Northern C teams highlight KG/Cal Wearley invite

After the unpredictable Montana spring weather forced the postponement of the KG/Cal Wearley Invitational Track meet last Wednesday, the meet featuring some of the top track teams in the Northern C will be held tomorrow at the Havre Middle School Track, as always, weather permitting.

The host KouGars are coming off a successful showing at the Chinook Invitational this past weekend. The KG boys team finished second at the meet behind Havre High which is an impressive feat considering the KouGar boys have only 14 athletes on its squad.

"We've got only 14 boys," said KG head coach Butch Marshall. "But 10 of those 14 are juniors and seniors. That experience really helps us. We hope it carries over all season."

KG got solid performances from seniors Casey Crites and Thomas Marshall last weekend. Crites finished second in the 100 meter dash running a personal and school record 11.0 seconds. He also added a second in the 200 and a win in the high jump.

Marshall captured a pair of seconds in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles and third in the long jump.

"Both of them are going to score a majority of our points," Marshall said. "But we should also get some points from kids like Forest LeTang, Jarrod Gomke and Luke Antonich."

Antonich won the pole vault clearing 12 feet while LeTang and Gomke finished third and fifth in the shot put.

While the KG boys have a wealth of upperclassmen, the same could not be said for the KG girls squad, which is down in numbers a little compared to the past. It's a trend that Marshall said is taking place all over the Hi-Line.

"The number of girls competing in track in the Northern C is really down this year," Marshall said. "There are some great individual athletes but there isn't a whole lot of deep teams."

Marshall has one of those great individual athletes leading his girls squad. Senior Kim Berg has returned from yet another knee injury and appears to be heading for her third consecutive state title in the javelin.

Besides Berg, Marshall has high hopes for Cady Arifin.

"Cady could really help us in the hurdles and jumps," Marshall said. "She didn't perform well last week. But its still pretty early and I'm she'll be better tomorrow."

Indeed, it's still very early in the 2003 track season with most teams having competed in only one meet.

In fact, much of the competition from last weekend's meet will be back in Havre. The meet will feature almost all of the team's that will be at the Northern C Divisional later in the season.

"The kids know its early in the year," Marshall said. "Last weekend gave us a starting point for our workouts and conditioning. We are still peaking for May. As the weather gets warmer and season gets longer, the times and distances will improve."

The field events for tomorrow's meet will begin at 9 a.m. while the running events will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Havre Middle School Track.