Busy sports weekend on tap
Pick your poison sports fans.
Softball, baseball, tennis and track are your main choices for indulgence this weekend as the high school spring sports seasons wind down full throttle.
This marks the last regular-season weekend for Class A softball while tennis on all levels has divisional and state competitions on its schedule. And track enters the divisional point of its season with state to follow.
American Legion baseball, on the other hand, is just to heat up. The Kalispell Lakers are 8-6 overall after 14 games. The Glacier Twins are 6-3.
Both will be competing in the Canadian Days Tournament in Kalispell, which begins tonight at 5 with both teams facing each other for the second time in 48 hours.
The key softball matchup pits Western A leaders Libby (10-0 in league) at Polson (10-1) tonight at 6. Both teams have qualified for state play, which begins May 26 in Polson.
Columbia Falls concludes its softball season hosting Browning, today at 4 p.m., and Saturday entertaining rival Whitefish (7-4), 3 p.m.
Whitefish is also headed for state.
In track, Bigfork will be the site for the Northwestern A Divisional today and Saturday. This marks the first time this divisional has been expanded to two days.
The meet opens with the boys javelin and girls long jump at 3:30 p.m. The first running event is the 300 hurdles at 4:15. The only other running event today will be the 3,200 at 4:50.
Finals will also be held in the girls javelin and boys long jump.
On Saturday, the divisional resumes at 11 a.m. with the boys triple jump and pole vault and girls high jump and shot put.
The 100 trials is the first running event at 11:15. The divisional will conclude with the 1,600 relay at 5:40 p.m.
The Polson girls and Whitefish boys are defending champions.
Individually, Bekah Stoltz of Columbia Falls is the lone returning divisional winner for the girls. She won the shot put, discus and javelin a year ago and is the heavy favorite to do so again.
Returning divisional winners for the boys include Zanen Pitts of Ronan/St. Ignatius (1,600 and 3,200), Jack Scherman of Columbia Falls (300 hurdles), Blaine Baker of Libby (javelin), Kyle Rosenbaum of Columbia Falls (triple jump) and Brett Owen of Polson (pole vault).
Last year this event - Western Divisional - consisted of 10 teams. Now called the Northwestern A, there are just six schools - Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Libby, Polson, Ronan/St. Ignatius and Whitefish - in the division.
The Whitefish girls, led by sprinter Courtney Ferda and hurdler Ashley Ferda, will be the team to beat. Libby and Columbia Falls should battle for the boys crown.
Eureka, coming off a District 8-B championship in girls track and a runner-up finish for the boys, is in Polson today and Saturday for the Western B Divisional.
Flathead's track squads head for divisionals in Missoula, also starting today. It's an event FHS has dominated over the years.
The Bravettes will be shooting for their fifth straight title and have won 22 total since the first divisional was held in 1969.
The Braves had their string of four straight divisional crowns snapped a year ago by Helena High.
Zoe Nelson is a returning divisional champ in the 1,600 and 3,200. Cricket Johnston returns to defend her 100 title along with Liz Myers in the triple jump.
The FHS boys have no returning divisional champions.
The top five individuals and relays advance to state in divisional track.
Eureka and Flathead are at state for tennis.
FHS has qualified nine individuals, up two from the previous year. They are: (girls) Kelly Walterskirchen and Sara Newgard in doubles along with Alix Dixon and Hanna Hanes; (boys) Dayson Mathison, Dan Lard and Travis Vaughn in singles and Gabe Dawson and Tyler Barth in doubles.
Walterskirchen and Newgard were divisional champions last week in Great Falls.
"They are playing very smart, they play very well together as a team," said Flathead coach Buck Measure of his champs.
"Both are very skilled players and compliment each other very well."
Action starts today at 9 a.m. with singles at Montana State University and doubles at Bozeman High School.
The Braves and Bravettes were divisional runners-up in Great Falls.
Eureka has six qualifiers at state in Missoula - two doubles teams and two singles players.
Cara Parrish and Bailey Dierman defeated teammates Amber Stacy and Edith Gavriel for the divisional title last weekend in Libby.
Aita Ruby and Jennifer Bruns advance in singles play for the Lions.
And the Northwestern A Divisional tennis tournament has two days of action remaining. Play resumes today at 8:15 a.m.
The divisional is being held at the courts at Flathead Valley Community College and The Glacier Tennis Club at The Summit.
Canadian Days Tournament
Host Team - Kalispell Lakers
AA Schedule
Griffin Field
Today
5 p.m. - Kalispell Lakers vs. Glacier Twins
8 p.m. - Lethbridge Elks vs. Glacier
Saturday
9 a.m. - Kalispell vs. Medicine Hat Monarchs
Noon - Lethbridge vs. Kalispell
3 p.m. - Lethbridge vs. Trail, B.C.
6 p.m. - Medicine Hat vs. Trail
9 p.m. - Glacier vs. Medicine Hat
Sunday
9 a.m. - Trail vs. Kalispell
Noon - Glacier vs. Trail
Noon - Medicine Hat vs. Lethbridge (at Kidsport)
3 p.m. - Third/Fourth Place
6 p.m. - Championship Game
A Schedule
Archie Roe Field
Today
5 p.m. - Glacier Twins vs. Kalispell Lakers
Saturday
10 a.m. - Lethbridge Elks vs. Kalispell
1 p.m. - Glacier vs. Libby Loggers
4 p.m. - Libby vs. Lethbridge
Sunday
9 a.m. - Lethbridge vs. Glacier
Noon - Kalispell vs. Libby
3 p.m. - Third/Fourth
6 p.m. - Championship