Archie Roe loaded with talent, teams
With just two weeks until divisionals, time is winding down for local track teams to get their events in order in time for state.
Today’s Archie Roe Invitational is one of the last big meets on the schedule and should present some exciting events at Legends Stadium.
“This is the time you need to find out what your kids are doing,” Flathead boys coach Dan Hodge said.
“You need to get kids into events they’ll be running at divisionals.”
With 15 teams, including three AA squads and almost every team in the Flathead Valley, there should be no shortage of great matchups at the top of each event.
Possibly the most intriguing event of the day will be one of the longest. The top three 1,600 meter runners in the state, Columbia Falls’ Derrick Williams, Glacier’s Troy Fraley and Flathead’s Zach Perrin, each have turned in times under 4:24 this season and could make for an extremely tight race. Perrin won the event at the Archie Roe last year, though Williams has turned in the fastest time this season. Each of the three runners has also turned in top times in the 800 and 3,200.
In the field, the javelin will feature four of the top five throwers in the state this season, including last year’s Archie Roe winner in Todd Ogden of Glacier.
“This meet ususally brings out the best in the events,” Hodge said.
“These schools will come in and each team will have two or three kids that are really good.”
The girls should be extremely exciting in the sprints and the jumps. Whitefish’s Marlow Shulz, who swept the 100, 200 and 400 at the Archie Roe last season, has been pushed by teammate Amanda Foley in the shorter events, while Polson’s Anna DiGiallonardo has been just as fast. Add in Flathead’s Tess Brenneman and Loyola speedster Tawnie Kerr and there should be some blazing fast times today.
With no prelims in the 100 this year, the last heat will feature the fastest of the bunch, and should be more exciting than usual.
There should also be a few huge battles in the jumps where Flathead’s Brenneman and Kwyn Johnson and Glacier’s Lexy Boschee have all set multiple school and meet records this season.
Bigfork’s Makena Morley has a chance to continue her record breaking season by taking on a couple near untouchable records in the distance events. Morley will be hunting down a pair of records in the 1,600 and 3,200 set by Flathead’s Zoe Nelson in 2004.
The meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will feature varsity, junior varsity and freshman events.
Archie Roe Meet Records
BOYS
100 — Graig Galle, Flathead, 10.70, 1995
200 — Ralph Dempsey, Cut Bank, 21.90, 1991
400 — Cody Henning, Whitefish, 49.25, 2004
800 — David Vidal, Flathead, 1:55.9, 2001
1,600 — David Vidal, Flathead, 4:17.4, 2000
3,200 — Seth Watkins, Flathead, 9:23.9, 2001
110 hurdles — Jamison Banna, Flathead, 14.10, 1988
300 hurdles — Jamison Banna, Flathead, 39:00, 1988
400 relay — Hellgate (Mark Terrazas, Robb Hollenback, Mike Molloy, Joe Thompson), 42.90, 1988
1,600 relay — Whitefish (Justin Scoggin, Chris Hicks, Cody Henning, Matt Helgath), 3:23.8, 2002
Shot put — Scott Steckel, Havre, 60-5 1/2, 1980
Discus — Lee Tillman, Havre, 187-7, 1987
New Javelin — Nate Bach, Thompson Falls, 206-4, 2005
High jump — Mark Koefelda, Hellgate, 7-0, 1993
Long jump — Trevor Gunlock, Polson, 22-7, 2000
Triple jump — David Schwenk, Big Sky, 46-8 1/2, 1998
Pole vault — Curt Rogers, Whitefish, 15-6, 2007
GIRLS
100 — Kim Kindle, Eureka, 12.5, 1995; Michelle Cartwright, Havre, 12.5, 1985
200 — Emily Alspaugh, Hellgate, 25.8, 1999
400 — Kasey Harwood, Polson, 58.3, 2004
800 — Kasey Harwood, Polson, 2:16.3, 2003
1,600 — Zoe Nelson, Flathead, 5:07.3, 2004
3,200 — Zoe Nelson, Flathead, 10:27.9, 2004
100 hurdles — Lexie Miller, Flathead, 14.4, 1979; Claudine Robinson, Hellgate, 14.4, 1989
300 hurdles — Kasey Harwood, Polson, 44.91, 2003
400 relay — Flathead (Brittany Berger, Cricket Johnson, Molly Burt, Krista Jimenez), 49.66, 2003
1,600 relay — Flathead (Megan Lavin, Shannon Ross, Zoe Nelson, Krista Jimenez), 4:05.8, 2004
Shot put — Laine Botchek, Big Sky, 44-6 1/4, 1999
Discus — Bree Fuga, Polson, 148-9, 1999
New Javelin — Marissa Tschida, Loyola Sacred Heart, 141-6, 2005
High jump — Brenda Naber, Havre, 5-9, 1992
Long jump — Tanya Tesar, Columbia Falls, 17-9, 1989
Triple jump — Kasey Harwood, Polson, 37-4 1/4, 2004
Pole vault — Melinda Owen, Polson, 12-3, 2003