Carlson, Daoud headline A.R.M.

Some of the state’s finest track and field athletes are converging on Whitefish today for the 13th annual A.R.M. Invitational.

Sixteen schools are slated for competition at the Whitefish track. Field events begin at 10 a.m. and track events start at 10:30.

Glacier swept the team titles last year, winning with 106 points on the boys side and 140 for girls, who have won the previous two years.

“This is a community event and we’re lucky to have a really supportive track community,” 15th-year Whitefish track coach Derek Schulz said. “The whole intention years ago when we first got our track was to put Whitefish on the map for track and field. We’ve been able to do that and the A.R.M. has become a big meet to come to.”

Among the big names expected to be in the running today are Cut Bank’s Deni Fitzpatrick, Glacier’s Maddey Frey, Bigfork’s Kayla Carlson and Whitefish’s Anto Daoud.

Fitzpatrick has been the fastest sprinter in the state so far this season, clocking a 12.40 in the 100 and 25.80 in the 200. A reigning Class B state champion in both events, Fitzpatrick could face tough competition from Frey, the AA defending 100 champ. Frey is second fastest in the 100 behind Fitzpatrick with 12.64 this season. In the 200, Frey is second in AA with 26.39.

At A.R.M. last year, Fitzpatrick edged Frey in the 100 with a meet record 12.25. Fitzpatrick went on to win the 200 as well in 26.15.

In the distance races, Carlson has been unbeatable and aims to repeat in the 1,600 and 3,200 at A.R.M. again this year. The Bigfork senior has the best 1,600 time in the state for all classes (5:05.1) and the second best 3,200 time (11:38). Carlson is hot off a pair of impressive wins at the Russ Pilcher Top 10 meet on Tuesday, where she broke the record in the 1,600 with her 5:05 and followed with a win in the 800 in 2:19.82.

Daoud is also fresh off a record-setting performance at the Top 10 meet. The Whitefish senior ran the fastest all-class time in the state and broke a 10-year-old meet record in the 400 by clocking 49.77. The A.R.M. meet record in the 400 is 50.48, set by Cody Henning of Whitefish in 2004. The Class A record is 48.1, set in 1976 by Jeff Muri of Miles City.

Daoud also finished second in the 200 in Missoula with 22.74, which is second fastest in A.

Today’s forecast is cloudy with a chance for rain showers and Schulz contends that the meet will go on, barring only a weather service warning.

“We’re all systems go for (today) and we’ll have to take it as it comes,” he said.

“You encounter so many obstacles early on in a track season but when you get to May, that’s when people really start gearing up to where they need to be for the postseason,” he added. “We always say that May matters, and it’s kind of cool that our home meet is on the first of May. (Today) is a big day for us, not so much on how we do compared to other teams, but it’s the first step towards the postseason.”

The teams scheduled to compete today include Bigfork, Browning, Columbia Falls, Cut Bank, Glacier, Havre, Hot Springs, Libby, Eureka, Noxon, Plains, Polson, Ronan-St.Ignatius, Shelby, Thompson Falls and Whitefish.

The meet is named after community members and track supporters Lin Akey, Ron Rosenberg and Tim Murphy.

A.R.M. Schedule

Girls will run before boys, varsity before junior varsity

10 a.m. — field events; 10:30 a.m. — 100 trials, 1600 run, 100/110 hurdles, 100 finals, 400 relay, 3200 girls, 400, 300 hurdles, 800, 200, 3200 boys, 1600 relay

Meet Records

BOYS

100 — 10.6, Steve Heberly, Havre, 2003

200 — 22.08, Steve Heberly, Havre, 2003

400 — 50.48, Cody Henning, Whitefish, 2004

800 — 1:57.40, Matt Helgath, Whitefish, 2004

1600 — 4:25.44, Drew Coco, Whitefish, 2008

3200 — 9:57.09, Dane Steward, Plains, 2005

110 hurdles — 14.39, Taylor Ferda, Whitefish, 2006

300 hurdles — 39.60, Kris Anderson, Whitefish, 2001

400 relay — 43.92, Havre, 2003

1600 relay — 3:28.09, Whitefish (Justin Scogin, Chris Hicks, Matt Helgath, Cody Henning), 2004

Shot put — 52-4 1/2, Curtis Bean, Eureka, 2003

Discus — 168-3 1/2, Daniel Beaudin, Noxon, 2005

Javelin — 204-9, Blaine Baker, Libby, 2005

Long jump — 22-3, Trevor Gunlock, Polson, 2000

Triple jump — 45-0 1/4, Chris Hicks, Whitefish, 2006

High jump — 6-7, Chris Hicks, Whitefish, 2004

Pole vault — 14-6, Trevor Gunlock, Polson, 2000

GIRLS

100 — 12.25, Deni Fitzpatrick, Cut Bank, 2009

200 — 25.87, Courtney Ferda, Whitefish, 2005

400 — 58.65, Misha Trotter, Hamilton, 2007

800 — 2:19.56, Brooke Andrus, Bigfork, 2005

1600 — 5:12.72, Lauren Dalton, Bigfork, 2004

3200 — 11:46.29, Lauren Kuennen, Whitefish, 2008

100 hurdles — 15.41, Ashley Ferda, Whitefish, 2005

300 hurdles — 46.95, Ashley Ferda, Whitefish, 2005

400 relay — 50.09, Glacier (Kayla Smart, Maddey Frey, Nicole Hall, Rachel Cutler), 2009

1600 relay — 4:06.20, Hamilton (M. Trotter, A. Mildenberger, A. Toews, M. Jones), 2007

Shot put — 43-9, Bree Fuqua, Polson, 2000

Discus — 143-0, Bree Fuqua, Polson, 2000

Javelin — 131-3, Dani Finley, Charlo, 2003

Long jump — 16-8 1/2, Rachel Cutler, Glacier, 2009

Triple jump — 35-3, Johanna Closson, Whitefish, 2002

High jump — 5-4, Sarah Hislop, Columbia Falls, 2003

Pole vault — 10-0, Ketti Wilhelm, Columbia Falls, 2009