by Scott Sacry
The track teams of Stevensville, Hamilton, and Corvallis competed in the Western A Divisional meet in Corvallis on May 19-20. The Corvallis girls’ team and the Hamilton boys’ team both took 1st place. The Corvallis boys finished in 2nd and the Hamilton girls took 5th. The Stevensville girls took 7th, while the Stevi boys took 8th.
There were some tremendous individual performances by Bitterroot Valley athletes. Corvallis’s Olivia Lewis set a new Western A Divisional record in the 300m hurdles. Lewis ran a blistering time of 42.94, breaking the old Western A Divisional record of 43.72 set by Paige Squire in 2011. For reference, the Montana All Class State record in the 300m hurdles is 42.87, making Lewis’s run one of the best in state history. Lewis also won the 100m hurdles. Hamilton’s Chesnee Lawerence won the pole vault with a jump of 11-6, this jump tied the Western A Divisional record, set by Katelyn Frost from Corvallis in 2014.
Stevensville’s Claire Hutchison won the 400m (58.50) and the high jump (5-4) and took 2nd in the 100m (12.66).
Individual champions for Hamilton included:
Evan Bennett won the 800m (1:57.99) and the 1600m (4:31.97). Taylor Doleac won the 3200m (10:04.10) – he also took 2nd in the 1600m. Andrew Burrows won the shot put (56-02.50) and discus (151-06). Tyson Bauder won the javelin (176-04). Taylor Searle won the pole vault (14-00).
Individual champions for Corvallis included:
Derek Criddle won the high jump (6-02) – he also took 2nd in the 400m (50.39). Amara Auch won the 3200m (12:01.34). Alanna Auch won the discus (118-10). Lucas Powell won the triple jump (42-04.25). The girls 4×100 relay team won the event (Ella Varner, Olivia Lewis, Rylee Herbstritt, Farah Wyche). And the girls 4×400 relay team (Herbstritt, Lewis, Shylee Weidow, Wyche) won the event.
The Class A State meet is held in Laurel on May 25-27.