by Scott Sacry
Track season began for the Bitterroot Valley schools in Corvallis on Saturday, March 25th. And It was about what you’d expect for the first track meet of the season in Montana. The temperature was near freezing at the 10:30 start time, a brisk and brutal wind blew most of the day, and snowstorms circled the area. But that didn’t stop athletes from 16 Montana schools from braving the elements and competing.
In the girls team results, Hamilton took 1st, Corvallis took 2nd, Stevensville took 5th, and Florence took 9th. For the boys team results, Hamilton took 1st, Corvallis took 3rd, Stevensville took 6th, and Florence took 11th.
Despite the cold, there were some excellent early season individual performances. Hamilton’s Mya Winkler won three events: the javelin (113-07), the shot put (35-07), and the discus (109-01). Stevensville’s Claire Hutchison won the 100m (13.08) and the high jump (5-00). Hamilton’s Andrew Burrows, the reigning state champion in the discus, won the shot put (52-07) and discus (160-08). Corvallis’s Aiden Reed won the 110m hurdles (16.40) and the 330m hurdles (42.51). Stevensville’s Kellan Beller, the state champion in the javelin two years ago, won with a throw of 157-04. Corvallis’s Olivia Lewis won the 100m hurdles (16.65). Last year at state, Lewis won the 400m dash and finished 2nd in the 100m and 300m hurdles. And Hamilton’s Taylor Searle, the defending state champion in the pole vault, won that event with a vault of 12-06.