Blue Hawks are Top 8 great

Top 8 great.

Saying "some great things happened" with her team at the Top 8 meet in Eureka last Tuesday, April 27, Thompson Falls coach Trenna Ferris and her charges now concentrate their efforts on the rest of the regular season, which continues Saturday in Missoula at the Kim Haines Memorial meet at MCPS Stadium Saturday.

The Hawks warmed up for what's left by rising and shining in the Top 8 meet in Eureka.

A recent signee to the Montana Tech track and field program, senior Jody Detlaff turned in yet another blue-ribbon effort in Eureka, winning first place in the shot put (32-3) and discus (107-11) and placing third in the javelin (76-6) with season-best marks in all three disciplines.

Chesney Lowe scored the other individual event win for the Hawk girls by claiming first place in the pole vault with a personal best effort of 7 feet, 1 inch.

The 400 meter relay team of Faith Palmer, Lowe, Hattie Neesvig and Josey Neesvig also won first place for the Hawk girls. The 1600 meter foursome of Palmer, Lowe and the Neesvig sisters ran down second place in that race.

Additionally, Palmer won sixth place in the 1600 meters, Lowe won third in the triple jump, Hattie Neesvig took second in the triple jump and third in the high jump, and Josey Neesvig placed fifth in the 800 meters.

Blakely Lakko was fifth in the shot put and sixth in the discus, and Mollie Nichols ran to second place in the 3200 meters and fourth place in the 1600 to round out Falls scoring on the girls side.

With the boys, Justin Morgan set a new meet record in winning the 3200 meters in 10:05 and finished a strong second in the 1600 (4:40). An early commit to running cross country and track at Montana Tech next year, Morgan has already automatically prequalified for the State B meet in both runs.

Breck Ferris long jumped a personal best 19 feet, 3 inches for another individual event win, and joined Morgan, Dante Micheli and Will Hyatt to clock 3:50.37 and win the 1600 meter relay as well.

Michleli was the Hawks' other event winner after claiming first place in the high jump with a best mark of 5 feet, 7 inches.

Ferris also won third place in the triple and high jumps.

Also set to go to Montana Tech next year to compete in track and field, Cody Burk led the Hawks in the throwing events, taking second place medals in the shot put, discus and javelin in Eureka.

Hyatt ran down fourth place finishes in the 800 and 1600 meters, Justin Haagenson took sixth in the long jump, Lance Palmer won fourth in the discus, Levi Myers placed fourth in the 3200 meters, and Owen Fernstrom won second in the triple jump.