North Star girls reach the top

The top Hi-Line track and field athletes were in competition this weekend at the state meet, but only one local team was crowned as champion.

And that team was the North Star girls, which captured the 2012 Class C state track and field championship with relative ease Saturday in Butte.

The Knights, Big Sandy Pioneers, Chester/J-I Hawks and Chinook Sugarbeeters all sent their best boys and girls to the Class C state meet in Butte over the weekend. All the local squads were represented well this season, but it was the Knights' girls team that truly shined.

In girls action, the Knights finished as the No. 1 team with 63 points. The state title came after the Knights also took the No. 1 spot at the district 9C meet in Havre and the No. 1 spot at the Northern C meet in Great Falls earlier in the month. The Sugarbeeters also finished with 20 points, while no other local teams earned a point.

In boys action, the Beeters grabbed 11 points, the Hawks grabbed three and the Pioneers finished with two.

North Star has had an extremely strong girls team for the last half of a decade, but this season they put an exclamation point on things with a state title.

"For these girls to realize all of their goals this season is pretty amazing," North Star head coach Brian Campbell said to the Great Falls Tribune Saturday. "This is our very first state championship as North Star High School, and we're blessed to have amazing coaches and fantastic athletes."

Haylee Anderson helped lead the Knights to a title after a very strong season in the sprints. Anderson was one of the favorites entering the weekend, and managed to run away with two No. 2 finishes. Anderson finished second in the 100-meter with a time of 13.32 and second in the 200-meter with a time of 27.43.

Lisa Carlon and Bettie Carlon also continued their standout seasons, placing in two events each. Bettie Carlon took first in the triple jump with a distance of 35-2, but also took third in the long jump with a distance of 16-6. Lisa Carlon took second in the long jump with a jump of 16-10 and took fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 34-0. Tylynn Rettig also placed fourth in the 100 (13.66) and sixth in the 200 (27.92), while Shelby Lipp placed fourth in the discus (105-10). The short relay team also placed first (50.55) and the long relay team placed fifth (4:26.55) for the Knights.

The Chinook girls also grabbed points from a couple of athletes who have been dominant all season long.

Kayla Hanson placed in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Hanson finished the 300 hurdles in the No. 1 spot, turning in a time of 47.36, while also finishing the 100 hurdles in second place, with a time of 16.13. Britney Nelson was the only other placer for the Beeters, finishing the discus in fifth place with a toss of 105-9.

The Chinook boys also got points in two events.

Barry Murnion was the only individual placer, clearing a height of 5-11 in the high jump, good enough for the No. 1 finish. The short relay team also placed, finishing in a time of 45.55 in sixth place.

Chester/J-I's points came from Erik Kelly's sixth place finish in the 110 hurdles (16.86) and Cody Ramberg's fifth place finish in the triple jump (40-00). And Big Sandy's points came from Justin Stevens' sixth place finish in the 100 (12.00) and the long relay's sixth place finish (3:41.44).