Smith, Lefdahl, Siewing place at State

The Malta M-ettes Track team had three athletes place in individual events in the 2021 State B Track and Field Meet in Laurel last weekend.

The two-day event started on Friday, May 28, and concluded on Saturday, May 29. The M-ettes were twelfth in team scoring with 16 points, led by senior Erica Smith who won the triple jump event with a season's best of 34-6.

"It feels awesome. I have been waiting for this, forever!" Smith told the PCN after she heard the final result. "My junior year got cancelled, so this was my main priority."

In her sophomore season, Smith placed second in the event, with her all-time best mark of 36-2.75, and in her freshman year, she was third with a best that season of 34-9.75.

"This year, I got first place and I am so happy!" Smith said.

In winning the event, Smith became the first M-ette to win the event since Sophia Stiles did in the 2017 State B meet. Smith was second in the event in 2019.

The triple jump was Smith's last individual event, and the frustrations of not being able to set bests in the long jump (15-10.25 with an eighth-place finish), 100 (13.63), and javelin (94-00) provided Smith with motivation.

"I used that built up aggression towards triple jump," Smith said. "I knew that I wanted to win this, so I went out there, not caring about the other stuff, ready to win this one."

On day one, Skylie Lefdahl placed fourth in discus with a throw of 108-2.

"It feels awesome to finally have all of that hard work pay off," Lefdahl said.

She also said that she and her teammates have seen good throwers, but it was good to see the competition at state, so they could see better throwers to force them to throw better.

"I figured out my footing," Lefdahl said when asked how she had improved her throwing late in the year.

Sophomore Tia Siewing placed fifth in shot put with a personal best of 35-10.75.

"I feel pretty good," Siewing said after the event. "I wanted to do better, but I am still happy."

Siewing said that her throw coach, Andy Schell, told his throwers to lay in bed all night and visualize the mark that they wanted to hit.

She was asked about the atmosphere at the State meet.

"The atmosphere here is great," Siewing said. "It is really fun meeting a lot of new people, new friends, and a lot of good competition that we don't get to see on the Hi-Line."

Allison Kunze was eighth in triple jump with a personal best of 32-10.25. Kunze was ninth in long jump with a leap of 15-7.5 and eighteenth in the 200 with a personal best of 27.82.

Giona Lamb was seventh in shot put with a personal best of 32-5.25.

Freshman Gracie Honey was tenth in the 800 with a personal best of 2:30.29.

Sophomore Madison Williamson was eleventh in the triple jump with a mark of 15-07.50.

"It's fun competing," Williamson said. "It's loud and fun. I am glad that this COVID stuff isn't interrupting anything. Things are feeling pretty normal so far."

She said that the venue (Laurel High School) was very nice to compete at.

Sophomore Lauren Tuss was twelfth in shot put with a throw of 31-01.75 and fifteenth in discus with a throw of 85-03.

The short relay team consisting of Addison Ulrich, Williamson, Allie Kunze, and Erica Smith took thirteenth with a time of 53.88. The long relay team consisting of Ulrich, Madison Warburton, Honey, and Kunze was fifteenth with a time of 4:29.73.

Sophomore Addy Anderson was nineteenth in both hurdle events, posting a personal best of 53.29 in the 300 hurdles and a time of 18.83 in the 100 hurdles.

Rylee Hines was twentieth in discus with a throw of 76-11.

The meet was won by Big Timber, who scored 67 points. Manhattan was second with 62 points, Huntley Project was third with 59, Colstrip was fourth with 36 points, Baker was fifth with 33 points, and Choteau was sixth with 32.