Braves chasing West in AA boys' track

Glacier qualifies 6 boys, 7 girls for state meet

Can you say Billings West?

The Golden Bears are the odds-on favorite to repeat this weekend as Class AA state boys' track champions.

But being the favorite doesn't make a team the winner - and the Flathead Braves, Western AA divisional champions, head into today's events in Helena's Vigilante Stadium with an optimistic outlook.

"Just looking at the stats coming in to it, Billings West has the best shot (at the title). Everybody said it at the start of the season … West is going to be the team to beat. They have all the events on the track covered really well," said Flathead head coach Dan Hodge.

"But it's all determined by how you do when you stand up side-by-side," he added.

"My athletes have been responding to big meets all year. We've been to four big meets and we've won all four. They feel they have a shot at it," he said.

Flathead scored 130 points and qualified 17 boys for state at last weekend's Western AA divisional meet.

"On paper, (West) has the best chance," agreed Glacier Wolfpack coach Arie Grey.

"On paper is one thing, but it's whoever comes and competes and deals with adversity," Grey added.

"You've still got to do it."

After West, it's a mishmash - Bozeman, Flathead, Helena Capital and Missoula Big Sky.

"We have somebody in every event except pole vault and 300 hurdles. We've got some possibilities to score some points," Hodge said.

The Braves got a bit of help - the kind you'd rather not have - when West junior Jase Muri injured his hamstring.

"Probably one of the two fastest kids in the state," Hodge said of Muri.

"But they're loaded with sprinters. They have about six or eight sprinters. They have two or three guys under 11 flat," the coach said.

Flathead senior Mike Kozlowski, the Western AA 100 champ, ran an 11.31 last weekend.

'But Kozlowski has been a good gamer. Maybe with faster guys, he'll run faster," Hodge said.

Flathead also had one athlete injured earlier this week in PE class.

Ryan Ewing placed fourth last weekend in Western AA discus and fifth in javelin.

The injury was to Ewing's non-throwing arm.

"He can step into the ring and be capable of winning. But I don't know if he's going to be able to compete or not. It's a matter of just waiting and seeing."

The Glacier Wolfpack is ready to go today, according to Grey.

"We're ready to get after it, see what we can do," he said.

The Wolfpack brings six athletes to today's meet - including Western AA divisional triple jump champion Kyle Montini.

Montini went 42 feet, 6 inches last weekend, but he'll be facing one 44-foot triple jumper and one 43-foot jumper, both from the Eastern AA.

"He'll have to compete," Grey said of Montini.

"He's going to have to come ready to compete. If he can do that, he'll have a chance."

The Wolfpack's first event is 10:30 a.m. today with Taylor Graham in the long jump. Taylor Hart will follow at 11:35 in the 300 hurdles and Jake Glasman will run the 800 at 12:45 p.m.

Others competing for the Wolfpack are Ben Cutler and the 1,600 relay team of Glasman, Cutler, George Werk and Hart.

As for the girls, the Wolfpack qualified seven and the Flathead Bravettes qualified six for this weekend's meet.

Glacier scored 93 points in the Western AA divisional to claim second place.

It brings three divisional champions to the state meet.

They are Heather Fraley (1,600 and 3,200) and Emilee Hashley (shot put and javelin) as well as the 400 relay team of Leah Engebretson, Kayla Smart, Nicole Hall and Maddey Frey.

In addition to the relay, Frey will also compete in long jump and the 100, Smart will compete in triple jump and Hall will compete in the 100 and 200. Fraley will also run the 800 and Chelsea Rosean will compete in high jump.

"The girls are excited to be here," Glacier head coach Jerry Boschee said.

The team went to the track Thursday afternoon with the plan of spending about 30 minutes there.

It drizzled the entire time, but the kids were so excited it still took more than an hour to get them back on the bus, Boschee smiled.

At Thursday's team meeting, Boschee and the girls discussed two goals for today - each of the seven girls to be on the award stand and to be in the top seven as a team.

"I think that's a real legitimate goal," the coach said of each of the seven placing.

And the team goal?

"We have the opportunity to be right there," he said.

Today will be a big day for the Glacier girls, event-wise.

The shot, javelin, high jump, 1,600, 400 relay and 200 are all today.

"I think every one of our kids will be competing. By the time (today) ends, we'll have a pretty good idea if we can achieve our goals," Boschee said.

Flathead has one divisional champion - Ally Krautbauer in the long jump.

Others competing for Flathead are Ali Christensen (discus), Heidi Windauer (400, 800), Tera Klein (1,600, 3,200) and the 1,600 relay team of Sarah Aylor, Briana Ori, Krautbauer and Windauer. Krautbauer will also high jump.

"We've got a small crew, but that has been kind of a good thing for team chemistry," said Bravettes coach Kirtlye Lohof.

"We're excited about (today)," she said.

She expects defending champion Bozeman and runner-up Billings West to again be among the top teams.

"Our goal is to be spoilers. We want to get in there and take as many points away from people as we can," Lohof said.