Tracks are shoveled, dugouts are (mostly) dry, and athletes across the Flathead Valley are dusting off their cleats and preparing for the final months of high school competition.
Last year, local athletes made headlines for their accomplishments in all sports, including baseball (Whitefish, 2nd place), softball (Glacier, 1st place, Columbia Falls, 1st place), and tennis (Glacier Boys, 2nd place). , brought home the state trophy in track and field. Field (Whitefish Girls, 2nd place, Glacier Boys, 3rd place).
Finally, here are some stories to keep an eye on this spring, including Bigfork's first appearance at the Class A level.
athletics stadium
Last year, the Class A girls state championship was the final round. whitefish They won the 4×400 relay by seven seconds over Corvallis. The Blue Devils won by one point.
Both teams return stacking teams and the battle of teams could easily settle into a single event again, but on paper the Bulldogs have the advantage – no players who scored points last year graduated. .
Senior Brooke Zetoony single-handedly scored 32 points last year and anchored the winning relay team. He is aiming for his fourth consecutive 100m title and third consecutive 200m title.
Senior Haley Els (9 individual points, 2 relay wins) will shine in the hurdles and high jump, while senior Nora Schmidt will help maintain the team's relay advantage.
Maeve Ingelfinger, another senior known for her success in cross-country skiing, won again at state in the 800 meters and took third in the 1,600 meters.
On the boys side, the top returning Bulldog is senior Carson Clack, who scored in the long jump, triple jump and 300-meter hurdles.
Beyond the valley wildcats We would like to aim for a result of 10th place for the women's team and 5th place for the men's team.
Columbia Falls seniors Malachi Simpson and Allie Semp return as top sprinters – Semp placed third in both sprints and Simpson placed second in both events, leading to the state championship. He became the anchor for the 4x100m relay team. Junior Lane Formans is expected to add points in the field events after winning the discus and placing in the shot put last year.
for Bigfork's Starting with Class A, the Valkyries and Vikings will look to repeat what they did during football and basketball seasons. Senior distance runner Jack Jensen won both the 800 and 1,600 meters last year and will look to repeat the title, while Wyatt Johnson was runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles and is the fastest returning runner in the event. .
A handful of Flathead and Glacier athletes will be making some noise in Class AA this year. pack of wolves We have high expectations for the men's team, which has been on the podium for two years in a row.
In the hurdles, junior Ethan Anderson is defending his 110-meter title and will look to build on his second-place finish in the 300 meters. Senior Aiden Kraus won the discus last year, but narrowly missed out on points in the shot put.
On the girls side, Glacier has freshman Lauren Bissen, a runner-up at the state cross country championships last fall, who is considered a strong candidate in the distance events. Senior Kai Johnson will defend his title in the shot put.
meanwhile, flathead high school Afton Ride (triple jump), Kennedy Moore (high jump), who regained strength in sprints and finished in the top 10 in the state in field events, along with junior Alyvia Reinhart, who advanced to the finals in the 100 meters and placed third in the 200 meters. ) played an active role with and Tariana Miller (javelin throw).
The Braves will be supported by jumper and sprinter Brody Thornsberry, pole vaulter Trevin Olivier and javelin thrower Dominic Mitten.
baseball
It's the second time around the bases for Montana's high school baseball teams, and the local team is gearing up for the next round. This year, the Montana High School Association established a division divided into four regions, with the Northwest division consisting of Bigfork, Browning, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Troy and Whitefish.
In his first year, Polson won the team title by defeating Whitefish, but so far Columbia Falls has been strong, defeating the Pirates in an early season game. Wildcat senior multi-sport star Cody Schweikert will finish his high school swan song on the diamond with the support of a team loaded with seniors.
The Bulldogs, under head coach Kyler Brees, are looking to get back to the title game, but will have to make up for the graduation of several state players.
soft ball
Both Glacier and Columbia Falls have made five consecutive appearances in the state softball tournament, and both teams have defended their state championships since last spring.
The Wolfpack was the top seed coming out of the Western Conference last year, but they finally broke a three-year streak of losing in the first round. Instead, the Wolfpack will travel directly to the team's first championship since 2015 for five games in three days. Senior pitcher Ella Farrell, who won Western AA Defensive Player of the Year, returns this year, along with senior Emma Cook. He hit two home runs in last year's championship game.
Last season, the Wildcats finished the season with a lifetime record of 24-3 and won the program's first championship. Columbia Falls graduated four seniors from last year's team, but all-state pitchers Maddie Moultrey and Hayden Peters return at No. 3.
tennis
The Glacier boys will be anchored by Will Rudback and Sam Engelland, who returned from the state after tying for second place with CM Russell at last year's Great Falls meet. On the girls' doubles team, Sarah Downs and Heaven Speer are competing in the state tournament for the second year in a row.
North Whitefish has some veteran players, led by Mason Kelch and Dane Hunt, who finished third on last year's doubles team.
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