View All     Add a Meet (requires login)

Meet: Billings Invitational

Date: 2011-04-16
BILLINGS - It's definitely a rarity in Montana this time of year, but the weather must have cooperated across the state last weekend...at least enough for athletes to run in ten different track meets on Saturday. From Glasgow (Porcupine Invitational) to Bigfork (Bigfork Invitational), athletes were able to take to the track on Saturday.

In Billings, the sun was shining for the Billings Invite, which featured 15 different teams (Huntley Project only brought its girls and Miles City only brought its boys). And some of the times reflected the nice weather. In his notes from the Billings Invite, Mike Zimmer pointed out some of the notable marks:

- The Billings West girls 4 x 100-meter relay team set a new meet record. The Bears and Billings Senior Broncs broke the old meet record of 50.30. West's 49.76 time is the top mark in the state.

- Senior's Danielle Aragon bested her own Billings Invite record in the 1,600-meter run. Aragon posted a 5:06.29, the fastest time in the state this year.

One of the more impressive performances (surprising, in my eyes) from the Billings Invite, though, came from Senior's Morgan Sulser. Sulser won the 100-meter hurdles by edging out West hurdlers Tori Weyand and Danielle Muri and took second in the 300-meter hurdles behind defending state champion Sawyer Ferguson from Billings Skyview. Sulser's 15.51 mark in the 100 hurdles is the top AA time in the state and would've been good enough for second at last year's state meet (Weyand took gold in 2010, running a 15.19). (Note: Sulser's win was so surprising that I missed her crossing the finish line in the video. You can watch the video by clicking the above link.)

Speaking of top times in the girls' hurdles, Corvallis posted the top Montana team score at the Missoula Invite thanks in no small part to its hurdle duo of Paige Squire and Lakyn Connors. Squire set the Missoula County Stadium record in the 300-meter hurdles, running a 44.20, more than a full second better than the previous mark set by Polson's Kasey Harwood. Her 44.20 is the fastest time in the state, and, on Saturday, she also set the state's top time in the 100-meter hurdles with a 14.45. It might be time to go on "state record watch," as the all-class record in the 100 hurdles is 14.33. Connors finished third in the 100 hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles.

Fort Benton's Riley Shaw had quite a day at the Havre Invitational. Shaw won the 200-meter dash (23.75), 400-meter dash (51.91), 300-meter hurdles (42.3), and long jump (20-2.5), scoring 40 points for the Longhorns. The Fort Benton boys team took third at the meet, finishing behind Malta and Havre.

Bozeman's Justin Pearson won the boys' shot put at the Billings Invite with a throw of 52-8.50, good enough for the fifth best mark in the state this year. To put that in perspective a little:

* Pearson's 52-8.50 throw would have won the State AA meet in 2010.
* It would have also won the Class A and C state meets.
* It would have taken third at the State B meet.

Pearson is one of seven throwers to post a best shot put mark of 50 feet or farther. Nick Jackson (West, 53-11), Connor Thomas (Kalispell Flathead, 53-11), Zach Sharp (West, 53-01), and Jesse Ginn (Missoula Hellgate, 50-10) join Pearson as AA throwers over 50 feet. Monte Folsom (Dillon, 50-10.5) has the top Class A mark, and Brandon Forson (57-02, Deer Lodge) has the top throw in the state. (Note: I found statewide results at montanatrack.com and last year's state meet results at mhsa.org.)

Forson won gold in the shot put at last year's State B meet with a throw of 55-3 and appears to be well on his way again. He also easily took first in the discus, throwing 177-3. At the Jim Johnson Invitational on Wednesday, Forson recorded the state's top discus mark in 2011 with a throw of 195-3.5, which is nearly two feet better than Dan Tabish's all-class state record throw of 193-7 back in 1982. (Billings Gazette, April 19, 2011)

BOYS

Team scores -- Billings West 162, Bozeman 84, Billings Senior 71, Billings Skyview 67, Great Falls 49, Billings Central 28, Sheridan (Wyo.) 22, Glendive 13, Lewistown 8, Joliet 8, Laurel 6, Colstrip 5, Miles City 2.5, Hardin 1.5.

100 -- Jake Olson, GF, 11.29; Ben Ray, West, 11.40; Tayler Martinson, BC, 11.44; Drake Schafer, Skyview, 11.71; Kyle Sibary, Boz, 11.78; Layne Johnson, MC, 12.15.

200 -- Alex Wambuch, West, 22.93; Josh Conner, Skyview, 23.20; Tayler Martinson, Central, 23.45; Dakotah Kingfisher, GF, 23.70; Ryan Burke, Central, 23.80; Tyson Wells, West, 24.27.

