Long relays left Eureka to sweep of 7-B meet

LIBBY — Eureka swept the District 7-B track and field meet Saturday, and the Lions had to run strong 1,600-meter relays to take both titles.

The Lions trailed by two in the boys team race before winning the long relay and surpassing the Superior Bobcats, 143-138. The Lady Lions trailed Superior by one point before the relay, but by the end had 127 points to 122 for the Bobcats.

Eureka had wins from Jesse Day in the javelin, Cole Sartori in the 400 (52.91 seconds, a personal record) and Josh Lambertsen (23.44 in the 200, another PR). Emmett Manges, Lambertsen, Sartori and Timothy Schmidt ran the long relay in 3:37.75.

Lambertsen was also second in the pole vault (to Superior’s Lucas Kovalsky) and ran on the Lions 400-meter relay that finished second to Superior.

Troy’s Nolan Morris was the lone boys double-winner, winning the 800 and 1,600.

Mission’s Rhain Gonzalez and Isaac Umphrey went 1-2 in the long jump.

Plains was third in the team race at 77, and Troy had 75, followed by Thompson Falls (63) and Mission (58).

Eureka’s Haidyn Guckenberg swept the girls hurdles races, and ran the anchor leg on that long relay. Hattie Neesvig, Kara Stanger and Willow Cohen got the baton to Guckenberg, a sophomore. 

That helped Eureka overcome the disqualification of one its 1,600 runners; so did depth. The only other Lion win came from Karli Campbell in the long jump. 

Alexis Deming of Plains claimed the shot put and discus titles. 

Trinity Riffle of Thompson Falls won the 100 and 200, and the Blue Hawks were third in the girls team race with 103 points. Plains was next at 95, followed by Troy (33) and Mission (one).

Full meet results can be found at athletic.net.