Flathead splits first outing with Rustlers

With many of their teammates lounging on distance beaches to celebrate spring break, the remaining Flathead High School track athletes entertained Great Falls CMR on Thursday, splitting a season-opening dual meet at Legends Stadium.

The Braves dominated the Rustlers 103-42 on a cool, overcast afternoon while a shorthanded Bravette squad fell 87-58, despite several outstanding performances.

Two Braves won three events apiece as coach Dan Hodge's boys took first in 16 of 17 events, winning all but the 100, captured by CMR sophomore Chris Wilson in 11.67.

Flathead's Clint Manning won the 110 hurdles (15.91), 300 hurdles (42.16) and high jump (5-10).

"Clint was a steady performer for us last year," Hodge said. "He placed at state in the high jump - sixth place - and he's gained some confidence."

Fellow senior Dan Ogden took first in the discus (164-8), shot put (53-5 1/2) and javelin (177-11).

Ogden's shot and disc throws weren't personal bests, but his javelin toss was - by default. It was his first time competing in the event.

"I'll stick with it," said the Montana State University football recruit. "With jav, I haven't even got it down. That was just a five-step jav, and usually guys are taking 13 steps, and that usually adds another 30, 40 feet."

Hodge said Ogden wanted to throw the javelin late last year, but he didn't let him, fearing it would disrupt his shot and discus preparation.

"He has the potential to win the shot and discus at state, and the javelin is just an added bonus for us," Hodge said. "If he can get points in it, it's just a plus."

Ogden beat CMR sophomore Cameron Stone by nearly 10 feet in the shot put, but he described his performance as a "stepping stone."

"I guess it's somewhere to begin at," Ogden said. "Last year I started at 49 (feet), and at the end of the year I hit 57, so it's definitely a nice sign."

Ogden said he hopes to break Flathead's record by season's end, putting the shot 60-3.

"I'm trying to get that, but I shouldn't be looking that far ahead right now," he said.

Seniors Seth Grossman and Richie Carter won two events each for the Braves. Grossman took first in the 800 (2:04.93) and 1,600 (4:33.96), and Carter was victorious in the triple jump (39-9 1/2) and pole vault (12-6).

"The kids that showed up came to compete, and they competed," Hodge said. "That's what you want."

Flathead junior Luke Fischer competed in three events, notching a personal best javelin throw of 173-5, placing third behind Ogden and CMR's Carson Lewis.

Fischer said he was confident he would set a personal best in his first meet of the season, "just because of the adrenaline."

Kelsie Norwood led the Bravettes, posting victories in the triple jump (32-7) and high jump. Norwood's winning high jump of 5-2 established a personal best for the junior, whose previous high was 5-0, set last year at divisionals.

"That is a great start for Kelsie," said Flathead girls coach Jerry Boschee. "That's really pleasing."

Norwood agreed.

"I jumped myself," joked the 5-foot-2 Norwood.

"I was kind of expecting it to be more in the middle of the season, not the first meet."

Norwood said her goal is to eventually clear 5-6.

"But we'll start slow, and I hope I'll get a 5-4 this year," she added.

Flathead's 1,600 girls relay team took first with a time of 51.70.

The Bravettes claimed 13 second-place finishes, including two each by Ashley Younkin, Becky Johnson and Sarah Griffith. Younkin was runner-up in the 100 and 300 hurdles, clocking in at 18.10 and 51.05 respectively. Johnson launched the discus 116-6 and put the shot 33-2. Griffith traveled 14-9 in the long jump and 31-4 in the triple jump.

Boschee found it difficult to evaluate his team's performance and potential with so many athletes missing.

"Between kids gone for spring break and some kids having not enough practices in, we have 40 kids, I think, that (competed)," Boschee said. "It's hard to get a look at what your forecast is going to be for the season based on that."

Absences hurt the Bravettes Thursday, but Boschee found a positive in competing with a younger, patchwork squad.

"What's nice here is you've got some kids that were asked to step up into a varsity position where they wouldn't have the opportunity later in the season, so it gives them a little bit of a chance to showcase what they have," Boschee said.

The Braves were without 82 of their 139 athletes.

"We (didn't) have one of our throwers here, we lost a lot of sprinters, and you can just tell the intensity (was not there)," Ogden said. "It's just kind of a laid-back goof-around, I guess, but it's giving a lot of kids more goes at the varsity level."

Boys

Team Totals

Flathead 103, CMR 42

Individual Events

110 hurdles - 1. Clint Manning, F, 15.91; 2. Philip Churchhill, CMR, 15.95; 3. Curtis Moen, F, 16.55.

Discus - 1. Dan Ogden, F, 164-8; 2. Ryan Ewing, F, 141-3; 3. Cameron Stone, CMR, 120-1.

100 - 1. Chris Wilson, CMR, 11.67; 2. Anthony Johnson, CMR, 11.81; 3. Mike Kozlowski, F, 11.85.

Javelin - 1. Dan Ogden, F, 177-11; 2. Carson Lewis, CMR, 176-9; 3. Luke Fischer, F, 173-5.

