Wolves continue strong start to season

Despite less-than-ideal weather, the Three Forks High School Track and Field team had a great showing at last Saturday's Manhattan Christian Invitational in Bozeman.

"It was incredibly cold, so the times don't indicate how well the team competed. They hammered down, battled through it, came out with respectable times, and held their own against a number of very competitive teams," Head Coach Dillon Gongliewski said.

It was a strong start to the day for Three Forks junior Kylie Rowan, who finished third in the shot put with a state auto-qualifying mark of 35'0 and sixth in the discus with a throw of 94'3.

The TFHS Coaching staff was also thrilled to once again see strong performances from the younger sprinters on the team. Gongliewski said Julia Kotter hit a PR and almost took a second off her time with an 8th-place finish in the 800 at 28.38. 

The girls' 4x400 team of Bella Jones, Karly Holler, Kotter, and Hailey Williams finished in second place at 4:22.06, the fourth-best time in Class B this season.

Other top ten finishes for the girls' team included Devyn Judd, who placed fourth in the 400, Bella Jones, who finished fifth with a PR of 5:52.59, Williams, who placed fourth in the 300 hurdles at 52.06, Kylee Reichman, who finished fourth in the high jump at 4'6, and Williams, who finished eighth in the high jump at 4'4.

Williams was third in the pole vault at 7'0, and Jones was eighth at 6'6.

Teegan Gifford finished fourth in the 3200 meters with a PR of 12:39. Gongliewski said Assistant Matt Robb was impressed with Gifford's time.

"She got a 16-second PR, and I know she can go faster," Gongliewski said. 

It was another big day for Three Fork in the javelin. Sawyer Andersen placed fourth with an almost 10-foot PR of 146'4. Gongliewski added that Shane Williams, Trevor Davis, and Cole Sloan all hit PRs. Sloan finished seventh with a throw of 139'10.

"We were both so ecstatic at the big throw but also so made that we were so close to hitting that elusive 140' mark, but we know it's within reach," Gongliewski said.

It was also an excellent day for in field events for the boys' team.

"Josh Delger and Quentin Recendez hit season PRs in the discus, too, so the throwers are really firing on all cylinders often this year. Coach Aaron Lattimore and I are hoping this year's throwers' success will help us get more kids out throwing next year, too," Gongliewski said.

Other top finishes for the boys included Colten Hayder in third place in the 100 meters, Jace Kopp in seventh place in the 200 with a PR of 24.80, Cass Violett in fifth place in the 800, Bryon Fanning in sixth place in the 800, Micah Gather in fifth place in the 3200 with a PR of 11:29.48, Marcus Pestel in fifth place in the 110-meter hurdles and ninth in the 300 hurdles, and Delger in fifth in the discus and ninth in the shot put.

Three Forks will next compete on April 27 in East Helena.

"We are just so stoked at how the season is shaping up," Gongliewski said.