Hawks compete at Bigfork Invite

The ups and downs of early-season track and field competition.

Coach Trenna Ferris took her Thompson Falls track and field teams to Bigfork Saturday and the girls finished fourth in team scoring and the Hawk boys seventh in the big early-season meet from Bigfork's scenic field overlooking Flathead Lake.

"We had some ups and downs but overall an exceptional day," she said. "When we go out and compete amongst all classes and still place – it's a good day!"

Having one of the best days of all, senior Cody Burk, who had already pre-qualified for the State B meet in the discus a week earlier, also pre-qualified for the shot put, pushing the steel ball 47 feet even to win the event in Bigfork. The State B qualifying standard this season is 46 feet, 10 inches.

Not having his best day in the discus ring, Burk still marked 124-7 in that event to place fourth Saturday.

Sophomore Chesney Lowe, senior Jody Detlaff and freshman Hattie Neesvig scored big for the Lady Hawks.

Lowe won the javelin with an impressive early-season throw of 109-2, besides placing fifth in the triple jump (28-8.75) and running a leg on the 1600 meter relay, which also placed fifth.

Detlaff, who is forgoing softball this spring to concentrate on track and field only, won the shot put with a best mark of 30-9, took third in the high jump with a leap of 4-10 (just missing the State B standard of 4-11) and placed fourth in the discus (81-7).

Neesvig continued to impress with her jumping ability last week, claiming second place in the triple jump with 29-11.5 and winning sixth in the high jump with a best of 4-6. Hattie reportedly ran a great leg and joined her senior sister Josey Neesvig, Lowe and Faith Palmer in placing fifth with the 1600 meter relay.

Back with the Blue Hawk boys, Breck Ferris broke out with a huge high jump of 5-8 to place fourth in that event, in addition to winning fifth in the long jump (17-10.75) and running a leg on the fifth place 1600 meter relay.

Also running an exceptional split on that 1600 relay, Dante Micheli ran down third place in the 200 with a lightning-quick time of 24.24 seconds, in addition to placing sixth in the high jump.

Thompson Falls' distance running star Justin Morgan varied his events in Bigfork, placing second in the 800 meters (2:10.44) and third in the 1600 (4:46), but taking the day off from perhaps his best event, the 3200.

Ferris, Micheli, Morgan and Owen Fernstrum teamed up to win fifth in the 1600 meter relay.

Plains and Hot Springs athletes also competed in Bigfork.

Highlighting those efforts, Horsemen sophomore Mason Elliott won third place in 300 meter hurdles in 45.49 seconds and Savage Heat freshman Quincy DePoe-Styles placed fifth in the 110 meter hurdles in 20.29.

On the girls' side, Trotters Jaelyn Carr and Adelle Ercanback finished seventh and eighth in the 400 meters, while Josie Uski of Hot Springs placed ninth. Heat freshman Lauryn Aldridge tied for seventh in the high jump.

Hot Springs is set to host the Dave Tripp Memorial meet in Polson Friday as described in other story, and Thompson Falls and Plains are scheduled to compete in the Frenchtown Invitational also Friday.