Class C Track: Saco Girls Second at 3C

The Dodson, Saco, and Whitewater Track teams competed in the District 3C meet in Wolf Point last Saturday, May 11.

The teams will also be represented in the Eastern C divisional this Thursday, May 16, in Wolf Point.

The Saco Lady Panthers placed the highest amongst the Phillips County teams by taking second in the Womens' Meet with 118 points. Scobey won the meet with 140.5 points. The Whitewater Lady Penguins were third with 83 points. Hinsdale was fourth with 83 points. Dodson was eighth with seven points.

The Saco Panther men took fifth place in the Mens' Meet with 52 points. Dodson was seventh with 27 points. Whitewater was ninth with six points.

The top eight in each event qualified for divisionals. Only the top six in each event at divisionals will head to the State C Meet, unless the athlete has pre-qualified.

Dodson

The Dodson Coyotes were led by sophomore Donovan Posey who was second in the 1600 with a personal best of 4:58.71. Posey was also fourth in the 800 with a personal best of 2:17.40.

The long relay consisting of Mason LoneBear, Lance KillEagle, Forest Bessman, and Posey was third with a time of 4:17.16.

The short relay team consisting of LoneBear, Best, Junior Stiffarm, and Posey were fourth with a time of 50.29.

LoneBear, a junior, was seventh in javelin with a throw of 117-4.

KillEagle, a sophomore, was sixth in the 3200 with a time of 12:36.54. He was seventh in the 1600 with a personal best of 5:31.95.

He said that his pace went well for him during his 3200 meter run. But he had a big regret that morning.

"I just have to make sure that I don't eat so much before a race and get a side ache," KillEagle said. "It slowed me down a lot."

KillEagle was asked what it meant to him to qualify for the Eastern C Divisional.

"It means that I have another challenge to face and one that I need to work harder for if I want to make it to state."

Best, a senior, was fifth in long jump after a leap of 17-2. He was seventh in the 300 hurdles with a personal best of 50.22.

Stiffarm was sixth in long jump after leaving a mark at 16-11.5 and sixth in triple jump with a mark at 36-10.

The Lady Coyotes were led by their long relay consisting of Bentlie Ereaux, Kashton Siers, Precious Stiffarm, and Baylee Johnson, The team took fourth place in the race with a time of 5:39.79.

The short relay consisting of Ereaux, Siers, Stiffarm, and Johnson took sixth with a time of 1:02.56.

Amara Cochran, a junior, took sixth in shot put with a throw of 28-10.

Precious Stiffarm was sixth in discus with a personal best of 76-08.

Saco

The Lady Panthers qualified in each of the events that they participated in.

Senior Josie Brown won each of the races that she ran. She had a season's best of 12.75 in the 100 meter dash. She had a personal best of 26.17 in the 200, a best of 59.21 in the 400, a time of 16.05 in the 100 hurdles. No time was available for the 300 hurdles.

Brown was asked about her run during the 100 meter dash.

"It felt good running it," she said. "Its a good day with good weather, you're in the right mindset, you have the crowd cheering and people supporting you. It was a good race in those terms."

Senior Teagan Erickson won the long jump and triple jump event with marks left at 15-8.5 and 34-1 respectively. Erickson was second in shot put with a throw of 34-10.5, second in javelin with a throw of 117-1, and second in high jump by clearing 5-0.

Erickson and Brown have already qualified for state in several events. Erickson was asked how that is beneficial.

"It's a weight lifted off of your shoulders," Erickson said. "There is less pressure on yourself, just to know that even if you don't throw your best, you can breathe a little."

Freshman Emerson Downing won her first district title, winning pole vault by clearing a new best of 9-0. Clearing the height also pre-qualified Downing for state.

Downing was asked how she felt being a district champion.

"It feels better to make a PR (personal record) than be a district champion," Downing said. "I have been stuck on 8-6 for a really long time, so it feels really good to get a PR and qualify in the same meet. I had been stuck on it since last year, so it feels really good to break through."

She was asked how it felt to have success in the pole vault event, which seems to run in the family.

