Hawks enjoy 'fantastic day'

What better place to practice for the State B meet than at the stadium where that meet will be held?

Getting a good look at the facility where many of the Blue Hawks will hopefully return to May 24-25 for the State B meet, Thompson Falls athletes competed in the annual Archie Roe meet at Legends Stadium in Kalispell Saturday.

Given that the Archie Roe is one of the bigger meets of any track and field regular season in Montana and includes schools of all size classes in the state, Hawk head coach Trenna Ferris had many of her athletes compete in the junior varsity and freshman portions of the meet.

"Overall, we had a fantastic day," Ferris said. "Great improvement happens when you compete against the best. That is what happened at the Archie Roe, and the kids got to compete where the Class B meet will be held."

Clearing the State B standards bar for the second time, sophomore Jody Detlaff was the only Falls athlete to place in the varsity portion of the meet, taking sixth place in the high jump with a best leap of 4-11.

In the women's JV portion of the meet, the Lady Hawks placed fourth out of 18 teams with 48 points.

Sierra Hanks won first in the high jump and sixth in the 400 and 800 meter runs, Detlaff won first place in the discus and third in the shot put, Megan Baxter won second place in the 400 meters, Riley Wilson claimed second place in the high jump, Gabi Pallister took fifth place in the 100 meter hurdles and Trinity Godfrey was fifth in the 400.

The Hawks also placed fourth in the JV boys part of the meet with 44 points.

Cody Burk led the Hawks in that meet by winning first in the shot put and second in the javelin and discus, Alex Vogelsang took second place in the 200 meters and third in the long jump, and Isaac Buetow placed fourth in the 300 meter hurdles.

In the girls' freshman meet, Eli Pardee placed fourth in the high jump and fifth in the discus, the 400 meter relay team placed fourth and the 1600 meter relay took third.

In the boys' freshman meet, Lance Palmer and Sidney Akinde tied for sixth in the high jump and the 400 meter relay team ran to sixth place.

Entering the last week of regular season action, the Blue Hawk track and field contingent will be heading to the Bigfork Invitational Saturday in their final tune-up before the Western B Divisional meet in Missoula May 16-17. Ferris sees opportunity for improvement each step along the way.

"Bigfork should be a nice preview and pre-meet for divisionals," she said. "The kids are still working hard in practice and we have been impressed with their motivation and drive as we enter the last few weeks. They want it and some of them are going to get it because they are working so hard for it."