Lake County’s track and field athletes took on two different track meets as the best athletes start to separate themselves this season.

Multiple athletes across all Lake County schools saw podium finishes as the spring competition finally started to ramp up.

Polson punches up against top Class A, Class AA opponents

One of the toughest weekends for Polson track and field was this one, as they took the MCPS Invitational on April 17 in Missoula.

The girls were especially successful, starting in the 1600 meters where Morgan Delaney continued her dominant season with a first place finish at the invite. She finished 11 seconds over the runner-up. She also grabbed a first place finish in the 3200 meters, with Quinn Delaney finishing second.

Amelia Stene and Kellyn Nelson finished fifth and sixth place, respectively, in the 400 meters. 

In the field events, Piper Adams earned third place in the shot put, with teammate Olivia Cottet coming in fifth place. Cottet also got third place in the discus.

Keira Owen tied for sixth place with Missoula Big Sky’s Averi Larson in the triple jump to wrap up the girls' finishers.

The Polson girls finished fourth in total team score as well.

The Polson boys saw some top six finishes as well, with David DiGiallonardo coming in fourth in the 800 meters. He also helped a team of Luke Horner, Hayden Ricks and Jackson Bontadelli to a sixth place finish in the 4x400 meter relay.

No Polson boy placed top six in a field event.

Lake County teams face off for Libby Meet

The Libby Invitational welcomed Ronan, Mission and Charlo on April 18 to a showcase of talent.

Ronan starts with Alexis Finley nabbing a second place finish in the 100 meters. Antoinette Adams nabbed a second place finish in the 800 meters as well. Adams also notched a fifth place in the 300 meter hurdles.

Finley joined Payton Steinebach, Amitiel Schiele-Auld and Emmalina Flowers for a second place finish in the 4x100 relay.

In the field events, Angie Adams earned fourth place in the shot put while Rayne Tonasket earned sixth place. Adams also grabbed second in the discus with Tonasket getting sixth in the javelin.

Maddy Illig got third in the high jump and fifth in the long jump to wrap up the top six finishers.

For the Ronan Boys, William Normandeau took first in the 800 meters. Tony Adams tied for fourth place in the 200 meters.

Elijah Zepeda took second over Normandeau, who finished third, in the 1600 meters. Zepeda also got fifth place in the 3200 meters.

Jhett McDonald got first place in the 300 meter hurdles.

Adams, Caleb Herrera, Austin Schall and Drew Holmlund took third place in the 4x100 meter relay. Normandeau, Schall, McDonald and Zepeda also took third in the 4x400 meter relay.

Masyn Wayman earned first place in the shot put with a season best. He also earned third place in the discus. Mason Higgins got fifth place in the javelin to wrap up the throwing events.

Schall earned fourth in the high jump and pole vault to close out Ronan’s best finishes of the day.

On to Mission, Valentina O’Brien took first in the 1600 meters with a personal best. Mary Lamere nabbed sixth in the 800 meters. Brooklyn Leishman took fourth in the 3200 meters.

O’Brien joined Sheadon Kain, Raleigh McDonald and Leila Hogenson for a fourth place finish in the 4x100 meter relay.

Cora Matt took third in the shot put with a personal best. Matt also grabbed a fourth place finish in the javelin. 

Lex LaFrombois starts the Mission boys off with a fifth place finish in the 100 meters. Isaiah Gariepy took sixth in the 1600 meters.

LaFrombois helped Davidson Strysko, Cage Salemlin and Dakota Zeiler with a fourth place finish in the 4x100 meter relay. 

La Frombois also did well in the field events with a second place finish in the high jump and third place finish in the long jump. 

Charlo had a phenomenal weekend to close it out with Brooke Cahoon nabbing sixth place in the 100 meter hurdles. She joined Abbigail Wagner, Olivia Carnell and Avery Coleman for a third place finish in the 4x100 meter relay.

Carnell and Coleman earned first and second, respectively, in the shot put. Carnell also got third in the discus with Cahoon just behind her in sixth place. Wagner nabbed fifth place in the javelin with a personal best. 

Cahoon took first in the high jump. Carnell nabbed fifth place in the pole vault. Jaylynn Buxbaum wrapped up the Charlo girls with fourth place finishes in both the long jump and triple jump.

The boys had Tasker Brown take a sixth place finish in the 400 meters as the only boys finisher in a track event.

He also took fifth in the shot put and was runner-up in the discus, just behind teammate Karson Cox.

Cox nabbed a first place finish in the pole vault and a second place finish in the javelin. Dalton Carey closed out the boys' finishers with a fifth place in the triple jump.

    Polson sprinter Kelby DuMont races in the 100 meter on April 17 at MCPS Stadium in Missoula. (Max Dupras/Leader)
  

    Polson sprinter Amaya Shizuku takes off in the 100 meter on April 17 at MCPS Stadium in Missoula. (Max Dupras/Leader)