"I feel like I have been living in Blaine's shadow for a while because he got second at state as a freshman, but I think I have learned to just work on personal goals instead of what place I get. It has really helped me have more fun with the event and with track itself."

Downing was fourth in triple jump with a mark at 30-11.75, fourth in the 300 hurdles (no times were recorded for the event), fifth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.28, and fifth in javelin with a throw of 97-5.

Sophomore Ireland Mears was fifth in the 400 with a season's best of 1:08.88. Mears was eighth in the 100 with a season's best of 14.47 and eighth in the 200 with a time of 30.85. She was eighth in the 800 hurdles.

Mears was asked about her run in the 100 meter dash.

"I had a good start," she said. "I felt really good coming out of the blocks. I started off pretty good but the 100 is not my best race, so I just kind of gradually ran. It was alright though."

Mears was asked how she would approach things at divisionals.

"Keep a good mindset and not tear myself down a bunch," Mears said.

The Panthers were led by junior Blaine Downing who won pole vault by clearing 14-0. Downing was second in the 100 with a time of 11.26, second in the 400 with a time of 51.60, and third in high jump by clearing 5-10.

Freshman Laytin Erickson was third in pole vault by clearing 10-0, fifth in high jump after clearing 5-6, and fifth in the 110 and 300 hurdle events with times of 19.47 and 48.90 respectively. Both times were personal bests for Erickson.

"It feels good to be a freshman and go to divisionals," Erickson said.

He said that he is excited that he will get to compete against better athletes at the divisional meet and will push himself harder.

He was asked what it would take for him to clear 5-8 in high jump.

"Practice," Erickson said.

Jake Brown qualified in javelin after placing fifth with a personal best of 125-6. He was also seventh in the 400 with a personal best of 57.91.

Whitewater

The Lady Penguins were led by junior Shelbi LaBrie who won the 1600 with a season's best of 5:15.74. She was also second in the 800 with a personal best of 2:18.99. She was a healthy scratch in the 3200, having already qualified for the event at state.

Senior Paige Wasson took first place in javelin with a personal best of 131-9. Wasson was third in the 400 with a time of 1:04.26.

Wasson was asked about her throw in javelin.

"It felt like all of my other times but when I saw it flying through the air, it just looked good," Wasson said. "My block, which is the last foot plant, felt weird. Then, when I looked up and it was flying, it looked pretty good."

She was asked what her approach would be for her running events at the district meet.

"In the 400, I am going to try to stick with the faster runners and push myself, even though I hate the race," Wasson said.

Senior Kendall Scheffelmear was second in triple jump with a mark left at 32-8, third in the 300 hurdles, and fourth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 17.99.

Scheffelmear was asked how she felt her performance in triple jump went. She was also asked what would be the key to improve her mark next week.

"I know that I can do better but it is the best that I have been doing this year," Scheffelmear said. "Resting my legs properly before and really stretching my step out. My hop is alright but my step is a little rough."

The long relay team consisting of Scheffelmear, Kennedy Simonson, LaBrie, and Wasson was second with a time of 4:22.75.

Simonson, a sophomore, was third in javelin with a throw of 113-0 and fifth in triple jump with a length of 30-3.5.

Simonson wasn't too thrilled about her performance in triple jump, so she was asked how she could improve.

"By not scratching my jumps!" she said emphatically, noting that she scratched on three of six attempts.

She was asked what went right for her in triple jump.

"When I did get my three jumps, they were far and they felt good," Simonson said. "It worked out well for me in the end, though I didn't do my best. When I did get jumps, they were solid jumps."

Eighth-grader Gracie Wasson was third in pole vault with a personal best of 8-6 and eighth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.72.

Senior Ava Hanley was fifth in the 200 with a season's best of 30.17, sixth in the 100 with a season's best of 14.40, and seventh in the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.70.

For the Penguins, junior Korbyn Skubinna was fourth in pole vault by clearing 9-0.

Sophomore Tyler Scheffelmear was fifth in shot put with a personal best of 38-6.25 and eighth in javelin with a throw of 111-5.