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Gold on the line at District 9C track meet

Wednesday is a big day for 9C track and field teams

For a bevy of local track and field athletes, and their teams, the 2014 season comes down to one huge day of competition at the Havre Middle School Track.

Wednesday morning, District 9C teams and athletes will compete for their postseason lives when the annual 9C Track Meet takes place in Havre.

On the line Wednesday are six spots in each at even to advance to the Northern C Divisional Meet next week in Great Falls. But plenty of local athletes have their eyes on a much bigger prize.

Also at stake Wednesday are 9C team titles, and the North Star Knights will try and pull off the rare double feature.

The North Star girls have won seven straight 9C titles and are heavy favorites to do so again Wednesday. The Knights have depth and talent across the board. Senior Bettie Carlon is a threat to walk away with a host of district titles, including the long jump, triple jump and high jump. But she’s also an outstanding sprinter, as is Tylynn Rettig. Rettig is also tough in the pole vault. But head coach Brian Campbell’s team is also loaded with depth.

Sierra Yanny, Graysen Spicher and Samantha Pester can also score big, and so, too, should Kristen Lavry in the distance races. Delainey Spicher, Sarah Massar and Whitney Wendland are also ones to watch for the Knights Wednesday.

And while North Star has perhaps too much depth on the girls side, the 9C meet isn’t a one-team show. Chinook’s girls team is loaded, too, especially with Kailey Kleinjan taking the sprints by storm this season. Emily Dennis and Katelyn Neibauer will also be big point getters for the Beeters, while Makhayla Farmer, Brittney Nelson, Summer Edwards and Tavin Schneider will all do well in the throws. Chinook will also be a team that can push North Star in both relays.

The 9C girls meet will also feature standout middle distance runner Molly Herron of Big Sandy, and though the Pioneers don’t have the depth North Star and Chinook has, they will score points. Turner’s Ella Billmeyer has been outstanding this season in multiple events, and she’ll be another one to watch Wednesday as will teammate Lindsay Hutton.

The boys meet figures to be a little less clear cut. Chinook is the two-time defending 9C champion and the Beeters, led by do-everything star Zach Molyneaux, will be right there again Wednesday. But the fight for the boys team title has certainly been joined by North Star and Box Elder.

While Molyneaux will shine in sprints and throws, the Beeters will also look for big points out of Cody McCracken and several competitors in the throws.

Meanwhile, the Knights probably have the most depth, with the likes of Cooper Spicher, Quinn Spinler, Payton Peterson, Matt Helmbrecht, Jaxon Simonson and others. Across the board, North Star is deep and talented in all events, and the Knights should have enough firepower to give Chinook a dangerous run.

Box Elder doesn’t have the depth the Knights and Beeters do, but with star distance runners Will Kethcum, Brandon The Boy and Shane Ketchum on the track, the Bears could be the surprise of the 9C meet. Will Ketchum is one of the top runners in the state, all the way from 400 to 3,200 meters, and The Boy isn’t far behind. That group also makes up a fierce 4x400 relay team, and with some other events sprinkled in, Box Elder has a real chance to shine on Wednesday, while athletes from Big Sandy and Hays-Lodge Pole will also be in the mix for individual spots in the Northern C.

The Turner boys could also make some noise Wednesday. Lucas Reed has been strong all season long, while Brett VanVallkenburg is tough in the hurdles. The Tornadoes also have some depth in several areas, and that depth could get them into the chase.

Wednesday’s meet also marks the final 9C meet as it stand now. Track and field powers Chester-J-I and Fort Benton will join the fray next season, making an already tough 9C that much more difficult.

The 2014 District 9C Track Meet is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Havre Middle School Track. The top six placers in each event will advance to the Northern C Divisional Track Meet May 22 in Great Falls.

 

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