We may be a week or two away, but watch out when these Horsemen and Trotters really hit their stride.

Coach Jesse Jermyn’s very talented Horsemen and Trotter thinclads performed well again Saturday in the Seeley-Swan Invitational in Missoula with the boys winning third place in the 22-team meet and the girls claiming sixth.

Jermyn has been fairly low-key about it so far, but it’s hard to not see all the immense potential his teams seem to possess. In proof of that four of Plains’ finest – three Horsemen and one Trotter – have earned themselves berths into competition at the prestigious annual Russ Pilcher Top 10 Meet in Missoula April 28.

Owen Jermyn and Simeon Costner were set to run in the 3200 meters and Cord Greer in the 1600 for the Horsemen in the Pilcher, and Hadyn Rice was to run in the 300 meter hurdles and compete in the javelin.

The Pilcher meet showcases athletes from all classes, promising interesting matchups between C, B, A and AA athletes. “It will be great for our kids to mix it up a little with some of the other classes,” coach Jermyn said, adding that most of the remainder of his teams will go to Eureka Tuesday to compete in the Top 8 meet being held there on the same day.

For the record, Greer has already qualified for the State B meet in the 800, 1600 and 3200 meter runs, Owen Jermyn is good to go at State in the 1600 and 3200 and Costner is golden in the 3200. Rice is State B qualified in both of her specialties on display in the Pilcher.

All four performed well, tapping into that immense potential again at MCPS Stadium Saturday in the Seeley-Swan meet.

Greer won the 800 meters in 2:02.71 and finished second to teammate Jermyn in the 1600 in 4:25.56, Jermyn won the 1600 in 4:25.44 and Costner ran a great 3200 in finishing a close second to Harlem’s Ethan Walker, 9:50.92 to 9:48.15.

Scoring the Horsemen’s other points in Missoula, Matthew Thurston placed fourth in the 200 meters (in 23.97 seconds), fifth in the 400 (53.42) and sixth in the 100 (11.88) and Cooper Meredith clocked a lifetime best 16.13 seconds to win third in the 110 meter hurdles. Meredith also just missed placing in the 300 meter hurdles, finishing seventh in 43.96.

With the Trotters, Rice won second place in the javelin with a throw of 107-1 and placed fifth in the 100 meter hurdles in 17.15 seconds.

Savanah Costner won second place in the 3200 meters in 12:47.94, Kalli Tuma won third in the 300 meter hurdles (49.92), Aubree Butcher took fourth in the discus (97-7) and Katleyn Subatch won fourth in the high jump (with a best jump of 4-8).

The 400 meter relay team of Subatch, Tuma, Reese Mereidth and Rice took fifth in that race.

Plains teams also competed in the Thompson Falls Invitational April 21 in TFalls and the Horsemen scored 61.5 team points and the Trotters 54. Plains thinclads were given the chance to try some different events in the meet by their coach.

With the Horsemen, Greer won the 800 and Simeon Costner claimed the 1600 for Plains’ only event wins.

Meredith placed third in the 100 meters and fourth in the 200, Jackson Revier won third in the 400 meters and third in the 800, Benjamin Carter took fourth in the discus and Riley Geenen fifth, and Geenen won fifth in the javelin and Brock Ryan sixth.

Testing his track and field versatility, Owen Jermyn competed in the javelin and discus, and won fifth place in the 400 meters. His dad Jesse said that Owen, the current State B cross country champion, suffered appendicitis near the end of wrestling season and has been recovering well from that malady ever since.

For the Trotters in the TFalls Invite, the 1600 meter relay team of Subatch, Rice, Reese Meredith and Tuma won first place in that race, Rice won second place in the javelin and third in the 400 meters, Savanah Costner ran down second place in the 1600 meters, Meredith won third in the 200 and fourth in the triple jump, Tuma placed fourth in the 400 and Subatch sixth in the 400.

Coach Jermyn is pleased with what he has seen from his track and field troops so far. “Our distance runners with the boys have been posting some impressive times for sophomores and freshman,” he said. “And our girls have really been coming on, especially in the throws. We look forward to seeing more progress in the coming weeks before district.”

Plains teams will compete in the Bigfork Invitational Saturday, in addition to the Top 10 and Top 8 meets Tuesday, April 28.

    NOT HIS USUAL GIG – The defending State B champion in cross country and a prolific distance runner in track and field, Plains sophomore John Owen Jermyn gave discus throwing a twirl in the Thompson Falls Invitational April 21. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)