Track teams take 6th at A.R.M.

Hungry Horse News

At the Whitefish Invitational track meet Saturday, the Columbia Falls High School teams each notched steady sixth-place finishes.

With strong individual performances in the field events and the expected struggles in the short distance sprints, the teams were able to finish in the top half of the competition.

The girls had first-place finishers in two events, with senior Desiree Marjerrison winning the 1,600 in a time of 5:54.01.

Senior Bekah Stoltz, who placed first in the discus last year at state, continued her dominance by launching a 125-7 to win the event again. Senior Courtney Walsh came in sixth in the discus with a 91-2.

Freshman Emily Stoltz placed second in the pole vault, clearing 8-0. Stoltz also finished second in the high jump after covering 4-10. Freshman Colyne Hislop finished sixth in the high jump with a 4-6.

In two short-distance runs, junior Lyndee Thueson came in sixth in the 300 hurdles with a 49.89, and sophomore Danielle Vukonich finished fifth in the 400 with a 1:04.18.

The 1,600 relay squad came in fifth after running a 4:31.09.

Girls coach Wes Knutson said the performance was less than stellar and could be improved before divisionals. Part of the reason for the struggles, he noted, was the fact that several athletes were absent due to prom preparations.

"The girls, we were a bit inconsistent," he said. "We're still fine tuning things a bit."

"There are so many different distractions," he added. "It makes it tough on them."

Knutson said Stoltz had a great performance and he was pleased with her results.

"Emily Stoltz had a good meet," he said.

As for preparations for the rest of the season, Knutson said getting some of the key athletes healthy will be of prime importance.

"We've got to get healthy," he said. "We've got to get focused."

For the boys, the triple jump was the most successful event, with senior Kyle Rosenbaum leading the way with his second-place finish, notching a 42-10 3/4. Junior Kevin Boyer also placed, finishing third with his jump of 41-4 1/4.

In the boys 400, two Wildcats also placed in the top five. Senior Devin Schmit's 51:58 was good enough for third place, and senior Tommy McNulty's 53:33 helped him finish fifth.

Junior Bobby Opp, a pleasant surprise in his first year on the team, placed third in the long jump with an 18-1 3/4, and sophomore Kyle Jangula came in sixth with a 17-11 1/2.

Senior Jeremy Fauske landed third in the high jump after clearing 6-2, and Rosenbaum placed once more in the javelin by tossing a 162-9.

Sophomore Kallen Bodily turned in a strong run in the 1,600 after crossing the finish line at 4:56.54 and placing sixth.

Two more Wildcats placed in the discus, with senior Jace Ladenburg coming in fourth after tossing a 138-0 1/2, and junior Greg Macijunas throwing a 136-11.

The boys 1,600 and 400 relay teams also came in sixth and fifth respectively.

Boys coach Mark Beckwith said the prom was definitely a factor in the score of his team.

"It was tough to tell (about the performance)," he said. "With prom going on, we brought 42 kids and brought back five."

"They had to get their hair done," he joked.

The boys tallied 46 points, finishing well behind Thompson Falls, which compiled 116 points and won yet another meet.

The girls generated 41 points, not even half of the 102 earned by first-place Whitefish.

The next meet will be the Archie Roe on Saturday at 10 a.m.