WHITEFISH – The Savage Heat track and field team tied for eighth with Bigfork at the Whitefish Invitational over the weekend. Both track and field squads compiled 12 team points. 

One week after racing through the cold and rain at the Seeley-Swan meet in Missoula, Hot Springs faced nearly identical conditions, adding to the challenge of competing at an invitational featuring teams from across western Montana. 

“It was a very long, very wet day, it started raining the minute we go there, and didn’t let up until around five,” Hot Springs coach Vicky Nytes said. 

The boys competed for a sixth place finish in the 1,600-meter relay, with a collective time of 3:44.48. 

In the individual side of the competition, Anthony Byrns finished the 200-meter race with a 23.74, getting him sixth place in the event. 

Tanner Hoff, a participant in the 300-meter hurdles, ran a 42.82, which put him in third place. 

Jack Dolson notched a fifth place finish in the high jump with a performance of 5-10, tying him with Nathan Olds of Troy. 

In the triple jump, the Savage Heat got a jump of 41-1.75 from Jarod White, who finished fourth in the event, closely behind Bobby Erbaugh of Frenchtown. 

The wet weather had a notable effect on the field portion of the invitational. The rain made things especially difficult in the javelin throw where athletes must plant themselves before they throw. Though Nytes noted that all teams had to deal with the same conditions throughout the day-long tournament. 

“It can get difficult when you throw off of grass, the field was mud by the end of the day,” Nytes said. 

The Hot Springs Savage Heat were one of only two Class C schools at the Whitefish Invitational, the other being the Track and Field squad from Superior. 

Nonetheless, the Hot Springs kids were not intimidated and performed well in one of their larger events of the year. 

“It is hard to be one of only two Class C schools, but all of the students really did well,” Nytes said. 

On Thursday, May 8, the Savage Heat will make the short trip down Highway 28 to Plains, where they will compete in the Sanders County Meet. The meet is scheduled to begin at noon. 

Nytes noted that her team was looking forward to a meet within Sanders County, especially after back-to-back weekends on the road at Missoula and Whitefish respectively. 

After the Sanders County Meet in Plains, the Savage Heat will head back to Missoula for their second Seeley-Swan meet of the year.