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It was a long time ago since it was last held– two years to be exact – but the Thompson Falls Invitational track and field meet was back in business for 2021 at sun-splashed Previs Field last Thursday, and all four Sanders County schools (plus a few others from around western Montana) took advantage of the opportunity to compete.

Joining the Hawks to compete on Previs Field on one of the best weather days yet this spring were athletes from Troy, Lincoln, Plains, Hot Springs, Arlee and St. Regis.

The host Blue Hawks won both the boys and girls varsity team titles in the latest, greatest Thompson Falls Invite, with the boys racking up 146 points and the girls 136. Coach Trenna Ferris reports that the Hawk boys JV team scored 100 points to also win that portion of the meet and that Hawk girls JV scored 21 points and placed fourth.

Jody Detlaff continued her wildly productive spring with three event wins to pace the Hawk girls, taking first in the shot put (30-02.5), discus (95-09) and high jump (4-08), in addition to marking a personal best in the javelin, although she did not place in that event.

Faith Palmer (3200 meters), Chesney Lowe (javelin) and Hattie Neesvig (triple jump) were the other event winners for the Hawk girls, and Palmer, Lowe, Hattie Neesvig and Josey Neesvig joined forces to win the 400 meter relay.

With the Hawk boys, Justin Morgan continued his long-running spring by tracking down easy wins in the 1600 (5:00.66) and 3200 (10:50.03), besides running a leg on the winning 1600 meter relay.

Breck Ferris, who was also the Hawk boys' only other individual event winner (he claimed the long jump with a leap of 19-00.5 and the triple jump with an effort of 38-00.75). Ferris also pulled down second place points in the high jump with a best mark of 5-06.

Morgan, Lance Palmer and Will Hyatt joined Ferris in timing out in 4:06.30 to win the 1600 meter relay.

Led by Cade VanVleet and McKenzie Morgan, Noxon's boys and girls also made a strong showing in the Thompson Falls meet.

VanVleet won both of his throwing duels in the rings with Thompson Falls' Cody Burk, edging out his Blue Hawk rival 46-00 to 45-08 in the shot put and 154-00 to 149-10 in the discus. VanVleet and Burk were dominant in those two events; the third place throw in the discus was over 50 feet behind.

Burk also won second place (with an impressive throw of 140-9) in the javelin, behind Caleb Ball of St. Regis (146-03).

With the Red Devil girls, Morgan was money in the middle distance runs, taking first place in the 400 meters (1:05.72), the 800 (2:34.06) and the 1600 (5:43.72). Teammate Emily Brown was not far behind Morgan in winning second place in the 400 and 800, in addition to throwing down a second place win in the javelin.

Aubrey Erwin won the 300 meter hurdles and placed third in the high jump, and Jaedyn Murray took third in the shot put to round out individual scoring for the Noxon girls, and Josh Baldwin sprinted to third place in the 100 meters to complete individual scoring for the Noxon boys.

The Noxon girls also had the winning 1600 meter relay Thursday.

Kyle Lawson, Bert DeTienne, Kawika Ilac and Quincy Styles-DePoe did all the scoring for Hot Springs.

Nominated for western Montana athlete of the week based on his performance in this meet, Lawson churned out wins in both hurdles races – taking the 110 meter highs in 18.37 seconds and the 300 lows in 44.72 – besides winning second in the long jump with a fine leap of 18-00.5.

DeTienne won second place in the 200 and 400 meters, Ilac won second in the 3200 meters and in the 110 hurdles, and Styles-DePoe took third in the 110 hurdles.

Plains thinclads also turned in several placing efforts. Jaelyn Carr won second in the 200 meters and third in the 400 for the Trotters, Adelle Ercanbrack placed third in the 800 and 1600 and Amy Hill won second place in the 100 meter hurdles.

For the Horsemen, Mason Elliott won third in the 300 meter hurdles and Joseph Martin won third in the 800 meters.

All four Sanders County schools are scheduled to participate in the Seeley-Swan Invitational this week at MCPS Stadium in Missoula. That meet has been broken down into two separate meets on Friday and Saturday so as to not have too many teams there at any one time due to COVID-19 measures being taken in Missoula County.

The best of the best in Montana track and field meet up next Tuesday. For those athletes across western Montana who have registered top 10 times, heights or distances, the Top 10 meet will be held in Missoula next Tuesday.

Alternatively, a Top 8 meet will also be held in Eureka Tuesday for athletes in that part of the state.

Thompson Falls Invitational

at Previs Field, April 15

BOYS

100 – 1, Adam Ball, St. Regis, 12.43; 2, Caleb Ball, St. Regis, 12.47; 3, Josh Baldwin, Noxon, 12.62.

200 – 1, Colt Crawford, Arlee, 25.03; 2, Bert DeTienne, Hot Springs, 58.32; 3, Breck Ferris, T. Falls, 25.78.

400 – 1, Colt Crawfrod, Arlee; 56.38; 2, Bert DeTienne, Hot Springs, 58.32; 3, Charley Crawford, Arlee, 58.41.

800 – 1, Trevor Grant, Troy, 2:14.11; 2, William Hyatt, T. Falls, 2:17.85; 3, Joseph Martin, Plains, 2:28.47.

