Meet: Billings City Meet
Date: 2011-05-12BILLINGS - The show went on without the likes of injured multi-event standouts Danielle Muri and Pow Williamson, and only offered a glimpse of hobbled star Scotty Owens.
But a separate pack of the usual suspects set the pace at the annual Billings Public Schools track and field meet Thursday afternoon at the West High track.
Names like Aragon, Ferguson, Wambach and Peterson ruled the day as local teams wrapped up the regular season in preparation for the Eastern AA divisional meet next weekend in Bozeman.
In the end, the girls teams from both Billings West and Billings Senior showed why they’ll again contend for big hardware at the state gathering in Butte two weeks from now.
With 94 1/3 points, the Broncs won the girls team title, while West came in second with 65 2/3 points. Skyview took third with 21 points.
West won the boys competition with 92 points. Skyview placed second with 54 points while Senior finished third with 35.
“Our kids know that the meets that really matter are the ones coming up in the next two weeks,” said Senior girls coach Dave Creger, whose team won the state title last year. “We kind of drill that into them, and I think they understand why early in the year that things don’t go the way they’d like them to — because we are working them really hard all the way through.
“And now it’s time to go fast, time to throw far, time to jump high. We’re trying to put ourselves in a good position.”
Creger said Senior and West, on paper, should be the frontrunners in the girls’ side of the state meet, although the Bears would love to get Muri back to boost their prospects.
Muri, who normally gobbles up points in sprints, hurdles, jumps and relays, has missed the last couple weeks with an injured hamstring.
If healthy, West coach Rob Stanton agreed his girls can again battle the top competition. Why not? The team has placed either first or second at state in four of the last five years.
Stanton also noted that his boys squad, along with Senior, Bozeman and Kalispell Glacier, could be solid at state, as well.
“I think we’ll be in contention,” Stanton said. “Billings Senior’s boys are outstanding, and they’re getting better and better. We’re feeling some heat right now from them, which is good.
“And Senior’s girls are head and shoulders above everyone. So we need to get healthy with our girls to have a chance. And we like our chances with the boys but there’s a lot of competition.”
West’s Williamson, one of the top hurdlers in AA, has missed the last couple weeks due to a foot injury.
The aforementioned Dani Aragon led Senior’s girls with a speedy victory in the 400, and she also ran the second leg of the Broncs’ winning short relay team. Aragon won the 400 in 58.16 seconds, a personal best.
Aragon, the defending 800 meters state champion who has qualified for several events at this year’s meet, did not compete in the 1,600. Instead, West’s Nicole Rietz rolled to an easy win in 5:06.0, lapping runners in the process.
Alex Wambach sped to his best-ever performance in the 100 meters for West’s boys, winning in a personal-best time of 11.25. The junior said he tweaked his technique with his arm movement while releasing out of the blocks, and it made a big difference.
“We’ve been working on our starts a lot,” Wambach said. “I tend to start out a little slow. But I tried to concentrate a little more on it that time. I guess it helped.”
Billings Skyview’s Sawyer Ferguson again won the 300 hurdles, the event she captured at last year’s state meet. But she had to outlast teammate Haley Gellner. Ferguson crossed the line in a time of 45.53, just one-tenth of a second ahead of Gellner.
Robert Peterson also did the Falcons proud with a cinch win in the mile while setting a personal mark at 4:28.98.
Senior’s Ben Sulser nudged Skyview’s Landon Polkow in the 110 meter hurdles. Though his time did not automatically qualify him for state, Sulser said he is aiming for continued improvement with the divisional meet around the corner.
“I got a good warm-up in. I changed my routine a little bit, and that helped me a lot,” Sulser said. “At the end of the race I had a little more endurance and a little more stamina, and I was able to pull out the” win.
Sulser’s sister Morgan, a freshman, won the 100 hurdles. Teammate Chloe Kanning blazed to victory in the 100 meters at 12.66. (Billings Gazette, May 13, 2011)
BOYS
Team scores -- Billings West 92, Billings Skyview 54, Billings Senior 35.
100 -- Alex Wambach, BWH, 11.25; Nolan Saraceni, BSR, 11.31; Alex Stacey, BWH, 11.46; Andrew Monaco, BSR, 11.48.
200 -- Alex Wambach, BWH, 22.42; John Daubert, BSR, 22.64; Aldrew Monaco, BSR, 23.09; Alex Stacey, BWH, 23.18.
400 -- John Daubert, BSR, 50.93; Alex Klatt, BSR, 51.80; Jacob Kvilhaug, BWH, 52.18; Kyle Koszuta, BSV, 53.97.
800 -- Thomas Neale, BSV, 2:03.08; Shawn Peden, BWH, 2:07.11; Connor Buckley, BSV, 2:09.78; Rob English, BSV, 2:10.23.
1,600 -- Robert Peterson, BSV, 4:28.98; Thomas Neale, BSV, 4:41.64; Sam Anderson, BSV, 4:41.96; Shawn Peden, BWH, 4:42.56.
3,200 -- Robert Peterson, BSV, 10:02.15; Sam Anderson, BSV, 10:12.63; Gus Sloan, BWH, 10:34.53; Kyle Hansen, BSV, 10:37.51.
110 hurdles -- Ben Sulser, BSR, 15.57; Landon Polkow, BSV, 15.62; Taylor Beld, BSV, 16.36; Kyle Romero, BSV, 16.86.
