HELENA — Saturday brought with it the final day of the Western AA Divisionals for track and field. Missoula-based teams that carried day one hung on and brought championships back home with them.
The Missoula Sentinel boys amassed 217 points, topping Butte and Missoula Hellgate. Hellgate’s girls squad found itself in a battle with Sentinel, but pulled out the team win 167-145 over crosstown rivals. Helena, Flathead and Helena Capital rounded out the top-five teams on the girls side.
Six teams on the boys side ended the day with season records in the 4 x 400-meter relay, including Butte who took the top spot with a time of 3:28.00. The Helena girls also posted a season-record time in the 1600-meter relay at 4:03.30 to edge Hellgate and Flathead in the final track event of Saturday.
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Butte’s divisional team had a strong day in the sprints. Tanner Huff won the 100- and 200-meter dashes on the boys side with times of 11.22 and 22.58. Mollee Conlan claimed the girls 100-meter dash (12.79) as Butte also swept the boys and girls high jump events.
Hellgate saw its athletes lay claim to the 1600-meter run. Ignatius Fitzgerald beat Sentinel’s William Mortenson by nearly nine seconds with a time of 4:15.89 and Sage Brooks was the only female athlete to break the five-minute mark at 4:56.08.
Cole Tucker will take the divisional championship in boys discus back home with him to Missoula Big Sky after turning in a throw of 142-00. Sentinel’s Zac Crews won the boys 110-meter hurdle finals on Saturday, edging teammate Drew Klumph with a time of 15.47.
Brooke Stayner broke the 15-second mark in the girls 100-meter hurdles for Sentinel, besting Glacier’s Taylor Brisendine and Capital’s Kathryn Sheridan.
After getting numerous athletes qualified for state on day one of divisionals, Capital continued to add to that on Saturday. Alex Brisko and Sheridan will go to state in the 100-meter hurdles, as will Tom Carter in the 100-meter dash (11.79). Luke Sullivan also punched his ticket with a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash (51.98), as did Hailey Burger in the 200- and 400-meter events. Amanda Haab and Dani Bartsch finished two-three in the girls discus event.
Helena also added to its athletes on the podium. Logan Todorovich finished second in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 12.90, Odessa Zentz won the girls 200-meter dash (25.61) and 400-meter run (57.33), Josh Goleman finished third in the boys discus (137-06) and won the boys shot put event (48-11.50). The Bengals’ boys 4 x 400-meter relay team also finished third with a time of 3:30.59.
Athletes and teams will now begin preparing for the state meet that is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday.
Email Daniel Shepard at daniel.shepard@406mtsports.com or find him on Twitter @IR_DanielS.
Daniel Shepard
Reporter