1600 – 1, Justin Morgan, T. Falls, 5:00.66; 2, William Hyatt, T. Falls, 5:13.37; 3, Sage Nicholai, Arlee, 5:13.78.

3200 – 1, Justin Morgan, T. Falls, 10:50.03; 2, Kawika Ilac, Hot Springs, 12:45.75; 3, Briar Palmer, T. Falls, 13:40.15.

110 hurdles – 1, Kyle Lawson, Hot Springs, 18.37; 2, Kawika Ilac, Hot Springs, 19.25; 3, Quincy Styles-DePoe, Hot Springs, 19.63.

300 hurdles – 1, Kyle Lawson, Hot Springs, 44.72; 2, Colt Crawford, Arlee, 45.41; 3, Mason Elliott, Plains, 46.22.

400 relay – 1, Arlee, 50.03; 2, St. Regis, 50.91; 3, Hot Springs, 51.06.

1600 relay – 1, T. Falls, 4:06.28; 2, Arlee, 4:06.97; 3, Hot Springs, 4:13.40.

Shot put – 1, Cade VanVleet, Noxon, 46-00; 2, Cody Burk, T. Falls, 45-08; 3, Adam Ball, St. Regis, 37-06.25.

Discus – 1, Cade VanVleet, Noxon, 154-00; 2, Cody Burk, T. Falls, 149-10; 3, Jake Knoll, Arlee, 99-09.

Javelin – 1, Caleb Ball, St. Regis, 146-03; 2, Cody Burk, T. Falls, 140-09; 3, Charley Crawford, Arlee, 136-04.

High jump – 1, Andrew Sanford, St. Regis, 5-08; 2, Breck Ferris, T. Falls, 5-06; 3, Owen Fernstrom, T. Falls, 5-06.

Pole vault – 1, RJ Knoll, Arlee, 9-06; 2, Trae Thilmony, T. Falls, 8-00.

Long jump – 1, Breck Ferris, T. Falls, 19-00.5; 2, Kyle Lawson, Hot Springs, 18-00.5; 3, Andrew Sanford, St. Regis, 16-10.75.

Triple jump – 1, Breck Ferris, T. Falls, 38-00.75; 2, Owen Fernstrom, T. Falls, 36-03.75; 3, Dallas Swath, Arlee, 33-07.50.

GIRLS

100 – 1, Adalyn Jacobson, Arlee, 14.22; 2, Princess Bolen, Arlee, 14.97; 3, Jenna Templeton, Lincoln, 15.00.

200 – 1, Adalyn Jacobson, Arlee, 29.56; 2, Jaelyn Carr, Plains, 30.85; 3, Josey Neesvig, T. Falls, 31.07.

400 – 1, McKenzie Morgan, Noxon, 1:05.72; 2, Emily Brown, Noxon, 1:06.91; 3, Jaelyn Carr, Plains, 1:11.10.

800 – 1, McKenzie Morgan, Noxon, 2:34.06; 2, Emily Brown, Noxon, 2:40.03; 3, Adelle Ercanbrack, Plains, 2:49.19.

1600 – 1, McKenzie Morgan, Noxon, 5:43.72; 2, Faith Palmer, T. Falls, 6:31.80; 3, Adelle Ercanbrack, Plains, 6:32.84.

3200 – 1, Faith Palmer, T. Falls, 14:55.56; 2, Molli Nichols, T. Falls, 16:29.72.

100 hurdles – 1, Isabelle Pape, Arlee, 19.53; 2, Amy Hill, Plains, 25.85.

300 hurdles – 1, Aubrey Erwin, Noxon, 1:00.62; 2, Grace Stine, Lincoln, 1:02.84.

400 relay – 1, T. Falls, 57.69; 2, St. Regis, 59.38; 3, Arlee, 59.78.

1600 relay – 1, Noxon, 4:44.22; 2, T. Falls, 4:56.25.

John Hamilton

NOXON'S JAEDYN MURRAY puts the shot during action in the Thompson Falls Invitational Thursday.

Shot put – 1, Jody Detlaff, T. Falls, 30-02.50; 2, Lindsey Weisner, Lincoln, 28-04.50; 3, Jaedyn Murray, Noxon, 27-01.25.

Discus – 1, Jody Detlaff, T. Falls, 95-09; 2, Lindsey Weisner, Lincoln, 81-10; 3, Halle Adams, Arlee, 76-07.

Javelin – 1, Chesney Lowe, T. Falls, 96-05; 2, Emily Brown, Noxon, 87-11; 3, Grace King, St. Regis, 78-00.

High jump – 1, Jody Detlaff, T. Falls, 4-08; 2, Hattie Neesvig, T. Falls, 4-06; 3, Aubrey Erwin, Noxon, 4-04.

Pole vault – 1, Isabelle Pape, Arlee, 7-00; 2, Chesney Lowe, T. Falls, 6-06.

Long jump – 1, Jenna Templeton, Lincoln, 14-01.75; 2, Hattie Neesvig, T. Falls, 13-10.50; 3, Adalyn Jacobsen, Arlee, 13-06.

Triple jump – 1, Hattie Neesvig, T. Falls, 30-07; 2, Isabelle Pape, Arlee, 30-00; 3, Chesney Lowe, T. Falls 29-01.75.