Flathead's Perrin nabs Gatorade award

Flathead High School’s Jake Perrin was named the Gatorade Montana boys track and field athlete of the year, the company announced Friday.

Perrin has risen quickly the last two years, winning the state 1,600-meter championship his junior year before exploding onto the scene in his final year at Flathead.

The future Gonzaga distance runner won the Class AA state cross country championship in the fall before setting all-class state records in the 1,600 (4:12.06) and 3,200 (9:04.35) this spring.

“It’s tremendous, he did all the right things this year,” Braves coach Dan Hodge said. “He trained hard all year indoors, he trained hard all winter outdoors. He did everything correct to make himself an elite athlete.

“He did everything that he had to do to make himself the best distance runner in the state this year. He, undoubtedly, has to be classified right now as the best high school distance runner in the history of the state of Montana. He holds both records in the 1,600 and the 3,200. How can you doubt that he’s the best?”

He continued his strong spring past graduation, setting a record mark in the two-mile at the prestigious Brooks PR Invitational last week, finishing 12th in 8:58.09, a mark that converts to the fastest distance time ever run by a Montana boy.

“He ran a good race, they were just better athletes,” Hodge said of the 12th place finish at the elite race.

“He’s not going to quit because of that. When he runs into a problem he makes an adjustment in what he’s doing and tries to make himself better. He learns from what he’s doing.

“He’s a very smart runner. He learned an awful lot during his two years of running.”

Perrin is the fifth Brave to win the award and the second in his family. His older brother, Zach, won the award in 2012. Flathead jumper Matthew Tokarz was given the honor in 2013 and distance runners Seth Grossman in 2007 and David Vidal in 2000 and 2001.

Perrin graduated with a 3.10 GPA and was a representative on student council.