by John Hamilton
KALISPELL – This daily double is becoming an annual occurrence.
The Thompson Falls track and field teams did it again at Legends Stadium in Kalispell Saturday, running, jumping and throwing their way to repeat District 8B boys and girls team championships.
Neither team title race was remotely close. The Lady Hawks piled up 228 points to easily outdistance Superior (88), Plains (81), Arlee (53) and Troy (47), while the Hawks boys knocked down 185.5 points to fly past Superior (108), Arlee (94.5), Plains (91) and Troy (44).
The talk of 8B track for several years now, the Hawks followed up convincing team titles in 2006 with two more convincing team triumphs Saturday.
Long-time head coach Randy Symon, the main architect in building what has become the envy of the district, this Blue Hawk track and field program, was happy with his troops, and his new pair of 8B championship trophies.
“We had a lot of kids perform well in a lot of different events,” he said. “Our depth was a definite factor, we had a lot of kids we could throw into a lot of different events.”
Nowhere was that team depth more on display than in the girls’ events. The Lady Hawks claimed four of the top six places in the 400 meters, in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles and in the pole vault.
Additionally, the Falls girls took three of the placing spots in the 200, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters.
Freshman Beca Gunderson, sophomore Delcie Peters and senior Lisa Padden were double winners, Gunderson in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs, Peters in the 800 meters and the pole vault, and Padden in the 100 meter hurdles and triple jump.
Shane Donaldson and Brian Schenavar were the individual event winners for the Hawk boys. Donaldson, who finished second in the State B cross country meet last fall, rolled to victories in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter runs, while Schenavar, the school record holder in the pole vault with a best mark of 14-0 this spring, went 13-0 to win in that venue.
Showing he is capable of great things in other events, Schenavar also placed a strong second in the 300 meter hurdles.
The 400 meter relay team also won for the Hawk boys.
Several other Falls guys had great meets in Kalispell. Junior Jason Flemmer threw the javelin a career-best 184-5 to grab third place, and also ran to second place in the 110 meter hurdles.
Jason Shaw (second in the shot with a season-best effort of 44-6½), Austin Knutson (third in the discus with a fine throw of 124-6), Sean Beardsley (second in the long jump, third in the high jump and fourth in the triple jump), and Mike Kidwiler (second in the pole vault with a fine mark of 10-9, fourth in the 3,200 meters and sixth in the 1,600).
Senior Tucker Thomas won third in the 100 and fourth in the 200, Jacob Naegeli was second in the 800 and third in 1,600, Ryan Sol took third in the 3,200 and fourth in the 1,600, Cade Sterling won third in the 200, John Fitzgerald was third in the 300 hurdles and sixth in the 400 meters, Stephen Block won fifth in the 800 and sixth in the pole vault, David Barnett took third in the 100 hurdles and fourth in the 300, and Eugene Benesch took fifth in the javelin.
Also in the jav, Hawk senior Kevin Ng, the leading thrower in Class B this spring with an earlier heave of 189-1, finished second to surprising Troy sophomore Aaron Palmer. Palmer threw the spear a career-best 186-1 to edge Ng (185-10) by three inches for first place.
Unfortunately, Ng tweaked his throwing elbow on his best throw Saturday. Symon said Ng’s arm would be monitored this week to ascertain how serious the injury might be.
Elsewhere around Legends Stadium with the girls, Jefferyanne Parker (second in the 400 and 3,200 meters), Callie Block (second in the 100 and 300 hurdles, tied for second in the pole vault and fourth in the discus), Stephanie Butler (second in the shot put), Lisa Padden (third in the high and long jumps), Heather Schramm (tied for second in the pole vault, third in the 300 hurdles and fourth in the 200), Rheanna Padden (third in the javelin and discus, fourth in the shot), Brittany Galloway (second in the 800 and fourth in the 1,600), Velita Benton (fourth in the 100 and 300 hurdles, and sixth in the 200 meters), Kelly Butler (fifth in the 200), Amada Wood (sixth in the 400 and 800 meters), Jubi Anderson (fourth in the 400), Jessica Moritz (third in the 400 and fifth in both hurdles races), and Nicole Dowell (fourth in the 3,200) wrapped up Thompson Falls’ championship team effort.
The Hawks now advance on to this week’s Western B divisional meet at MCPS Stadium in Missoula.