Cold, miserable and … canceled

Another day, another host of spring sporting events canceled.

Due to poor weather and worse field conditions, the annual Columbia Falls Track and Field Invitational is the latest cancellation victim along with a softball jamboree in Great Falls and a pair of tennis duels that Flathead and Glacier were to host.

"We've only had four days of practice outside in three weeks," Glacier tennis coach Josh Munro said. "In a way we wanted to play the Great Falls teams, but it's probably better that we get some more practices in first."

In the Flathead Valley this year, the spring weather has been anything but kind to sports teams hoping to kick the season off. With spring break around the corner, both Glacier and Flathead will see a drop in athletes next week in all sports.

Meanwhile, in other areas of the state where spring has been friendlier, the competition is getting a head start.

"They all have a little advantage on us, but we have a good, athletic team," said Munro. The Glacier girls tennis squad placed third at state last year and returns everyone, including last year's state runner-up Liana Bates and singles fifth-place finisher Cami Mathison.

A team that could stand in the Wolfpack's way is Great Falls, who was suppose to accompany Great Falls CMR to town today in separate meetings with Glacier and Flathead. But now the teams will have to wait a couple months to square off.

"The problem is we don't get to see them again this year until probably divisional," Munro said.

The Glacier tennis teams are hoping to take the courts for their first meet on April 11 in Missoula.

The first area track and field meet of the year was set for Thursday between Glacier and Whitefish, but was scratched after a daylong slush storm. In Columbia Falls, poor field conditions and expected showers today led to the 11-team invitational being canceled for the second year in a row.

"We're crossing our fingers," Glacier girls head track coach Jerry Boschee said. "We're hoping we'll have a meet someplace."

The throwing events have been affected the most, Boschee said, because the field is more of a 'slush, mud, clay pile."

"Our struggle's been keeping the kids excited because of the weather," Boschee said. "They want to get outside and get going."

The Glacier track and field team has over 200 kids out this season, roughly 120 boys and 85 girls. Last year's girls team placed second at divisional.

Across town, the Flathead squads held their first time trials this week and coach Dan Hodge is trying to look at the positive side.

"With the limited practices we've had outdoors and the inclimate weather, for us, we looked at it as a starting point," Hodge said.

Another positive side is the fact that the last time the spring weather acted up this bad, in 1996, Flathead won one of its seven state championships on the boys side.

"This and that might be the two worst springs," said Hodge, who is in his 37th year as head boys coach. "We had a loaded team that year. The weather was so bad at the start."

The cold weather delays athletes from training 100 percent, which is really stifling runners, throwers and jumpers alike, Hodge said.

"You can't do any technique work because it's cold and miserable," he said. "When it's cold and miserable, they don't warm up properly."

Necessary conditioning is stunted as well, he added.

"Well, you make the best with what you have," Hodge said.

Flathead, who won divisionals on the boys side last year, hold their first track meet next Friday, April 10, against CMR.