Baker jumps into record book

Ferda's track season off to a smooth, fast start

COLUMBIA FALLS - Kyle Baker appears to be way ahead of schedule when it comes to track this spring while Courtney Ferda, well, she can finally relax a little bit and breath easier.

Baker, a sophomore, tied the Libby school record in the high jump Saturday by clearing 6-6 at the Columbia Falls Invitational.

That was a personal best by three inches.

"I had no idea I could jump that high," said Baker, who also turned in a personal best in the shot put with a distance of 47-11 1/2.

"Just a good day I guess."

No!

Make that a very good day.

Baker won the high jump, was third in the shot put and placed fourth in a very talented javelin field with a throw of 163-0.

Nate Bache of Thompson Falls won the event with a dandy effort of 205-7.

Baker was the only entrant to clear 6-1 in the high jump. And getting over 6-4 was a big mental hurdle he finally managed to clear for the first time.

When the bar was eventually raised to 6-7, which would have broken the Libby record set in the early 1970s by Rob Nelson, Baker had one strong attempt at that height.

The other two misses were well off the mark.

"Continue to work on my approach, my speed," he said.

"I just gotta break it sometime."

Baker opened the season last year at this meet by clearing 6-0.

"I (also) jumped good here last year," he said. "That was my best (height) since eighth grade."

Ferda, a Whitefish sophomore, had a sensational season cut short a year ago by a stress fracture in her left leg. Prior to that setback, she owned some of the top times in the state in the 100, 200 and 400.

"More exciting than nervous to be out here (competing today)," said Ferda. "Taking it easy. It's the first meet of the season. No reason to push it real hard just yet."

Still, it was a busy day for the speedster.

Ferda had the second fastest time in the 100 (13.2) on a windy, blustery day. She also finished second in the 200 (28.53) and ran on the second place 400 relay.

This marked the third meet of the season for Ferda. She participated in two indoor meets earlier.

She says the leg is fine and she's fully recovered.

On the team front, Thompson Falls claimed the boys title, 114 1/2 points with Polson a distant second with 76. Libby, 66, came in third.

Cut Bank's girls totaled 80 points to claim the invitational trophy. Whitefish, 66 1/2, was second and Charlo third, 62.

The meet's top performer turned out to be Amber Aikins of Cut Bank. She won the long jump (16-10 1/2), triple jump (35-2), 100 hurdles (16.5) and 300 hurdles (50.1).

For the boys, Tony Kazmierczak of Thompson Falls and Daniel Bridge of Shelby were double winners. For the girls, it was Eureka's Emmy Bentley and Amanda Murphy of Charlo.

Kazmierczak sprinted home with firsts in the 200 (23.21) and 400 (52.0) while Bridge won the 1,600 (4:52.7) and 3,200 (10:20.4).

Bentley won the 800 (2:37.1) and 1,600 (5:55.3) and Murphy the discus (110) and shot put (37-5 1/2).

Polson had five individual winners - Kevin Love, pole vault (12-0), Andy Nelson, 110 hurdles (16.9), Chris Ogle, 800 (2:07.9), Danielle Rowe, high jump (5-0) and Tanna Bull, 400 (1:06.4).

Whitefish's Chris Hicks won the triple jump (43-5), Eureka's Thane Adams posted the top time in the 300 hurdles (44.5) and Jace Ladenburg of Columbia Falls won the discus (140-6 1/20.

Jessica Boyer had the best showing for the Columbia Falls girls, taking a second in the 1,600 (5:58.8).

Cassie Stoneman was third in the triple jump (33-8) and fourth in the long jump (14-8).

"A little sophomore," said Columbia Falls coach Wes Knutson of Boyer.

"She did real well for us."

Knutson said Stoneman's distance in the triple jump was more than respectable.

Boys

Team Totals

Thompson Falls 114 1/2, Polson 76, Libby 66, Browning 62, Whitefish 45, Columbia Falls 38, Ronan 33, Conrad 30, Eureka 29 1/2, Shelby 20, Cut Bank 10, Charlo 3

Individual

3,200 - 1. Daniel Bridge, Sh, 10:20.4. 2. Marlin Blackwolf, Br, 10:29.7. 3. Michael Fisher, R/SI, 10:31.9. 4. George Madman, Br, 11:00.3. 5. Logan Torgison, Po, 11:15.1. 6. McKenzie Rides at the Door, Br, 11:19.6.

Pole vault - 1. Kevin Love, Po, 12-0. 2. R.C. Carter, Wf, 12-0. 3. Isaiah Thomas, Po, 11-6. 4. Ted Morigeau, Po, 11-6. 5. Tanner Ohs, Wf, 11-0. 6. Kye Middlemist, Ch, 10-6.

