Ponies get back on the track

After a hectic early start to the season, the Havre High track team got a nice break for Easter and is now well rested as the pace picks up again, starting Saturday at the Belgrade Invitational.

Both Havre teams, along with a number of other Class A, Class B and Class C teams, will head to Belgrade for the invitational track meet. It will be the team’s first meet since April 13.

While the season was busy early on in the season, it offered both Havre teams a chance to get some great experience in different competitive environments and so far this season, both teams have done well.

The Havre girls have finished second in their last three meets and did so again Last Thursday in Cut Bank. What has allowed the Pony girls to do so well early in the season in the impressive depth that they have built throughout their roster? It seems that in just about every event, Havre has a solid athlete or two, with the ability to score points.

That is certainly the case with the hurdles, where Logan Huebsch, who has won the 100-meter hurdles and the 300 hurdles multiple times this season, leads the way for Havre. But she is joined by Ireland Coyne, who has placed in the 100 each time she has competed in it as well this season.

In the field events, Havre has proven to be very strong. Senior Kristen Nash has won a couple of discus titles this season, while another thrower, Jordan Keith, has done well in the shot put and javelin.

In the jumping events, the HHS girls also have a slew of standout performers.

Sarah Faber and Jessa Chvilicek have both won the high jump at different meets this year and both have the ability to perform well in other jumps as well. Caitlyn Terry is another that has placed consistently in the long jump and triple jumps, along with Amelia Beard, who has done the same.

Both Havre relay teams have also shown promise this season in the sprints as both Tayler Marinkovich and Chvilicek have been able to produce points in the 100.

The boys team doesn’t have quite as many consistent point getters as the girls team right now, but more and more individuals are starting to contribute. One of the top performers all season has been Jacob LaBrie, who is a standout in the 400 and the long relay. But, he has dealt with some injury issues that have limited him from entering events this season.

Another individual that has done well this season for the Havre boys is Austin Jones, who won the 3,200-meter run in Cut Bank and also finished third in the 300 hurdles. Jones was also part of the 1,600-relay team along with LaBrie, Marc Woronick and Jakob Keller. Keller has also proven he can get points in the 1,600 individual race.

Other promising contributors that have shown growth in recent weeks are sophomores Martin Wilkie and Lane Paulson. Wilkie placed in the pole vault in Cut Bank, right behind freshman Mason Rismon, who finished second. Andrew VandenBos also placed in the mile at Cut Bank and is another potential point scorer along with freshman Tanner Parsons, who stood out in the jumps.

The action in Belgrade will get underway at 9:30 Saturday morning.