Havre track teams head to Super Divisional

The Havre High basketball and wrestling teams have already experienced the Eastern A Super Divisional and now it's time for the Blue Pony track teams to compete in their own super divisional.

The Eastern A Divisional track meet, starts today in Laurel at 2 p.m. The meet will continue Saturday, with the action getting underway at 10 a.m.

"This super divisional is really exciting I think," HHS head coach John Ita said. "It's better competition all the way around. In the old Central A, we could qualify a lot of kids just because. Our relay teams just had to show up to qualify, but it's not that way anymore. Our boys 400 relay team is ranked fifth and we are going to have to have a good day just to qualify (for state).

Because of the expanded divisional format, things will be a bit different than in year's past at divisional track. For starters, instead of the top six finishers advancing to the Class A state meet, it will be now the top 10. The top five teams in relay competitions will also qualify for state.

Yet, some HHS athletes have already punched their ticket to the state meet in Bozeman on May 27-28. Some of those include Nate Rismon, Michael Loftus, Naomi Terry and the 1,600 meter boys relay team, which currently is the top-ranked long relay team in Class A.

"We have the top relay team in the state, but with the exception of Columbia Falls, the other four or five best teams are all going to be in this super divisional," Ita said. "So we are going to have to run well. We told all the kids a couple of weeks ago where they stand. We had some that were around the top and some that were close to placing. We just wanted them to know where they stand and that some of them, needed to work really hard to make sure that they qualify."

While both Havre teams will compete against Lewistown, Livingston, Belgrade and Browning, like usual, Sidney, Miles City, Glendive, Laurel, Hardin and Billings Central will also be in attendance.

There may be a few Havre athletes who are already going to state, but the majority of them are going to need to qualify in Laurel and after a strong close to the season, Ita is bringing a large contingent of athletes to the divisional.

"There are three reasons why we take kids to divisionals," Ita said. "Some of them have a chance to win, some of them have a chance to place and all of them have a chance to get a PR. That is what you are looking at."

The Havre boys should definitely get points from the 1,600 relay, but they will also be looking for good performances out of Rismon and Loftus in the sprinting events. Loftus has been dominant in the 100 and the 200. Rismon has excelled in the 200 and the 400. He also has a chance to make state in the pole vault as well.

Speaking of the pole vault, Ivar Aageson will be looking to punch another ticket to state in that event, while Luke Karnauskas will be participating in the 400, 800 and high jump. Jacob LaBrie, is another Havre runner who will be in the 400. Ethan Roberts is a freshman who will compete in sprinting events also.

In the throwing events, Havre will send Thomas Keith, Travis Adams and Shawn Raty. Nik Keller will compete in the jumps and is another Pony who has a chance to reach the state meet. Others who will be in action for Havre include Jacob Keller, Lane Paulson, Austin Jones, Trevor Williams, Brandon Shaw and Keldon Sullivan.

On the girls side of things, the Ponies also have a strong roster set to go to divisionals, led by Terry, who has been a standout performer in both the 100 and the 200 this season for HHS.

Yet, she is not the only Havre girl with her sights set on a solid performance this weekend. Logan Huebsch and Ireland Coyne, who each compete in the 100 and 300 hurdles, are capable of strong finishes, and in the distance events, Rachel David can more than hold her own, as can fellow senior Megan Erickson.

In the throwing events, HHS will be led by Kristen Nash, who qualified for state a season ago and Jordan Keith. In the field events, Loni Waid, Amelia Beard and Kaylee Nystrom are some of the stronger field participants for HHS.

Others who will be in action for the Ponies are Caitlyn Terry, Tayler Markinovich, Sarah Faber, Addison Kinsella, Jillian Dorns and Megan Whitford.

"With the competition being much better the kids know there is really no room for error," Ita said. "I think it will be exciting and the kids are excited for it. One thing is you never know who is going to compete because sometimes a kid might take it easy if they have already qualified for state, but we are not going to do that. We are going to run everybody. We have had a couple weeks off, so we should have fresh legs and I am expecting a good performance from us."

The Eastern A Super-Divisional track meet starts today in Laurel at 2 and will continue Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.