HHS harriers run well in Lewistown

With the Central A Divisional cross country meet just weeks away, the Havre High cross country teams continue to prepare and train for its most important race of the season.

To that end, the Blue Ponies were back in action last week against quality competition from both Class AA and Class A.

A week after running in the Mountain West Classic in Missoula, the Ponies took part in the Lewistown Invitational Friday. Despite some very good individual performances, the Havre teams struggled overall. The Pony girls finished fifth out of six teams with a total of 135 points.

Billings Skyview took first in the girls competition with 73 points, followed in second place by Hardin with 101 and Lewistown in third with 104.

On the boys side of things, the Ponies did not fare much better. HHS finished sixth out of nine teams with 179 points. Billings Skyview also won the boys meet with 40 points. Laurel was second with 59 points and Hardin was third with 60.

Despite the lack of team success, the day was not all bad for Havre runners as both Morgan Mazurkiewicz and Rachel David finished in Top 10 for the Pony girls. Mazurkiewicz was No. 8 overall with a time of 21:43, while David came in 10th with a time of 21:56.

The next best finisher for the Ponies last Friday was Tori Mazurkiewicz, who finished No. 27 overall with a time of 25:04. Rounding out the remainder of the varsity runners for the Pony girls were Rainey Stoner, who finished No. 28 overall with a time of 25:12, Maya Reed, who finished No. 42 overall with a time of 25:43, Marca Herron, who finished at No. 43 overall with a time of 25:43 and Meggie Zook, who finished at No. 47 overall with a time of 21:56.

“Rachel and Morgan ran a very good race,” HHS head coach Darci Heninger said. “They ran hard and it’s good to have Morgan back, she has been kind of injured and when those two are running they have a good pace with each other. Rainey Stoner also ran well. She is improving every week.”

Things did not go as well at the top for the HHS boys but Brandon Robertson was the Ponies’ top runner again this week with a time of 18:13 to finish No. 22 overall. Jamie Lieberg also ran a solid race, finishing No. 35 overall with a time of 19:24.

Next to cross the finish line for the Ponies was Sundance Lodge, who ran a time of 19:29 to finish at No. 37 overall. At No. 42 overall was Austin Jones of Havre, who ran a time of 20:09, then it was Cameron Knapton, who ran a time of 20:22 to finish at No. 43 overall.

Closing things out for the Pony boys were Dylan Stewart, who finished No. 50 overall with a time of 20:57 and Ryan Stewart, who posted a time of 23:34 to finish at No. 60 overall.

“It was a tough race for the boys,” Heninger said. “There was a lot of tough competition. The runners that they have to go up against are just so good that they are going to have to work really, really hard if they want to do well at divisionals and state.”

The Ponies are now in the stretch run of their 2014 season and after competing in Lewistown Saturday, they are just three weeks away from running in the Central A Divisional meet on Oct.18. So with the season about to reach its climax, the Ponies are focused on fine tuning in order to peak at the right time.

“At this point in the season our times should really be better,” Heninger said. “So we need to really work on improving our individual times and our pack times and making sure that we are running smart races. I think we are getting there, we just need to keep working really hard and keep improving to place well at divisionals and state.”

The Ponies will get their first and only opportunity to run in front of the hometown fans this Saturday, when they will host the Havre Invitational. The meet will get underway at 10 a.m.

Lewistown Invitational

GIRLS

Team scores -- Billings Skyview 73, Hardin 101, Lewistown 104, Laurel 127, Havre 135, Columbus 190.

Top 10 -- 1, Amanda Nelson, Sky, 18:42; 2, Keegan Day, Sky, 19:31; 3, BreElle Wacker, Winnett-Melstone-Grass Range, 19:59; 4, Cierra LaVe, 21:27; 5, Kaitlyn Poss, Lew, 21:28; 6, Tina Eike, Hobson-Moore-Judith Gap, 21:37; 7, Mei Li Stevens, Hardin, 21:40; 8, Morgan Mazurkiewciz, Havre, 21:43; 9, Morgan Jones, Huntley Project, 21:45; 10, Rachel David, Havre, 21:56.

Havre – 8. Morgan Mazurkiewicz, 21:43; 10. Rachel David, Havre 21:56; 27. Tori Mazurekiewicz,. 25:04; 28. Rainey Stoner, 25:12; 42. Maya Reed, 25:43; 43. Marca Herron, 25:43; 47. Maggie Zook, 26:49;

BOYS

Team scores -- Billings Skyview 40, Laurel 59, Hardin 60, Lewistown 121, Livingston 158, Havre 179, Billings Central 181, Columbus 237.

Top 10 -- 1, Ty Mogan, Lau, 16:12; 2, Caleb Ware, Har, 17:05; 3, Nicholas Painter, Sky, 17:22; 4, Connor Chirrick, Sky, 17:34; 5, Tate Thompson, Central, 17:35; ;7, Jalen Two Leggins, Har, 17:44; 7, R.J. Gill, Lau, 17:46; 8, Michael Augustine, Sky, 17:48; 9, Jakob Kok, Sky, 17:49; 10, Lonnie Shield, Har, 17:53.

Havre - 22. Brandon Robertson, 18:39; 35. Jaime Lieberg, 19:24; 37. Sundance Lodge, 19:29; 42. Austin Jones, 20:09; 43. Cameron Knapton, 20:22; 50. Dylan Stewart, 20:57; 60. Ryan Stewart, 23:34.