Discus - 1. Jace Ladenburg, CF, 140-6 1/2. 2. Graham Cook, Eu, 127-0. 3. Greg Macijunas, CF, 125-2 1/2. 4. Dick Cork, TF, 121-6. 5. Chris Higgins, Br, 113-7. 6. Ross Birdstone, Eu, 112-4.

Long jump - 1. Shawn Brown, Co, 20-0. 2. Roger Mad Plume, Br, 19-10 1/2. 3. Andrew Orr, Li, 19-9. 4. Ryan Augare, Br, 19-6. 5. Jeremiah Fauske, CF, 19-5. 6. Terry Lundeen, Po, 18-4.

110 hurdles - 1. Andy Nelson, Po, 16.9. 2. Greg Schenavar, TF, 17.1. 3. Ryan Morhouse, TF, 18-0. 4. Nick Beckwith, CF, 19.0. 5. Craig Wheeler, Ro, 19.0. 6. Thane Adams, Eu, 19.2.

100 - 1. Shawn Brown, Co, 11.5. 2. Tony Kazmierczak, TF, 11.8. 3. Bjorn Peterson, Br, 12.0. 4. Blaine Baker, Li, 12.2. 5. Shae Sammons, Ch, 12.3. 6. Roger Mad Plume, Br, 12.6.

1,600 - 1. Daniel Bridge, Sh, 4:52.7. 2. Kallen Bodily, CF, 4:56.8. 3. Andrew Graham, Ro, 4:58.2. 4. Marlin Blackwolf, Br, 5:02.7. 5. George Madman, Br, 5:03.8. 6. Charlie May, Li, 5:04.4.

High jump - 1. Kyle Baker, Li, 6-6. 2. Chris Hicks, Wf, 6-0. 3. (tie) Robbie Trahan, R/SI, Andrew Orr, Li, and Terry Lundeen, Po, 5-8. 6. Jeremiah Fauske, CF, 5-6.

Javelin - 1. Nate Bache, TF, 205-7. 2. Blaine Baker, Li, 198-6. 3. Philip Bertelsen, Wf, 163-11. 4. Kyle Baker, Li, 163-0. 5. Ted Morigeau, Po, 158-2. 6. Isaiah Thomas, Po, 155-4.

400 relay - 1. Thompson Falls, 46.2. 2. Libby, 46.9. 3. Browning, 47.4. 4. Whitefish, 47.7. 5. Polson, 48.7. 6. Ronan, 51.4.

Triple jump - 1. Chris Hicks, Wf, 43-5. 2. Ryan Morhouse, TF, 39-8 1/2. 3. Matt Stuart, CB, 39-6 1/2. 4. Bobby Opp, CF, 39-3. 5. Richard Brumbaugh, Li, 38-5 1/2. 6. Marc Heisler, TF, 38-3 1/2.

400 - 1. Tony Kazmierczak, TF, 52.0. 2. (First name not listed) Hicke, Po, 52.3. 3. Ryan Dorrian, TF, 53.2. 4. Chris Ogle, Po, 54.1. 5. Coyote Fairbank, TF, 56.1. 6. Austin Trojano, Wf, 56.9.

Shot put - 1. Shawn Brown, Co, 51-0. 2. Blaine Baker, Li, 49-2 1/2. 3. Kyle Baker, Li, 47-11 1/2. 4. Justan Kinsel, Po, 43-7. 5. (tie) Ross Birdstone, Eu, and Dick Cork, TF, 43-5.

300 hurdles - 1. Thane Adams, Eureka, 44.5. 2. Ryan Morhouse, TF, no time listed. 3. Jared Broxteman, Ro, 45.2. 4. Steven Blair, CB, 45.7. 5. Greg Schenavar, TF, 47.3. 6. Buddy Cheff, Ro, 47.7.

800 - 1. Chris Ogle, Po, 2:07.9. 2. Theron Truman, Eu, 2:11.0. 3. Andrew Graham, Ro, 2:11.6. 4. Ryan Broyhill, TF, 2:15.4. 5. Luke Snaric, Wf, 2:15.7. 6. Allen Mad Plume, Br, 2:19.5.

200 - 1. Tony Kazmierczak, TF, 23.21. 2. Ryan Augare, Br, 24.73. 3. Ryan Dorrian, TF, 23.74. 4. (tie) Ben Cernick, Li, and Bobby Opp, CF, 25.0. 6. Roger Mad Plume, Br, 25.41.

1,600 relay - 1. Thompson Falls, 3:37.38. 2. Polson, 3:45.80. 3. Browning, 3:50.0. 4. Whitefish, 3:50.85. 5. Libby, 3:55.9. 6. Ronan, 3:59.1.

Girls

Team Totals

Cut Bank 80, Whitefish 66 1/2, Charlo 62, Polson 59, Eureka 53, Conrad 46, Thompson Falls 38 1/2, Libby 33, Browning 32, Columbia Falls 31, Ronan 24 1/2, Shelby 1/2.