1,600 - 1. Seth Grossman, F, 4:33.96; 2. Carl Nystuen, F, 4:34.25; 3. John Michelson, CMR, 4:47.45.

400 relay - 1. Flathead (Andrew Edsall, CJ Manning, Nick Haegele, Mike Kozlowski) 45.51; 2. CMR 45.89; 3. Flathead 46.55.

300 hurdles - 1. Clint Manning, F, 42.16; 2. Stratton Serfoss, CMR, 42.37; 3. Curtis Moen, F, 43.38.

Long jump - 1. Curtis Moen, F, 19-2; 2. Dimas Rodriguez, CMR, 18-10; 3. Richie Carter, F, 18-5.

400 - 1. Beau Gravelle, F, 54.10; 2. Adam Engbrecht, CMR, 54.71; 3. Luke Fischer, F, 55.85.

800 - 1. Seth Grossman, F, 2:04.93; 2. Orion Bras, F, 2:05.56; 3. Matt Beard, CMR, 2:08.61.

200 - 1. Andrew Edsall, F, 24.39; 2. Michael Kozlowski, F, 24.83; 3. Colin Murphy, CMR, 24.97.

High jump - 1. Clint Manning, F, 5-10; 2. Cameron Stone, CMR, 5-10; 3. (tie) Chris Wilson and Clinton McKinlay, CMR, 5-8.

Shot put - 1. Dan Ogden, F, 53-5 1/2; 2. Cameron Stone, CMR, 43-8 1/4; 3. Ryan Ewing, F, 40-10 1/4.

Triple Jump - 1. Richie Carter, F, 39-9 1/2; 2. Dimas Rodriguez, CMR, 39-3; 3. Chris Wilson, CMR, 38-2 1/2.

Pole vault - 1. Richie Carter, F, 12-6; 2. Conor Foley, F, 10-0; 3. Clinton McKinlay, CMR, 9-6.

3,200 - 1. Seth Svennungsen, F, 10:31.87; 2. Korey O'Donnell, CMR, 10:38.55; 3. Dan Howell, F, 10:44.13.

1,600 relay - 1. Flathead (Luke Fischer, Orion Bras, Andrew Edsall, Beau Gravelle) 3:39.46; 2. CMR 3:43.87.

Girls

Team Totals

CMR 87, Flathead 58

Individual Events

100 hurdles - 1. Jayme Hill, CMR, 17.67; 2. Ashley Younkin, F, 18.10; 3. Jordan Bagley, CMR, 18.93.

100 - 1. Jamie Pankratz, CMR, 13.38; 2. Nicole Hall, F, 13.46; 3. Kate Striepe, CMR, 13.54.

1,600 - 1. Keely West, CMR, 5:39.55; 2. Elysia Andrews, F, 5:41.56; 3. Tera Klein, F, 5:43.19.

High jump - 1. Kelsie Norwood, F, 5-2; 2. Krystie Kasperson, F, 4-6; 3. Kate Striepe, CMR, 4-6.

Discus - 1. Kelsey Hopkins, CMR, 128-5; 2. Becky Johnson, F, 116-6; 3. Katelyn Butts, F, 90-0.

400 - 1. Sydney Best, CMR, 1:05.18; 2. Kristen Myre, CMR, 1:09.48; 3. Holly Heffley, CMR, 1:13.24.

Long jump - 1. Kate Striepe, CMR, 14-10 1/2; 2. Sarah Griffith, F, 14-9; 3. Nicole Hickey, CMR, 14-5.

300 hurdles - 1. Jayme Hill, CMR, 49.63; 2. Ashley Younkin, F, 51.05; 3. Jordan Bagley, CMR, 53.24.

800 - 1. Amanda Barringer, CMR, 2:33.44; 2. Briana Ori, F, 2:39.71; 3. Laney Jones, CMR, 2:42.55.

200 - 1. Nicole Hickey, CMR, 27.40; 2. Taylor Kirkendall, CMR, 27.96; 3. Nicole Hall, F, 28.02.

Shot put - 1. Kelsey Hopkins, CMR, 39-2; 2. Becky Johnson, F, 33-2; 3. Brenda Iverson, CMR, 29-1.

Triple jump - 1. Kelsie Norwood, F, 32-7; 2. Sarah Griffith, F, 31-4; 3. Ashleigh Geiger, CMR, 31-2.

Javelin - 1. Kristen Tuttle, CMR, 116-6; 2. Libby Cartwright, F, 113-10; 3. Ali Christensen, F, 108-7.

1,600 relay - 1. CMR 4:22.55; 2. Flathead 4:31.40.

3,200 - 1. Keely West, CMR, 12:25.92; 2. Tera Klein, F, 12:42.25; 3. Elysia Andrews, F, 12:52.14.

400 relay - 1. Flathead 51.70.

Pole vault - 1. Niki Knudson, CMR, 7-6; 2. Misty Berdeaux, CMR, 7-0; 3. Alicia Watkinson, CMR, NA.