Prep Track: One final look at the state meets

EDITOR'S NOTE: This was provided by Montanatrack.com representative Jeff Hedstrom. He also compiled the Elite Lists that ran throughout the spring in the Tribune.

It was another fantastic year of track and field.

The weather held out this past weekend so we saw some records being broke and some amazing performances by others. We'll highlight different teams and athletes' performances that got my attention.

CLASS AA – TEAMS

•A rare tie happened on the boys' side, Kalispell Flathead and Helena tied with 83 points. Helena was projected to score 97 points (according to montanatrack.com), but several athletes did not perform as well as expected. The Bengals came into the final event (1600 relay) down by 10 points, needing a win and got it.

So give Helena credit, but give Flathead even more credit as the Braves got plenty of points from Jake Perrin, Sylas Schutt, Chade Gonter and Jess Beaman (Perrin, Gonter and Beaman all won one event apiece and placed in eight events combined).

•The Billings Senior girls won their sixth team championship in a row. It was a total team effort as the Broncs held off the charge by Kalispell Glacier, 78.5-74. Much of the Senior success was because of Christina Aragon, winner of three events and the anchor on the winning 1600-meter relay. She has once again proven she belongs in the conversation of Montana's elite runners.

Aragon broke two class records over the weekend and will likely go after the third next season (800 meter run), held by none other than her sister (Dani 2:08.31). Senior had 14 placers (including both relays) in 12 different events, which is considerably low based on previous years, but they found a way to win. And that's all that matters in the archives.

ATHLETES

•Dalton Daum (Butte) sure seems to have this winning championships thing down pat, as he won titles in back-to-back years in the 100- and 200- meter dashes.

•What a way to end the season for Marshall Beatty of Missoula Sentinel, a personal best of nearly 14 seconds and earning his first championship in the 3200 meter. Beatty won the race by nearly 8 seconds (9:22.92). Only a sophomore, he can aim his sights a little higher for next season.

•Chase Smith (Helena) set a new state record in pole vault, breaking the 27-year-old record, as he reached the height of 16-4 on Friday at the State Meet. The mark not being his personal best (his best is 16-5), but Smith can relax now as his name has been etched as one of the greatest all-time pole vaulters in Montana. The University of Washington commit now will set his sight on new heights in college.

•Zayne Babbitt (Missoula Hellgate) set a personal best in shot put (62-9 ½) by over three feet as he won two state championships over the weekend (shot put and discus), adding to his total of three for his career.

•Christina Aragon of Billings Senior broke two class records over the weekend (400- and 1600- meters) won three championships, anchored the winning 1600 relay, and was a part of the winning team on the girls' side.

• The surprise performance of quite possibly the year goes to Shayla Palmer (Missoula Sentinel). Palmer improved her height from this time last year by a foot and a half (10-6 last season at state). She picked the perfect time to jump her personal best as she jumped 12-0 and upset the overwhelming favorite Ashling Slevin (Bozeman).

•Keyawna Larson (Glacier) fell just shy of one of her records of breaking the all-class record, but she broke the AA record of 143-7. Larson threw 144-7 to win her third straight javelin championship as she'll now ride off into the sunset with her medals dangling from her neck and a record in hand.

CLASS A – ATHLETES

•Jonathan Eastwood (Belgrade) finished off the 2015 season in style, as he won three events (800-, 1600-, and 3200-meters). On Friday, Eastwood broke the A record in the 800 meter, running a time of 1:53.17. He just missed out on the 1600 meter record, by less than two seconds, running a 4:21.01.

•Jadin Casey (Stevensville) capped off the year winning two events (400- and 300- meter hurdles). Casey won the 400 meter with a time of 49.37, second best time in the state, he also upset teammate, defending champion and event favorite Daniel Pendergast in the 300 meter hurdles.

•Katelyn Frost (Corvallis) continued her divisional weekend dominance by winning four events (100-, 200-, 400- meters and pole vault). If it wasn't for a disqualification in the long jump (there was a mix up in whether she checked out of the event before one of her running events) she may have won five events.

•Carla Nicosia (Columbia Falls) went from fourth on the podium to the top in just one year is quite remarkable. Nicosia jumped 37-3 ¼ (a personal best) this weekend earning her first championship and the 2nd best jump in the state.

CLASS B – TEAMS

•Glasgow fought the most for every single point, as they finished tied for third, earning a trophy after last season of taking second and not even considered a contender heading into 2015 due to graduation losses.

ATHLETES

•Caleb Neth (Manhattan) had his hand in 4 championships (400-, 300- meter hurdles, 400 relay, & 1600 relay), while placing in a total of six events as Manhattan won a fourth straight team championship.

•Cantor Coverdell (Fairfield) picked the right day to PR by 6 inches (42-3¾), as he won the triple jump over the weekend. He is the boys' winner of surprise performance of the weekend. Coming into the event, he was the 8th best jump in Class B and was a three feet behind the number one jumper.

CLASS C – ATHLETES

•Hard to argue that Cleet Wrzesinski (Ennis) wasn't one of my Class C top athletes performers, as he went 4-for-4 in the number of event championships (100-, 200-, 110- hurdles, and 300- meter hurdles). A big reason why Ennis won the team championship was because of Wrzesinksi's tremendous performance, as he had a hand in 48 points (including the 2nd place 400 relay).

•Tristen Guillot (Twin Bridges) won two events over the weekend (800- and 1600 meters), winning one unexpected. Guillot came into the weekend ranked first (in Class C) in the 800, but by narrowly third in the 1600. Both races were as good as advertised with Bradey Wilson (Noxon) and Jacob Iverson (W-GR) closely on his heels. Iverson was probably considered the favorite by default in the 1600, but there were five runners all within 2 seconds of each other.

•Hollee Meek of Simms won her third consecutive javelin championship, making her the second athlete to do it this season (Larson of Glacier). I give her and her coaching staff much of the credit, they knew what they were doing, she was going to peak and win at state and they knew it, I on the other hand didn't. Coming into the weekend ranked 4th, she had plenty of work to do in order to win the event, (131-11) as she beat her season best mark by over 10 feet and her personal best by 7 inches

•Jewlz Collins (West Yellowstone) placed in four events in Laurel as she was one of two reasons why West Yellowstone came home with the team 1st place trophy (Bailey Parker being the second reason). Collins contributed 20 points including a 300 meter hurdles victory (46.89), a personal best time (200-, 400- meters, and 1600 relay being the other three events).

•Great Falls Central's Carter Anderson, Nolan Donisthorpe, Reid Nelson and Trey Ulsh combined to win the 400 relay, and they won it in impressive fashion. The Mustangs ran a season-best time of 44.33 to win the championship.