Scottie Track And Field Wins Boys And Girls Divisional Titles

The wheels keep on turning.

Like a fine-tuned machine, the Glasgow track and field team kept on trucking in Divisonals this past weekend.

The boys and girls team captured first place again over the weekend as Scottie Head Coach John LaBonty and his team have their sights set on a State Championship when they compete in Butte this weekend.

"We went down there feeling pretty confident," Labonty said of his team's performance in Great Falls. "We only had a couple of hiccups, but the rest of the team performed really well and that's how you win championships."

Even though Glasgow has rolled through the competition in Districts and Divisionals, Labonty is careful in crowning his team as state champs.

Labonty said that there are a few schools that remain in Glasgow's way for a state title including: Plains, Malta, Eureka and Thompson Falls.

"When you get down to State, everybody is evenly matched and just depends on what teams have a good day and what teams don't."

On its way to Divisional titles, Glasgow's athletes set approximately 20 new personal records in the process.

On the boys side, Chase Fossum set three personal records. Fossum set a new personal record (PR) in the long jump at 20-04 ½.

Fossum then followed up with two more PRs in high jump at 6-04 and the 200 with a time 23.30.

Fossum said his day initially didn't start out so well as he missed qualifying for the triple jump, but when he started setting new PRs, his performance in the triple jump took a backseat.

Fossum's mark in the high jump tied for fourth in the Glasgow record books, an honor in which Fossum is proud to be apart of.

"It's pretty prestigious company," Fossum said. "They didn't get in the record books very easy either."

On the girls side, runner Rachael Zeiger tied the Scottie school record in the 800 set by Marge Markle with a time of 2:20.97.

Zeiger also qualified for the 1,600 and 400 at the State Meet, but said that any times she put up this season will need to improve even more if she wants to win.

"It's not going to be easy," Zeiger said. "There's some great competition throughout the state and you never know how you're going to end up at State because nothing stays the same."

Besides Zeiger wanting to bring home a title as a team, she also noted that there's some unfinished business she has to take care of with the 800.

"When I was a freshman, I remember I ran 2:22 at an event," Zeiger said. "I remember [Marge Markle] showing me the time and saying that she wanted me to be the one to beat her time."

That proved to be easier said than done.

After not accomplishing that task in her sophomore or junior seasons, Zeiger came into her senior campaign more determined than ever to do it.

"Things really didn't work out the past couple of seasons," Zeiger said. "I think what drove me in going after it so strongly this year is because I have no more chances."

Zeiger said that after a phone call to Markle last Sunday to tell her the news that she tied her record, Markle responded with more words of encouragement.

"[Marge] told me that she wants me to call her next Sunday when I break her record for the 800," Zeiger said with a grin.

As the team prepares for their final meet of the season and possibility of returning to Glasgow as state champions, Labonty said that winning the title or finishing in second could be decided by a handful of points

"Both of my state championships with the girls and the one with the boys were tough," Labonty said. "We're as good as any State Championship team I've coached. It's going to be a close race and that fifth place finish for two points might make a difference."

As Labonty refrained from pounding the proverbial chest of a team that hasn't seen much of a challenge so far this season, Fossum didn't hesitate to make it known what's on the minds of every Scottie track and field member.

"We're going into State with the same idea that we went into Districts and Divisionals," Fossum said. "To win it."