400 -- John Daubert, Senior, 50.36; Kevin Close, Boz, 51.05; Andrew Monaco, Sen, 51.36; Jacob Kilhaug, West, 52.12; Dakotah Kingfisher, GF, 52.52; Alex Klatt, Senior, 53.03.

800 -- Alex Klatt, Senior, 2:00.54; Ben Vaughan, GF, 2:00.96; Shawn Peden, West, 2:01.11; Thomas Neale, Skyview, 2:03.94; Mikey Wall, BC, 2:04.93; Mark Hovland, West, 2:05.18.

1,600 -- Ben Vaughan, GF, 4:31.25; Robert Petersen, Skyivew, 4:33.30; Michael Rotellini, She, 4:34.44; Will Strauss, GF, 4:37.79; Preston Frank, Boz, 4:38.97; Kyle Dietsche, She, 4:40.11.

3,200 -- Dylan Morin, She, 9:36.05; Robert Petersen, Skyview, 10:13.95; Preston Franck, Boz, 10:15.89; Colter May, boz, 10:16.31; Nathan Guillian, Boz, 10:17.12; Luke Stevenson, Jol, 10:20.46.

110 hurdles -- Heath Hunter, Boz, 14.87; Pow Williamson, West, 14.90; Landon Polkow, Skyview, 15.59; Ben Sulser, Senior, 15.85; Evan Albertson, Boz, 15.89; Kyle Roberts, She, 16.15.

300 hurdles -- Landon Polkow, Skyview, 38.91; Pow Williamson, West, 40.50; Bo Descheemaeker, Lew, 41.92; Ben Sulser, Senior, 42.58; Tayor Beld, Skyview, 42.77; James Stanton, Central, 42.92.

4x100 relay -- West A 43.42, Senior A 43.72, Bozeman A 44.07, Central A 44.73, Great Falls A 44.79, Skyview A 45.05.

4x400 relay -- Skyview A 3:29.84, Senior A 3:32.01; West A 3:35.45; Bozeman A 3:35.84; Great Falls A 3:37.84; Central A 3:40.35.

High jump -- Lee Hardt, West, 6-9 (tied old record set by Hardt in 2010); Tanner Sharbono, West, 6-3; Scotty Owens, Senior, 6-1; Eric Rydquist, West, 6-1; Aaron Campbell, Sheridan, 6-1; Zach Robinson, Senior, 5-11.

Long jump -- Scotty Owens, Senior, 22-8 1/2; Austin Sprenger, Boz, 21-2 1/2; Josh Conner, Skyview, 21-1/2; Zach Robinson, Senior, 20-7 1/4; Nick Beauchaine, Boz, 20-4 1/2; Eric Rydquist, West, 20-2 3/4.

Triple jump -- Lee Hardt, West, 44-5 1/2; Kevin Close, Boz, 42-8 3/4; Tanner Sharbono, West, 41-3; Dylan Hanser, BC, 40-5 3/4; Aaron Campbell, She, 40-3 1/2; Riley Nichols, BC, 40-0.

Shot put -- Justin Pierson, Boz, 52-8 1/2; Zach Sharp, West, 52-1; Nick Jackson, West, 51-7 1/4; Caleb Hamilton, West, 48-4; Shayne Durbin, Lew, 48-3 1/2; Bryce Benson, Gle, 47-1 1/2.

Javelin -- Eli Bachmeier, Gle, 182-1; Jayc Van Zee West, 171-8; Kyle Tevlin, West, 167-3; Tyler Boucher, Col, 157-6; Kyle Holetz, Lau, 154-0; Caleb Nolte, Col, 152-4.

Discus -- Zach Sharp, West, 168-8; Nick Jackson, West, 150-11; Caleb Hamilton, West, 139-7; Luke Lohof, Lau, 137-8; Bryce Benson, Gle, 135-2; Josh Soares, BC, 134-7 1/2.

Pole vault -- Austin Sprenger, Boz, 13-0; Michael Robinson, Jol, 12-6; Matt Schmitz, GF, 12-6; Jesse Bence, West, 12-6; Gus Murdock, Har, 11-0; Jesse Burman, MC, 11-0.

GIRLS

Team scores -- Billings West 158, Billings Senior 134, Bozeman 50, Billings Skyview 40, Glendive 31, Sheridan, Wyo., 20, Lewistown 18, Colstrip 16, Great Falls 14, Huntley Project 13, Laurel 12, Billings Central 12, Joliet 8, Hardin 1.

100 -- Danielle Muri, West, 12.80; Chloe Kanning, Senior, 12.84; Haley Gellner, Skyview, 13.10; Kaitlyn Wurnig, HP, 13.16; Kennedy Smith, West, 13.17; Shaina Healey, Central, 13.34.

