Glasgow Boys Four-peat at Districts

GEORGIE KULCZYK

THE COURIER

For the fourth year in a row, the Glasgow boys' track team has claimed first place at the District 2B Meet. The top tier of the awards podium was decorated with red and white in 11 events, with 23 other placers filling in the gaps.

Despite nursing a sore knee, leading the boys to the win was stand-out Benji Phillips with three individual wins and a second-place finish in one event. Head coach Tim Phillips said, "We're really just focusing on competing but doing it safely and saving up that energy for state."

Phillips was happy with the boys in their field events. "The vaulters really brought it," he said, "and that group just keeps pushing each other higher and higher. Chase Hughes has been out with a quad issue, but came back and set a personal best at 11'6."

Cade Myrick continues to improve in the javelin. Phillips explained, "He threw a 15-foot PR right after running the 3200m."

Phillips was also impressed with the distance runners. "The 3200m was real fun to watch, with four of them packed together at the front. For Walker (Allen) to win as a senior with this many quality runners is an outstanding achievement - he set an 8-second PR. Ellis (McKean) really set the tempo of the race and had a 13-second best. Cade improved by 11 seconds."

In the hurdle events, Tayson Hoerster was a nice surprise for the team, and both Luke Breigenzer and Ethan Etchart looked very strong, according to Phillips. "Tayson is coming back from a hamstring issue, so to place in the 300s is pretty awesome," he said.

Phillips likes the boys' chances at Divisionals. "I think the boys have a good shot to win," he said. "Fairfield will give us a good run, but I think our distance points will hold up pretty well if we have a good day there. I like our chances."

The Glasgow girls were unable to defend their 10 consecutive district titles, placing second overall just behind Malta. Alex Simensen led the lady tracksters with her three individual wins and the always-consistent short relay team grabbed another first-place finish.

The girls have been fighting a number of illnesses and injuries. "I might have had five girls that were entirely healthy on Saturday. We've missed so much training time fighting illness this year," Phillips said. "I thought the girls really fought through it all though."

According to Phillips, Julia Kolstad has been recovering from an illness the past two months, and the team has a few injuries to work through as well. "Karissa (Liebelt) was fighting a bad back but bettered her triple jump by almost a foot and a half'," Phillips explained.

"Brooke Westby was very sick on Saturday, but still somehow managed to get through two distance races," Phillips pointed out.

With Jordan Kulczyk dealing with a strained quad, Phillips plans on easing her through the next couple weeks in an effort to have her available to run both relays at state. "If we can get her healthy," he said, "I really think we can be top two in both relays."

Brinlie Nielsen has been battling some ankle issues as well. "We'll minimize their activity and honestly won't hammer very hard on the rest of them either," said Phillips. 

Even at full strength, Phillips didn't think the Scotties could have quite caught Malta. " But even at full strength, i don't think we could have quite caught Malta. "They are just super strong this year," he explained. "I figure it will be Bigfork and Malta at state this year for girls."

With some of the girls even volunteering to compete in events they had little experience in, Glasgow scored two more points than they did at districts last year. "I really couldn't have asked for much more, said Phillips.

"Alaina (Sallee) was real discouraged when she was called for a false start in the 300m hurdles," said Phillips, "but she came back and hit a three-foot PR in the triple."

Four of five discus throwers set personal bests on Saturday, and the other placed in the top six to advanced to Divisionals. "Teagan (Fossum) and Katie (Kaiser) have both made great leaps in the javelin the past two weeks," said Phillips.

"If the girls bring the same heart, guts and intensity, and they get some of their strength back, I think we should be a strong second at Divisionals," said Phillips.

Boys

Team Scores: 1 Glasgow 206; 2 Malta 118; 3 Harlem 86; 4 Wolf Point 73; 5 Poplar 40.

Individual results:

Walker Allen: 1st - 3200m run, 10:48.90 (PR); 5th - 1600m run, 5:08.52; 5th - 800m run, 2:17.07 (PR).

Merlin McKean: 4th - 1600m run, 5:07.00; 5th - 3200m run, 11:02.34.

Benji Phillips: 1st - 200m dash, 23.40; 2nd - 100m dash, 11.68; 1st - long jump, 19-11.50; 1st - javelin, 182-09.

Trevor Toavs: 1st - discus, 133-03; 4th - shot put, 40-03.00.

Cade Myrick: 1st - 800m run, 2:13.23; 3rd - 3200m run, 10:51.06 (PR); 1st - 1600m run, 5:04.03; 5th - javelin, 149-09 (PR).

Chase Hughes: 1st – pole vault, 11-06.00 (PR).

