State C Track: Jordan boys impressive

LAUREL – Connor Murnion was surprised a couple of times Friday at the State C track and field championships, though once it was his own doing.

The senior got the Jordan Mustangs off to a flying start at the Laurel Sports Complex, marking 20 feet, 10.75 inches — on his first attempt — to win the long jump. Behind that and Kelly Murnion's second-place finish in the 400, the Mustangs scored 18 points.

That's good for third, just behind Darby and Ennis, who each have 20. Saturday shapes up as a showdown between the Mustangs — green for Ennis, orange for Jordan — and to help set it up, Ennis sophomore Cleet Wrzesinski breezed through his 200 meters heat in first place.

In second was Connor Murnion.

"I had never lost a 200 race until last week at divisionals," said Murnion, whose younger brother (by 16 months) did the deed at the Eastern C. "Now I've lost two straight."

Both team races are balanced: North Star leads the girls' race with 16 points, while Darby and West Yellowstone have 14 each. In the Class C ranks, one or two standouts can make the difference. Jordan seems more stocked than most.

Connor Murnion was a favorite to win the long jump, though he went just 19-10 at last week's divisional. On Friday he was able to back off early: Westby-Grenora's Myka Penny, the 2013 champ, came the closest to matching Murnion, hitting 21-5.

Ennis answered with Walker McKitrick and Haakon Frederickson finishing first and third in the pole vault.

"I think it was a huge deal," said McKitrick, who won at 14 feet, while Hinsdale's Dallas Capdeville was second at 13-0 and Frederickson followed at 12-6. "(Haakon) was sixth or seventh coming into the pole vault. Him getting third will help us out in the long run. Us and Jordan are going to be fighting for first and second."

Belt's Koltin Haugrose won the 400 Friday, in 50.04 seconds; the other timed events went to Jacob Iverson of Winnett-Grass Range in the 3,200 (10:06.84) and Tristen Guillot of Twin Bridges in the 800 (1:57.06).

The Murnions will be back for the 100 and 200 finals Saturday, as will Wrzesinski, who is also the clear favorite in both hurdles races — though Haugrose is the defending 300 hurdles champ.

Ten boys' events are left. Darby's Joe Caicedo took his second straight javelin crown Friday with a throw of 190-1, and Jordan Marsh of Reed Point-Rapelje took the discus.

The girls had five events Friday, and five different schools were represented at the top of the podium. North Star sits first in the team race behind Tylynn Rettig's win in the pole vault and her third-place finish in the long juimp.

Shelby Browning of Winnett-Grass Range is the long jump champion (she went 17 feet), while Richey-Lambert's Autumn Rehbein took the discus.

Darby's Keely Ehmann wobbled at the end but still claimed the 400 in 59.43 seconds. Alex Veltcamp of Manhattan Christian was a close second at 59.53.

And Bailee Parker continued to pile up wins for West Yellowstone, taking the 1,600 in 5:06.19. The junior can complete a second straight distance sweep Saturday, when she runs the 800 and 3,200. She also won the 800 and 1,600 as a freshman.

The Wolverines' chances in the team race took a hit when Jewlz Collins didn't advance out of divisionals in the 100-meter hurdles. Still, Collins is a favorite in the 300s and will also be in the 200 finals. She took fourth in the 400 on Friday.

"We have a good chance," said Parker. "We're (expected) to get first by three points if everything goes the way it's supposed to. Jewlz is seeded sixth in the 200, and I think she can get better than sixth. We'll see."

Charlo's run of four boys' titles is in jeopardy, the Vikings appeared to take another hit when Trent Dennison fell during warmups for the 400-meter relay and dislocated an elbow.

That brought alternate Chandler Krahn into the fray, and no one was more surprised than him.

"I've had to substitute in the relay before," said Charlo coach Bret Thompson. "But never in the middle of the race."

Krahn, running without spikes, helped Charlo make the finals. The Vikings have often scored well in the relays, but now that's in danger as well. Thompson wasn't sure Dennison would be available at all Saturday.

"We may have to keep him sitting for the short relay, and hope he can run the long relay tomorrow," Thompson said.