Individual

3,200 - 1. Tromblee, CB, 13:23.0. 2. Crenshaw, Ro, 13:27.3. 3. Noble, Po, 13:28.2. 4. Truman, Eu, 13:50.8. 5. Simpson, TF, 13:54.8. 6. Alona, CF, 14:11.6.

Pole vault - 1. Babcock, CB, 8-0. 2. Hammond, Ch, 7-6. 3. Patterson, Po, 7-0. 4. Lehnerz, Co, 7-0. 5. Adams, Eu, 7-0. 6. (tie) Carr, Ch, and Johnston, Wf, 6-6.

Discus - 1. Murphy, Ch, 110-0. 2. Erekson, Wf, 85-4 1/2. 3. Hodel, Li, 84-2. 4. May, Li, 81-8 1/2. 5. Blair, CB, 76-4. 6. Block, TF, 75-5.

Long jump - 1. Aikins, CB, 16-10 1/2. 2. Schlepp, Co, 15-9 1/2. 3. Johnson, Co, 15-2 1/2. 4. Stoneman, CF, 14-8. 5. Nelson, Li, 14-7 1/2. 6. Hodel, Li, 14-7.

100 hurdles - 1. Aikins, CB, 16.5. 2. Sanders, E, 16.8. 3. Becker, Li, 17.2. 4. English, Wf, 17.3. 5. Wetendorf, Co, 17.5. 6. Ferda, Wf, 17.5.

100 - 1. DesRosier, Br, 13.1. 2. Ferda, Wf, 13.2. 3. Kuennen, Wf, 13.7. 4. Salomon, Ro, 14.0. 5. Murphy, Ch, 14.2. 6. Hungerford, Ch, 14.5.

1,600 - 1. Bentley, Eu, 5:55.3. 2. Boyer, CF, 5:58.8. 3. Benson, Ro, 6:13.5. 4. Marjerison, CF, 6:18.9. 5. Tromblee, CB, 6:23.8. 6. Noble, Po, 6:29.1.

High jump - 1. Rowe, Po, 5-0. 2. (tie) Aikins, CB, and Schlepp, TF, 4-8. 4. Grazier, TF, 4-8. 5. (tie) Padden, TF, and Kain, Ch, 4-8.

Javelin - 1. Kovarik, TF, 114-7. 2. Bache, TF, 107-3 3/4. 3. Carr, Ch, 101-4 1/2. 4. Becker, Li, 101-3. 5. May, Li, 98-1. 6. Bertelsen, Wf, 96-0.

400 relay - 1. Conrad, 53.6. 2. Whitefish, 53.9. 3. Eureka, 54.1. 4. Polson, 54.3. 5. Thompson Falls, 55.2. 6. Charlo, 55.6.

Triple jump - 1. Aikins, CB, 35-2. 2. Grenier, Wf, 33-9. 3. Stoneman, CF, 33-8. 4. Lampman, CF, 30-5. 5. Sheble, CB, 31-6. 6. Babcock, CB, 31-3.

400 - 1. Bull, Po, 1:06.4. 2. Anderson, Wf, 1:07.4. 3. Mowbray, Po, 1:08.1. 4. Vukonich, CF, 1:08.8. 5. Peterman, Wf, 1:09.6. 6. Running Crane, Br, 1:12.9.

Shot put - 1. Murphy, Ch, 37-5 1/2. 2. Walker, Po, 36-5. 3. May, Li, 32-2 1/2. 4. Brown, Co, 30-9 1/2. 5. Hughes, Li, 30-1/2. 6. Erekson, Wf, 26-10.

300 hurdles - 1. Aikins, CB, 50.1. 2. Sanders, Eu, 50.3. 3. (tie) Cameron, Eu, and Wetendorf, Co, 50.6. 5. Grenier, Wf, 51.4. 6. English, Wf, 52.2.

800 - 1. Bentley, Eu, 2:37.1. 2. Hammond, Ch, 2:46.0. 3. Running Crane, Br, 2:50.6. 4. Benson, Ro, 2:56.8. 5. Sammons, Ch, 3:01.5. 6. Hall, Br, 3:04.6.

200 - 1. DesRosier, Br, 27.25. 2. Ferda, Wf, 28.53. 3. Murphy, Ch, 28.87. 4. Robinson, CB, 29.36. 5. Leishman, CB, 29.9. 6. (tie) Hennessy, Ro, and Kuennen, Wf, 30.0.

1,600 relay - 1. Thompson Falls, 4:39.0. 2. Polson, 4:39.57. 3. Charlo, 4:44.11. 4. Browning, 4:48.1. 5. Ronan, 4:53.7. 6. No entry.