Luke Breigenzer: 1st – 110m hurdles, 16.19; 1st – 300m hurdles, 42.08.

Ethan Etchart: 3rd – 110m hurdles, 17.32; 3rd – 300m hurdles, 44.90; 6th – 400m dash, 57.64.

Kyle Ross: 2nd – pole vault, 11-00.00.

Logan Gunderson: 3rd – pole vault, 11-00.00. Gunderson also achieved a PR in the 200m dash with a time of 26.62.

Tayson Hoerster: 6th – 300m hurdles, 48.95 (PR). Hoerster also achieved a PR in the 110m hurdles with a time of 20.46.

Ellis McKean: 2nd – 1600m run, 5:05.31; 2nd – 3200m run, 10:49.16 (PR).

Trent Herbert: 5th – 100m dash, 12.48; 6th – triple jump, 36-09.50.

Brett Glaser: 6th – 100m dash, 12.53; 4th – 200m dash, 25.08; 5th – 400m dash, 55.87 (PR).

Cody King: 4th - pole vault, 10-00.00.

4x100m relay: L. Breigenzer, E. Etchart, T. Herbert, B. Phillips – 1st, 45.65.

4x400m relay: T. Hoerster, S. Sinclair, E. Jamba, G. Lloyd – 2nd, 4:07.80.

Girls

Team Scores: 1 Malta 230; 2 Glasgow 200.50; 3 Wolf Point 49.50; 4 Poplar 25; 5 Harlem 10.

Individual results:

Alex Simensen: 1st – 100m dash, 12.95 (PR); 1st – 200m dash, 27.19; 1st - 400m dash, 1:01.87 (PR); 5th – pole vault, 7-06.

Jordan Kulczyk: 2nd – long jump, 15-04.00; 5th – javelin, 99-10.00.

Kaylee King: 6th – 100m hurdles, 20.68; 5th – 300m hurdles, 1:01.54; 5th – high jump, 4-08.00; 3rd – pole vault, 7-06.00.

Baylie Chappell: 2nd – 100m dash, 13.04 (PR); 3rd – 200m dash, 28.85; 2nd – 400m dash, 1:03.39; 6th – high jump, 4-06.00, 5th – long jump, 14-03.00. Chappell also established a PR in the 400m dash with a time of 63.39.

Karissa Liebelt: 4th – long jump, 14-07.50; 4th – triple jump, 31-05.25 (PR). Liebelt also achieved a PR in the 200m dash with a time of 29.94.

Teagan Fossum: 3rd – 800m run, 2:35.47; 2nd – 1600m run, 6:00.44 (PR); 2nd – 3200m run, 13.20.90 (PR); 3rd – javelin, 101-10.00 (PR).

Brooke Westby: 5th – 1600m run, 6:19.11; 4th – 3200m run, 14:31.80.

Emily Kolstad: 5th – 200m dash, 29.22; 3rd – 400m dash, 1:04.27. Kolstad also achieved a PR in the 100m dash with a time of 13.74.

Julia Kolstad: 6th – 100m dash, 13.74; 2nd – 100m hurdles, 17.46; 3rd – 300m hurdles, 51.73 (PR).

Morgan Guttenberg: 6th – 800m run, 2:47.27 (PR); 6th – 1600m run, 6:19.39; 3rd – 3200m run, 13:45.60 (PR).

Andrea Hansen: 3rd – discus, 80-09.00.

Leinie Hughes: 3rd – shot put, 34-00.25 (PR).

Brinlie Nielsen: 6th – 400m dash, 1:10.28; 4th – 800m run, 2:43.33; 6th – pole vault, 6-06.00 (PR).

Alaina Sallee: 5th – 100m hurdles, 19.98; 6th – high jump, 4-06.00; 3rd – triple jump, 32-04.00 (PR).

Katie Kaiser: 4th – pole vault, 7-06.00; 6th – javelin, 99-06.00 (PR). Kaiser also achieved a PR in the high jump with a jump of 4-02.00 and the 100m hurdles with a time of 22.48..

Hannah Mickelson: 6th – discus, 74-02.00 (PR).

4x100m relay: B. Nielsen, J. Kulczyk, J. Kolstad, E. Kolstad – 1st, 53.13.

4x400m relay: M. Guttenberg, K. King, T. Fossum, E. Kolstad – 3rd, 4:43.73.

Also achieving new PRs: Auguste Salyards in the shot put with a throw of 22-10.05, and the discus with a throw of 52-50.00; and Natosha Sand in the discus with a throw of 62-00.00.

The Scotties will be in Great Falls for the divisional meet on Saturday, May 21.