower than Stiles.

Stiles also placed second in the 100 hurdles with a time of 15.19. The event was won by Arthun, who had a time of 14.81. Stiles placed third in high jump after clearing 5-2 in high jump.

Kaitlyn Smith placed in both of her events, becoming a state champion in shot put with a throw of 37-8 ¼. She also placed second in javelin after leaving a mark at 136-10. She scored eighteen points.

"That's what you need to win a state track meet," Coach Schye said about both Stiles and Smith scoring in double digits.

Jada Nicholson placed fourth in high jump after clearing 5-0.

Marley Manoukian placed fifth in long jump with a leap of 15-7 ½, a new personal best and sixth in triple jump with a length of 34-1 1/14. Manoukian took thirteenth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 17.61, a new best.

Mystic Striker took sixth in the 800 with a time of 2.27. Striker also took eleventh in the 1600 with a time of 5:50.14 a new best and twelfth in the 3200 with a time of 12:57.17.

Mary Grace Kalal placed sixth in javelin with a throw of 110-5 and just missed placing in discus, taking seventh with a throw of 98-2.

The long relay team consisting of Hailey Nicholson, Stiles, Riley Mortenson and Striker took seventh with a time of 4:17.78.

H. Nicholson took thirteenth in high jump after clearing 4-8.

Ella Schye took thirteenth in discus with a throw of 90-01, a new best.

Kyleigh Schipman took thirteenth in javelin with a throw of 102-8.

Riley Mortenson had a time of 2:39.31 in the 800 to take fifteenth. The time was a new best for Mortenson, who also had a new best in the 1600 with a time of 5:55.80.

Adrianna Bibeau took seventeenth in discus after posting a throw of 83-2 and nineteenth in shot put after posting a throw of 28-6.

TaChante Cole took twenty-first in the 3200 with a time of 6:14.06

The short relay team consisting of Smith, Kalal, Janessa Malmend and J. Nicholson took sixteenth with a time of 54.76.

Coach Schye, who has led the M-ettes to four titles, gave credit to this season's assistant coaches.

Coach Amy Schye coached the distance runners and high jumpers.

"You can just see that we've gotten better in those events as the year went on," Coach T. Schye said. "That was key, especially with us getting third and fourth and getting ten points in the event."

Coach Travis Somerfeld coached the hurdlers and javelin throwers.

"He's been a great addition to the staff," Coach Schye said.

Kalli Reintjes coached shot put and discus.

"You can see in those events that we improved," Coach Schye said. "Kaitlyn improved in shot and our discus throwers also improved."

He also expressed thanks to Coach Glenn Flatt who although is technically retired, volunteered to coach.

"Glenn's been coaching for a long time," Coach Schye said. "I'm very fortunate to have the coaching staff that we do. I think that they're good people to have around the kids. Amy, Travis, Kalli and Glenn do a good job of motivating, so we're very fortunate to have those coaches."

At the 2016 Malta Athletic Banquet Coach Schye said that they would represent the town of Malta and Malta High School really well and he believes they have done that.