To dazzle. To smother.
There are two ways to win a track meet. Since our topic today is Western A track, let's consider illustrations from that nine-team confederation.
2. The Whitefish Bulldog boys, who go hunting in packs.
Most of the teams on the north end will open Saturday in Columbia Falls, where our two examples start showing off what they've got.
Harwood is a sprinter/hurdler/triple jumper who has a state cross-country championship and three individual track titles on her high school resume. Harwood, just a junior, won the 300-meter hurdles crown as both a freshman and sophomore, and last season added the triple jump title. In all, she had a hand in 48 of Polson's 54 points at state in 2002.
"She's a super one," Pirate coach Bruce Thomas said.
But for a stumble in her 100-meter hurdles trial at state, Harwood might have added another crown and 10 more team points. As it was, Polson finished fourth, five points out of second - a position the Pirate girls have never attained, but one they might surpass come May.
Not that Harwood has to do it by herself. Senior Melinda Owen was third at state in javelin and took third in pole vault two years ago. Sisters Britney Jenkins, a senior, and Casi Jenkins, a sophomore, placed in the state meet and run on the relay teams.
Seniors Brittanee Moss and Hilary Mowbray, junior thrower Cassie Dellwo, and sophomore runners Samantha Campbell and Samantha Pitts all got a taste of state meet competition last spring. Whitney Brown just missed making it to the big show in two throwing events as a freshman. Sophomore Kari Mowbray, who battled shin splints a year ago, is capable of qualifying in the hurdles and high jump.
"I'm feeling very optimistic, but not overconfident," Thomas said. "We have the potential to go all the way. The girls are talking about it. They have nothing else on their minds except that state championship."
The bigger the meet, the better the Pirates should do, Thomas added. "We may not even place at divisionals."
"Smotherers" such as Columbia Falls, Libby and Bigfork will joust with Whitefish in Western A.
Columbia Falls, the defending divisional champ, is jumping with jumpers, including one of the state's top high jumpers in junior Sarah Hislop. She'll help out in a number of events. Senior Andria Harris (triple jump), junior Sunni Downing (triple jump) and sophomore Kim Pearce (high jump) all placed at state last spring. Senior Steph Fisher scored points in the discus and javelin.
Whitney Myers and Ashley Wiebelhaus lead the sprint corps, while Shauna McCracken paces the distance crew.
"We've got a lot of areas covered," coach Wes Knutson said. "That's kind of been our saving grace."
Libby sent 11 girls to state last May, and nine were non-seniors. Among them are divisional javelin champion Virginia Thom, hurdler Katie Becker and jumper Sheena Sand.
Bigfork is the two-time defending state cross-country champion, due in large part to juniors Kaci Calaway and Lauren and Lesley Dalton. Senior Victoria Creamer followed only Harwood across the line in the 300 hurdles at the state meet last May in Missoula.
Corvallis junior Athlene Allred is back to renew her battles with the Columbia Falls distance runners. She struck silver in the state 1,600 and finished third in the 3,200. Hamilton's Sarah Lyons won the state long jump crown last year as a sophomore.
Then you've got your Whitefish boys, who'll try to suffocate the competition en route to their first state championship since the Joel Rosenberg/Bryan Anderson/Cyril Burguiere years of 1997 and '98.
Sure, there are proven and potential individual state champs among the Bulldogs. Matt Helgath won the 800 last spring as a sophomore, for instance. Hurdler Tucker Ferda might have struck gold in the 110-meter hurdles but broke his foot at the state meet. Ferda missed his senior season of football, but he's out testing the injury on the track this spring.
Coach Derek Schulz can trot a stream of other talented runners, jumpers and throwers out. The Bulldogs had five underclassmen score at state last year, and all are back and ready to go, Schulz said.
Besides winning the 800, Helgath was fifth in the 1,600 and ran a leg on a 1,600-meter relay team that took state for the third year in a row. That relay team included sophomore Cody Henning, who also placed in the 200 and 400, and junior Cody Martinson (800).
In addition, Josh Schmidt placed fourth in both the 400 and 300 hurdles, and J.D. Knox scored points in high jump. Both are seniors this year.
The Bulldog swarm doesn't stop there. Ferda, if completely mended, gives Whitefish one of the best hurdlers and 100-meter men in the state.
"I'm still wondering if he's 100 percent healthy, but the kid has an absolutely amazing work ethic," Schulz said. "It'll probably take a team of horses to keep him out. I know he'll put his heart on the line."
Senior Linsey Holbrook was on the verge of the podium at state in shot put and discus in 2002. And the change of seasons netted Schulz a great get - Michael Watson, a golfer and football player extraordinaire. Golf season was moved from spring to fall, and it has opened the door for Watson to try his hand at pole vault, the jumps, and maybe some sprints.
"He brings a lot to the program," Schulz said. "Michael Watson is a pretty important figure to have on the team. It makes track something important to do for young kids."
Whitefish won the Western A meet by more than 100 points last year, and the Bulldogs could be that dominant again.
Bigfork will be strong with the likes of premier sprinter Ross Loeffler, thrower Zac Rupe and Ben Haugan, a 14-foot pole vaulter and 6-4 high jumper.
Polson's Fritz Friesz barely missed winning the state cross-country championship in November and placed third in the 3,200 in each of the last two state track meets. David Minnis of Corvallis was the 300-meter hurdles king at last year's divisional meet and took third at state behind two seniors. Libby's Blaine Baker who threw the javelin 167 feet last year as a freshman.
The Western A's annual pre-divisional meet, the ABC, returns to Polson and its new track up at the high school on May 10. The divisional meet is set for May 17 in Whitefish, with state at Missoula County Stadium on May 23-24.
Kim Briggeman can be reached at 523-5266 or by e-mail at kbriggeman@missoulian.com.
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