300 hurdles -- Landon Polkow, BSV, 38.72; Ben Sulser, BSR, 42.39; Taylor Beld, BSV, 42.46; Michael Kosmann, BWH, 43.92.
400 relay -- Billings West 43.72; Billings Skyview 44.65; Billings Senior 47.68.
1,600 relay -- Billings Senior 3:26.43; Billings Skyview 3:28.67; Billings West 3:29.72.
High jump -- Lee Hardt, BWH, 6-5; Tanner Sharbono, BWH, 6-1; Eric Rydquist, BWH, 6-1; Brady O'Brien, BSV, 5-7.
Pole vault -- Jesse Bence, BWH, 13-0; Brett Dringman, BWH, 11-6; Jason Baker, BWH, 11-6; Ashton Olson, BSR, 11-6.
Long jump -- Lee Hardt, BWH, 21-2 3/4; Landon Polkow, BSV, 20-4 1/2; Tanner Sharbono, BWH, 20-3 3/4; Eric Rydquist, BWH, 20-0 1/2.
Triple jump -- Tanner Sharbono, BWH, 42-9; Cameron Augustine, BWH, 41-9; Zack Hart, BSR, 39-9; Brady O'Brien, BSV, 39-3 1/2.
Shot put -- Nick Jackson, BWH, 52-2; Zach Sharp, BWH, 52-1; Nathan Bradley, BWH, 43-9; Logan Grimstad, BSR, 39-0.
Discus -- Zach Sharp, BWH, 155-4; Nick Jackson, BWH, 148-3; Caleb Hamilton, BWH, 144-11; Nathan Bradley, BWH, 123-0.
Javelin -- Kyle Tevlin, BWH, 174-2; Jayc Van Zee, BWH, 161-3; Brady O'Brien, BSV, 158-4; Sean Ward, BSR, 157-0.
GIRLS
Team scores -- Billings Senior 94.33, Billings West 65.67, Billings Skyview 21.
100 -- Chloe Kanning, BSR, 12.66; Brianna Eaton, BSR, 12.94; Haley Gellner, BSV, 12.98; Kennedy Smith, BWH, 13.10.
200 -- Brianna Eaton, BSR, 25.93; Chloe Kanning, BSR, 25.98; Morgan Sulser, BSR, 27.13; Michon Morgan, BSV, 27.62.
400 -- Danielle Aragon, BSR, 58.16; Brianna Eaton, BSR, 58.82; Kennedy Smith, BWH, 1:00.28; Shaelynn Wacaser, BSV, 1:00.98.
800 -- Danielle Aragon, BSR, 2:14.41; Nicole Rietz, BWH, 2:17.42; Cate Hanna, BWH, 2:26.71; Jocelyn Elorriaga, BSR, 2:26.94.
1,600 -- Nicole Rietz, BWH, 5:06.37; Kennedy Robbins, BSV, 5:29.27; Cate Hanna, BWH, 5:35.70; Brenna Cockburn, BSR, 5:45.21.
3,200 -- Kennedy Robbins, BSV, 12:27.04; Jocelyn Elorriaga, BSR, 12:30.13; Brenna Cockburn, BSR, 12:47.55; Ashlee Frank, BSV, 12:53.50.
100 hurdles -- Morgan Sulser, BSR, 15.61; Tori Weyand, BWH, 15.64; Terra McDowell, BSR, 16.15; Alyssa Espinoza, BWH, 16.54.
300 hurdles -- Sawyer Ferguson, BSV, 45.53; Haley Gellner, BSV, 45.63; Tori Weyand, BWH, 47.38; Morgan Sulser, BSR, 47.52.
400 relay -- Billings Senior 49.88; Billings West 50.22; Billings Skyview 50.77.
1,600 relay -- Billings Senior 4:00.81; Billings West 4:06.07; Billings Skyview 4:07.00.
High jump -- Hope Watts, BWH, 4-9; Ashley Curtiss, BSR, 4-9; K.C. Christensen, BWH, 4-9; Kenzie Langel, BSR, 4-9.
Pole vault -- Emma Fulton, BSR, 10-0; K.C. Christensen, BWH, 9-6; Mikaela Robinson, BWH, 9-6; Crystal Scoles, BWH, 9-0.
Long jump -- Andrea Emmett, BSR, 16-11 3/4; Kennedy Smith, BWH, 16-11 1/4; K.C. Christensen, BWH, 16-10 1/4; Terra McDowell, BSR, 16-5.
Triple jump -- Terra McDowell, BSR, 34-9 1/4; Andrea Emmett, BSR, 33-10; Chrissy Webb, BSR, 32-5; Jenni Zundel, BWH, 31-7.
Shot put -- Brittnee Grimstad, BSR, 39-3; Samantha Hodgson, BWH, 38-7; Shawnee Dicks, BWH, 30-5; Emily Coobs, BSR, 30-3.
Discus -- Samantha Hodgson, BWH, 122-6; Brittnee Grimstad, BSR, 119-7; Paige Lueck, BWH, 117-7; Corrie Holm, BWH, 110-8.
Javelin -- Liz King, BWH, 120-0; Kyla Jewell, BSR, 117-7; Devon Donahue, BWH, 115-10; Brittnee Grimstad, BSR, 103-10.