Freshman phenoms

Two of the state's top track athletes have a lot in common.

For one, freshman math class can be pretty grueling.

But jumping backwards over a five-foot bar and qualifying for the state championship track meet, now that's a much easier assignment.

Tess Brenneman and Lexy Boschee, who have been friends since elementary school, have emerged as two of the state's top track athletes this spring. They both compete in today's Archie Roe Invitational at Legends Stadium, which is right where they'll be on May 29 when the state meet comes to Kalispell for the first time.

Brenneman, a freshman at Flathead, has qualified for state in four events - the 100, 200, 400, and high jump - and has a fifth one in her sights, the long jump. Heading into today, her 400 time of 59.53 is second in the state to only last year's state runner-up, senior Chantelle Grey of Missoula Sentinel.

Meanwhile, Boschee, a freshman at Glacier, is tied statewide for the highest mark in the high jump at 5-6.

"I've had people come up to me and be like 'Oh whoa, you're a freshman, I didn't realize you could jump that coming into your first year of high school track,'" Boschee said. "Other high jumpers have come up to me at meets and they're like 'Do you know if Lexy's jumping today?' But they don't realize it's me. It's cool."

"It's intimidating at first but it's been fun," Brenneman, who also played varsity basketball last winter, said of competing as a freshman. "A lot of the time, I'll be getting ready and I'm not quite sure what to do sometimes. But I'll just go with it and try to learn from it every time."

The girls grew up in the valley and became friends and teammates on a 4th grade traveling basketball squad. At Linderman and then Flathead Middle School, they became classmates and track teammates, which is right about when people began taking notice. In seventh grade, Boschee cleared 5-4 in the high jump. At the same time, Brenneman was winning handily in races as a sprinter.

Then high school came, and the girls were split up and put on opposite sides of town. But…

"We don't really let that stand in our way," Boschee said. "We talk anyway and encourage each other a lot. She's doing great … I'm excited for her."

Flathead girls coach Kirtlye Lohof, a former Bravettes track standout herself, said she can't think of the last freshman to compete in four - maybe five- events at state. This is the first year that AA athletes can qualify for state besides through the divisional meet. But based on Brenneman's marks thus far, that probably wouldn't stop her.

"I wish I could take credit but she pretty much comes by most of it naturally," Lohof said of Brenneman's talent. "She just has a natural ability and you can't really teach that.

"She's just so smooth, she looks effortless when she's running like a 59 'second) 400, when most of us would be dying," Lohof added.

Brenneman makes up for what little natural ability she appears to lack with a steady work ethic.

"She works really hard, she usually is the last one here most days," Lohof said after a recent practice at Legends Stadium.

At the same time on the other side of town, Boschee's coach smiles when asked where the freshman's track talent came from besides hard work.

"I don't know where she got the jumps from," said Jerry Boschee, Lexy's father and the Glacier girls track coach, "but she's got the ability and she's having fun with all the high school events."

Jerry, a former sprinter at North Dakota State University, said he tries to keep the track talk away from the dinner table, but that hasn't kept a few good conversations from happening on the drive home after practice.

"It's fun to see your daughter do something like that," Jerry said.

One of Lexy's favorite memories from the season came at a meet in Great Falls when she cleared 5-6, the highest mark at the time in the state for girls. Her dad was right there watching.

"He just patted me on the back and said 'Good job.' Same with (jump coach Brad) Holloway, they were just excited for me," Lexy said. "It's fun having him (her dad) there supporting you."

And he will be there today supporting her like always, just like her good friend and competitor will be.

"It's gonna be scary, but it'll be really fun to go against her," Brenneman said of competing against Boschee. "It'd be nice to have her on my team, but it's good competition and it's fun to still see her even if she's a competitor."