200 -- Brianna Eaton, Senior, 26.10; Kaitlyn Wurnig, HP, 26.55; Haley Gellner, Skyview, 26.86; Shaina Healey, Central, 27.61; Michon Morgan, Skyview, 27.65; Annie Warner, Skyview, 27.88.

400 -- Nicole Reitz, West, 58.65; Brianna Eaton, Senior, 1:00.29; Lila Hamburg, West, 1:02.77; Baille Dannels, She, 1:02.94; Sarah Snoozy, Senior, 1:03.35; Bailey Dooper, Lau, 1:03.64.

800 -- Danielle Aragon, Senior, 2:17.88; Katie Rotrellini, She, 2:23.91; Rachel Stewart, GF, 2:27.28; Cate Hannah, West, 2:27.89; Jocelyn Elorriaga, Senior, 2:28.73; Nikaela Beausoleil, Lau, 2:29.23.

1,600 -- Danielle Aragon, Senior, 5:06.29 (New meet record, old record of 5:12.65 set by Senior's Danielle Aragon in 2010); Nicole Reitz, West, 5:09.19; Heidi Turner, Boz, 5:17.15; Cate Hannah, West, 5:29.86; Rachel Stewart, GF, 5:31.54; Jocelyn Elorriaga, Senior, 5:34.47.

3,200 -- Heidi Turner, Boz, 11:56.55; Keisha Stensby, West, 12:01.18; Andie Creel, Boz, 12:03.09; Katherine Stephens, Boz, 12:24.36; Ashley Crippen, Col, 12:29.44; Kennedy Robbins, Skyview, 12:44.93.

100 hurdles -- Morgan Sulser, Senior, 15.51; Tori Weyand, West, 15.54; Danielle Muri, West, 15.58; Sawyer Ferguson, Skyview, 16.23; Alyssa Espinosa, West, 16.53; Terra McDowell, Senior, 16.60.

300 hurdles -- Sawyer Ferguson, Skyview, 46.50; Moran Sulser, Senior, 48.12; Tori Weyand, West, 48.49; Claire Korpela, She, 48.77; Lauren Buyan, She, 49.32; Alyssa Espinosa, West, 49.39.

400 relay -- Billings West 49.76 (New meet record, old record 50.30 set by Billings West in 1976); Billings Senior 49.93; Billings Skyview 51.67; Bozeman 52.19; Billings Central 52.94; Hardin 53.47.

1,600 relay -- Billings West 4:03.48; Billings Senior 4:05.19; Bozeman 4:08.75; Billings Skyview 4:15.01; Sheridan 4:16.23; Great Falls 4:25.02.

High jump -- Rachel Schlender, Boz, 5-3; Kiera Bulluck, Lew, 4-11, Alysse Charlesworth, Gle, 4-11; Nicole Luloff, Jol, 4-11; Kenzie Langel, Senior, 4-11; Macaulea Romsa, GF, 4-11.

Triple jump -- Terra McDowell, Senior, 36-0; Kennedy Smith, West, 35-7; Alysse Charlesworth, Gle, 33-11; McCalle Feller, Lew, 33-7; Mary Glen Vielleux, GF, 32-10; Andrea Emmett, Senior, 32-5.

Long jump -- Danielle Muri, West, 17-5; Andrea Emmett, Senior, 16-11; Lacy Wilkins, Col, 16-6 1/4; Rachelle Bennett, Jol, 16-3 1/2; Danielle Aragon, Senior, 16-3; Shaina Healey, Central, 15-10.

Discus -- Samantha Hodgson, West, 119-5; Corrie Holm, West, 114-3; Megan Armstrong, Gle, 111-6; Heavan Zuehisdorff, Col, 111-4; Caitlyn Cayer, GF, 110-1; Karrah Petersen, Boz, 104-6.

Shot put -- Samantha Hodgson, West, 40-4 1/2; Brittnee Grimstad, Senior, 38-4; Emylee Colling, Lau, 38-2; Chelsee Colling, La, 36-2 1/2; Heraven Zuehisdorff, Col, 34-0; Corrie Holm, West, 32-10.

Javelin -- Liz King, West, 124-4; Brittnee Grimstad, Senior, 124-3; McCalle Feller, Lew, 120-11; Tayler Eubank, Central, 120-0; Heaven Zuehisdorff, Col, 119-1; Bailey Cranford, HR, 116-10.

Pole vault -- Sadie Sampson, Gle, 9-0; Kelsie McDowell, Senior, 9-0; Crystal Scoles, West, 8-6; Kasey Robson, Gle, 8-6; Laurel Sabol, Boz, 8-6; Damini Olson-Meyer, Senior, 8-6.