MHSA: Big track meets possible this spring

The Montana High School Association released recommendations for spring sports Friday, with the most eye-catching being the possibility of larger track and field meets.

While dual and triangular meets are recommended and encouraged, the MHSA did include participation limits for bigger meets.

For meets with 4-10 teams, there can be no more than five entries per team per event. For 11-20 teams the limit drops to four; and for 20-25 teams it drops to three.

Schools would need to check with local county health boards on holding multi-team meets, but it leaves open the possibility of a meet the size of the annual Archie Roe Invitational, which is not on the schedule this spring in Kalispell.

The Class AA schools have already put together duals-only schedules ahead of divisionals, and Glacier activities director Mark Dennehy called it “highly doubtful” that a meet like the Archie Roe could or would now be run.

Reached Friday, MHSA executive director Mark Beckman noted Friday’s recommendations, directives and requirements had to wait until the executive board had a feel for how the pandemic would affect things going forward. But, he confirmed, bigger meets are on the table.

“If they want to adjust, they can,” Beckman said. “That’s up to them.

“We encourage the duals and triangular and then if they want to have bigger meets they can follow that criteria.”

Flathead opens its track season April 3 with a dual at Missoula Sentinel; Whitefish and Bigfork come to Legends Stadium on April 6. Glacier opens its season April 2 at Helena Capital, and on April 6 hosts a triangular with Columbia Falls and Eureka.

Other recommendations are that multi-team softball tournaments can be held if at a complex with more than one field, and entry and exit is controlled; likewise with tennis, duals are encouraged but multi-team events can be held at venues with multiple courts.

Glacier’s softball team has its first game at home against Columbia Falls on April 8; Flathead plays Libby the same day at Kidsport.

The Flathead and Glacier tennis teams spring into action against the Helena schools April 3 in Kalispell.