The Lake County Invite last Tuesday proved a lot of things for Polson. The boys showed they were the deepest and most talented track squad in the county while Claudia Hewston looked like the best female athlete this side of Flathead Lake.

The Lake County Invite last Tuesday proved a lot of things for Polson. The boys showed they were the deepest and most talented track squad in the county while Claudia Hewston looked like the best female athlete this side of Flathead Lake.

Hewston won three separate events, the 800-meter dash (2:35.63), the 3,200-meter run (12:59.5) and the pole vault (9-0). The Polson girls team would go on to take second place with 100 points, which was 29 behind Charlo but 44 points ahead of Ronan-St. Ignatius.

“She’s been dominant,” Polson head track coach Mike Ellis said. “She’s been so dedicated and she is a great role model for the other athletes. I’d like to have 10 of her on the team.”

The boys finished first by a large margin, scoring 16 points, which was 73 points more than second-place Ronan- St. Ignatius. They notched eight-first place finishes, including wins in both relay races. In the sprints, football teammates Paul McClurg (11.58) and Vince DiGiallonardo (11.73) finished first and second place in the 100-meter dash. McClurg (23.80) and DiGiallonardo (24.04) also placed second and third respectively in the 200-meter dash.

“I think they haven’t hit full stride but we’re going to run them hard leading up to divisionals,” Ellis said.

Yet another football player, Chris Cote, placed first (54.41) in the 400-meter dash. Wrestler Tel Motichka was third in the 800-meter dash (2:13.35). Jimmy Bjorge brought the speed in the longer distance races, winning the 3,200-meter race (11:20.46) and placing second in the 1,600-meter race (4:58.50). Adam Schmidt was tops in the 300-meter hurdles (43.54) and second in the 110-meter hurdles (16.62).

In the throws, Riley Sampson continues to be the Incredible Hulk from the Avengers, placing first in the shot put (50-1) and second in the discus (141-9). Clark Rubel was first in the discus (142-6) and second in the shot put (49-9.5). Rubel’s discus throw qualified him for the state meet and vaulted him into the top 10 throwers in the state for discus despite having to throw from a standing position because of surgery on his ACL just five and half months ago.

“He’s been cleared to throw the shot put with a glide,” Ellis said.

Ellis expects about a three-foot improvement in the shot put throw when Rubel starts his glide throw and that would put him in the top three in the state along with fellow teammate Sampson.

“It would come down to Clark and Riley in the shotput at state,” Ellis said.

Polson also picked up points in the jumps with DiGiallonardo placing first in the high jump (5-6) and Eric Williamson placing third in the triple jump (37-8.5). The Polson boys won the 400-meter relay (45.53) and the 1,600-meter relay (3:41.45).

For the girls, Anna DiGiallonardo won both of the sprint races (13.14 in the 100, 26.93 in the 200), while Alisha Jore was first in the 400-meter dash (1:07.45). Maddie Hewston placed third in the 400-meter (1:09.06). Polson had two placers in the discus with Shannon McGinnis taking first (96-4) and Jewel Zaki Ackermann placing third (90 -9).

ARCHIE ROE

It was a cold day on Saturday for the Archie Roe Invitational in Kalispell but that didn’t stop Polson from getting several placers in a large field.

“It was really tough for the kids with the weather,” Ellis said. “We also had a few kids sick and injured.”

Claudia Hewston picked up Polson’s one first-place finish of the day, getting the top mark in the pole vault (8-0). She was also fourth in the 800-meter dash (2:26.54). Anna DiGiallonardo placed third in the 100-meter dash (13.03), while Amy Brooks was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (17.37). In the relays, Polson was third in the 400-meter relay (52.86).

“Anna is going to be in the top three for the 100 and 200 meter dashes,” Ellis said. “She beat Whitefish’s Amy Foley at the A.R.M. Invitational a few weeks ago and at state with Corvallis’ Henderson, those three girls should be 1-2-3.”

For the boys, Sampson took first in the shot put (51-00) and third in the discus (139-06). Rubel was fourth (46-02) in the shot put.

“With the cold weather, the shot put throws were down two to three feet,” Ellis said. “Riley was throwing 47-48 feet and got a challenge a bit from Loyola’s Johnny Medieros and threw 51 feet in his last throw of the finals. He stepped up and got it.”

In the sprint races, DiGiallonardo was sixth in the 100 meter dash (11.86) and McClurg was fifth in the 200-meter dash (24.18). Adam Schmidt was sixth in the 300-meter hurdles (43.87).

Polson was also fourth in the 400-meter relay (45.98). Polson will host its ABC Invitational on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

“It should be a tough meet,” Ellis said. “We have some competitive teams coming. Corvallis is the best team in the state and has out-pointed schools like Flathead, Glacier and Big Sky. The C-Falls boys will also be tough. C-Falls and Corvallis will be big races.”