Archie Roe draws 18 schools, state's top athletes
Always one of the largest track and field meets in Montana, this year’s Archie Roe Invitational may also be one of the deepest.
With 18 schools in attendance, athletes with the state’s top mark will compete in 12 events at the meet and 18 events feature at least four competitors in the top 20 in all classes.
Today’s meet is be highlighted by a field with a handful of marvelous multi-event athletes and deep fields in the jumps and distance events.
The boys high jump will feature nine of the top 16 jumpers in the state, all having cleared at least 6 feet, 2 inches.
The state’s top high jumper, Whitefish’s Jed Nagler, has cleared 6-6 and will also be featured in the sprints, where he has posted top times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes for the Bulldogs.
Troy’s Sean Opland has top 15 marks this season in four different events.
Flathead’s Jake Perrin and Sylas Schutt and Bigfork’s Logan Morley are in the top six of both the 1,600 and 3,200. Seven of the top 14 two-milers in the state are here.
The state’s top athletes in all three throwing events will also be present, with a pair of returning state champions dominating the field this season. Missoula Hellgate’s Zayne Babbitt leads the state by more than three feet in the shot put and discus and Whitefish’s Jake May is the top javelin thrower by more than two feet.
If there’s a multitude of athletes on the boys side, the girls aren’t slacking.
Plains’ Hailey Phillips has posted some of the state’s best times in the 100, 200, 400 and is one of the state’s fastest hurdlers.
Freshmen Annie Hill of Glacier and Bryn Morley of Bigfork have traded turns at the top of the state’s distance marks. Morley currently holds the top time in the 800 and Hill in the 1,600 and 3,200, though each should expect a full field in those events. Five of the top 10 athletes in the 800, four of the top five in the 1,600 and five of the top nine in the 3,200 will be at the meet.
The javelin should also be quite a competition, with Glacier’s Keyawna Larson, the state’s top thrower, leading a field with five of the top eight marks in the state this season.
The meet starts at 10 a.m. at Legends Stadium.
Archie Roe Invitational
Meet Records
Girls
100 — Marlow Schulz, Whitefish, 12.5, 2014
200 — Marlow Schulz, Whitefish, 25.5, 2013
400 — Marlow Schulz, Whitefish, 57.26, 2013
800 — Makena Morley, Bigfork, 2:16.2, 2014
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 and Claudine Robinson, Hellgate, 14.4, 1989
300 Hurdles — Hailey Phillips, Plains, 44.61, 2013
400 Relay — Flathead, 49.34, 2013
1,600 Relay — Flathead, 4:03.1, 2007
Shot Put — Laine Botchek, Big Sky, 44-6.25, 1999
Discus — Bree Fuga, Polson, 148-9, 1999
New Javelin — Marissa Tschida, 141-6, 2005
High Jump — Lexi Boschee, Glacier, 5-9, 2012 and Brenda Naber, Havre, 5-9, 1992
Long Jump — Tess Brenneman, Flathead, 19-7, 2010
Triple Jump — Kasey Harwood, Polson, 37-4.5, 2004
Pole Vault — Melinda Own, Polson, 12-3, 2003,
Boys
100 — Graig Galle, Flathead, 10.70, 1995
200 — Ralph Demsey, Cut Bank, 21.90, 1991
400 — Cody Henning, Whitefish, 49.25, 2004
800 — David Vidal, Flathead, 1:55.9, 2001
1,600 — Zach Perrin, Flathead, 4:16.6, 2013
3,200 — Zach Perrin, Flathead, 9:13.3, 2013
110 Hurdles — Jamison Banna, Flathead, 14.10, 1988
300 Hurdles — Drew Owens, Flathead, 38.91, 2010
400 Relay — Hellgate, 42.90, 2002
1,600 Relay — Whitefish, 3:28.8, 2004
Shot Put — Scott Steckel, Havre, 60-5.5, 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, 22-7.5, 2000
Triple Jump — Matt Tokarz, Flathead, 47-5.5, 2013
Pole Vault — Curt Rogers, Whitefish, 15-6, 2007