Rachael Wilmot clocked Lane 7 and then kicked it in gear.

The Whitefish senior impressively won the girls 400 Friday, the first day of the State A track and field championships at Legends Stadium.  

Facing a talented field that included Havre’s Macy Brandon and Miles City’s Peyton Frame, Wilmot and her gold hoops — “They’re my lucky earrings,” she said — cruised across the finish line in 56.34 seconds. 

Frame was next at 57.32 and Brandon was third at 57.94. Both Wilmot and Brandon ran career bests; Wilmot went way under her previous PR of 58.14. 

“I kind of told myself, it’s ok if I don’t win as long as I get a good time,” Wilmot said. “But I felt good before the race. I just locked in, I guess.” 

Through six events, Miles City (24) and Havre (23) lead a balanced girls team race. Frame, it should be noted, won the 1,600 meters earlier Friday in 5:02.45. 

Havre got a win from Roma Gun in the javelin, where Whitefish’s Sol Holmquist was third. 

Holmquist and Wilmot accounted for all 16 of the Bulldogs’ Friday points. For the latter, it was a matter of keeping track of Laurel’s Kaitlyn Dantic, running in Lane 7. 

“Last year I always started too slow my first 200,” said Wilmot, who was third at last year’s State A. “This year I’d go way too fast. (Dantic) is really fast, and she was still in front of me at the 200 mark. But I just kept calm and just told myself I’d get her at the end. My last 200 was just, go as fast as I can.” 

Columbia Falls ended Friday with the lead in the boys team race, thanks to a win from Lane Voermans in the discus and some major depth points. 

Stanley Stremick was second in the long jump, Oliver Kress was third in the pole vault (Isak Soyland tied for fourth), Easton Brooks was fourth in the long jump and Jack Phelps was fifth in the 400. 

Columbia Falls has 33 points after just four events, an impressive beginning. Laurel, getting wins in the long jump (Bridger Burrows) and pole vault (Theron Klebe), was next at 23. 

Voermans was throwing in the range of the Class A discus record (182 feet, 7 inches) this season; on Friday he won at 175-5. Frenchtown’s Henry Griffen was second at 163-0 and Polson’s Astin Brown was third at 162-2. 

Billings Central’s Wiliam Snell won the 400, in 48.95. 

Boys favorite Corvallis ended Friday with two points, but with 13 events coming Saturday the Blue Devils are bound to find their stride. 

State A 

BOYS 

Team scores (through 4 events) — Columbia Falls 33, Laurel 23, Frenchtown 17, Hamilton 11, Billings Central 10, Miles City 8, Lewistown 6, Polson 6, Hardin 4, Corvallis 2, Ronan 2, Sidney 1, Whitefish 1. 

400 — 1, William Snell, BCR, 48.95; 2, Beck Whicker, MC, 49.28; 3, Evan Bennett, Ham, 49.34; 4, Joshua Eckhart, Har, 49.98; 5, Jack Phelps, CF, 50.14; 6, Colby Minton, Wfh, 50.57. 

Discus — 1, Lane Voermans, CF, 175-5; 2, Henry Griffin, Ftn, 163-0; 3, Astin Brown, Pol, 162-2; 4, Taylor Doleac, Ham, 158-8; 5, Drew Lewis, Cor, 151-8; 6, Evertt Stumpf, Ham, 148-11. 

Long jump — 1, Bridger Burrows, Lau, 22-0; 2, Stanley Stremick, CF, 21-2; 3, Tyler Langbehn, Lew, 20-9.75; 4, Easton Brooks, CF, 20-6; 5, Wade Qualtier, Ron, 20-5.25; 6, Leighton Cyr, Ftn, 20-5. 

Pole vault — 1, Theron Klebe, Lau, 14-6; 2, Brody Hardy  Ftn, 14-0; 3, Oliver Kress, CF, 13-6; 4 (tie), Travis Caton, Lau, and Isak Soyland, CF, 13-0; 6, Reece Graves, Sid, 13-0. 

GIRLS 

Team scores (through 6 events) — Miles City 24, Havre 23, Laurel 18, Hamilton 17, Whitefish 16, Frenchtown 14, Dillon 13, Hardin 13, Sidney 12, Stevensville 9, Billings Central 6, Polson 6, Columbia Falls 4, Lewistown 4, Libby 4, Corvallis 2, Glendive 1. 

400 — 1, Rachael Wilmot, Wfh, 56.34; 2, Peyton Frame, MC, 57.32; 3, Macy Brandon, Hav, 57.94; 4, Blythe Armstrong, Lew, 58.55; 5, Kaitlyn Dantic, Lau, 58.94; 6, Annalise Lewis, Ham, 59.32. 

1,600 — 1, Peyton Frame, MC, 5:02.45; 2, Annalise Lewis, Ham, 5:04.232; 3, Grace Jagodzinski, BCR, 5:09.96; 4, Capri Farmer, Lib, 5:13.65; 5, Zoey Real Bird, Har, 5:15.97; 6, Kar Brightwings-Pease, Har, 5:16.51. 

Discus — 1, MakalutaWin Three Irons, Har, 132-4; 2, Clara Lester, Lau, 118-11; 3, Olivia Maunu, Dil, 118-6; 4, Toni Stoker, Dil, 117-1; 5, Audree Deming, Sid, 116-11; 6, Katie Tilleman, Hav, 113-10. 

Javelin — 1, Roma Gum, Hav, 115-4; 2, Bailey Bequette, Lau, 113-10; 3, Sol Holmquist, Wfh, 111-11; 4, Macey Smith,  Ftn, 110-8; 5, Karlee Wambolt, MC, 109-11; 6, Lily Hatfield, Gle, 108-7. 

Long jump — 1, Alexis Daigle, Ftn, 17-8.75; 2, Reagan Johnstone, Ste, 17-7.25; 3, Macee May, Hav, 17-6.25; 4, Samantha Peila, MC, 17-1.5; 5, Ella VArner, Cor, 17-1.5; 6, Sophie Hutchison, Ste, 16-11.75. 

Pole vault — 1, Morgan Kindopp, Sid, 120-0; 2, Aubrey Korst, Ham, 12-0; 3, Kellyn Nelson, Pol, 11-0; 4, Soli Bullemer, CF, 10-6; 5, Amber Santos, Dil, 10-6; 6, Riley McCoy, Dil, 10-6. 

    Columbia Falls' Lane Voermans placed first in the boys' discus at the Class A state track and field meet at Legends Stadium on Friday, May 23.
 Casey Kreider   

    Columbia Falls' Oliver Kress clears 13'6" for third place in the boys' pole vault at the Class A state track and field meet at Legends Stadium on Friday, May 23.
 Casey Kreider   

    Whitefish's Simon Douglas took second place in the boys' 1,600 meter run at the Class A state track and field meet at Legends Stadium on Friday, May 23.
 Casey Kreider   

    Libby's Capri Farmer took fourth place in the girls' 1,600 meter run at the Class A state track and field meet at Legends Stadium on Friday, May 23.
 Casey Kreider