DREAM TEAM

Someone should pinch Denise Montgomery; she thinks she might just be dreaming.

The long-time coach of the Plains track and field team, Montgomery has an excuse for feeling like she must be dreaming right now, her current band of 12 thinclads has brought her so much joy this spring.

“This is a dream team, probably the perfect team to have after coming off a pandemic like this,” she said. “For me it has been an ideal situation. We have very eager kids that are willing to listen and learn, that all work hard, that get along with each other, and that are respectful.”

Heading into the Kim Haines Memorial in Missoula Saturday in their final regular season meet before the combined District 13C/14C meet, also at MCPS Stadium in Missoula May 14-15, Montgomery is grateful for this season more than most after losing dear friend and assistant coach Brian Taylor, who passed away far too recently.

Taylor was a javelin-coaching guru who developed and nurtured many fine throwers during his tenure as a Plains coach, helping the Trotters greatly in their numerous State B and C team title runs in the last decade, and producing many state champions and medal winners along the way.

Plains teacher/coach George Sherwood has stepped up to be Montgomery’s assistant coach this season and also has been a big part of the track and field fun for Plains. “George is new to me and I am new to him,” Montgomery said. “In fact, everything with this team is new because most of them have never even been on a track and field team before.”

Montgomery says she has five girls – Jaylyn Carr, Peyton Wasson, Amy Hill, Adele Ercanbrack and Alexis Helterline – taking turns running the 400 and 1600 meter realys. Annika Rivinius is running the sprints and throwing the javelin and Ercanbrack is also triple jumping and running some hurdles.

On the boys side, Joe Martin is good to run at most any distance (“he has an effortless stride,” Montgomery said), Mason Elliott runs the hurdles and triple jumps, Nick Hill will do most anything asked of him, and Levi Blood is the Horsemen’s throwing specialist.

Heleterline and Carr are also throwing the jav for the Trotters.

Brendan Vanderwall is also on the team for the Horsemen but has been battling a hip ailment lately, Montgomery said.

Montgomery said she is going to release her Trotters and Horsemen this week in Missoula. “We are going to move some kids around some and see where they can score better,” she said. “These kids have lot of potential and it will be a lot of fun watching them the rest of this season and into the coming years.”