Despite the recent spring storms which caused the cancellation of the Wibaux Meet as well as the Sidney Meet, the Broadus Track Team was able to attend the second Laurel Meet, which was rescheduled from its original date to April 19th. The long hiatus from school cause by the storm meant the kids had a week between practices, but it also allowed sufficient time for two athletes to come back from injuries suffered prior to the season, those being Tytan Hanson and Abigail Martin.

Those additions provided Broadus with some extra firepower in the javelin, as both athletes topped the field of Broadus athletes in Laurel. Abigail also ran a PR in the 400, and with her addition to the team the Broadus girls were able to field a 400 meter relay team for the first time in four years, per Coach Jerry Coulter. Tytan Hanson also added to the team with his discus performance.

The competition at Laurel was fierce, with Laurel suiting up 100 kids for the meet – far more Laurel athletes competed than Broadus has students in the entire high school. Additional teams competing in Laurel included Hardin, Lewistown, Red Lodge, Shields Valley, Bridger, Reed-Point/ Rapelje, and Gardiner.

Coulter mentioned that times and jumps across the board were down at Laurel, in large part due to the 20-30 mph wind the day of the meet.

The Broadus girls won 20 points overall as a team and sixth place out of nine teams, led by Zeason Schaffer’s 2nd place in the high jump, 3rd in the long jump, and 3rd in the triple jump. The Laurel girls dominated the other teams in total points, with 183.5, to second place Hardin’s 96.5 points.

For the boys, 16 team points landed them in 6th place, with the story much the same in the overall team standings – Laurel attaining 195 points to second place Red Lodge’s 93. The boys were led by Eli Heacock, who turned in a third place run in the 800, and Jaxon Bilbrey, who placed 5th in the 400 and triple jump. Additionally, the 4x400 meter relay team of Bilbrey, Matt Hansen, Heacock, and Johnny Richards placed 3rd. That relay team has consistently been strong all season, with 3rd place their lowest position thus far in the year, against some very strong competition.

With the season rapidly coming to a close, upcoming meets include the Top Ten Track Meet for athletes who may qualify on May 2nd, a meet in Fairview on May 5th, and a meet in Miles City on the 7th, where Coulter tells us the team will see limited action due to the close timeframe with the Fairview Meet as well as wanting to limit the chance of injury with the District Track Meet in Sidney on the 12th.

Laurel #2 Meet Results 4/19/22

BOY’S RESULTS (16 points) – 100 M – Johnny Richards, 12.99; 400 M – Jaxon Bilbrey, 5th, 56.42; 800 M – Eli Heacock, 3rd, 2:22.87; 1600 M – Eli Heacock, 5:20.40, Brandon Rogers, 5:57.52, Josh Rasmussen, 6:02.03; 3200 M – Josh Rasmussen, 12:41.47, Brandon Rogers, 13:50.14; 300 M Hurdles – Matt Hansen, 50.01; Discus – Tytan Hanson, 116’0”; Javelin – Tytan Hanson, 96’2”, Johnny Richards, 86’9”; High Jump – Jaxon Bilbrey, 5’0”; Triple Jump – Jaxon Bilbrey, 5th, 36’11”; 400 M Relay – Jaxon Bilbrey, Matt Hansen, Eli Heacock, Johnny Richards, 50.48; 1600 M Relay – Jaxon Bilbrey, Matt Hansen, Eli Heacock, Johnny Richards, 3rd, 4:07.50.

GIRL’S RESULTS (20 points) – 100 M – Maddie Zimmer, 15.72, Sophie Irish, 16.20; 200 M – Maddie Zimmer, 32.63; 400 M – Abigail Martin, 1:24.15; Javelin – Abigail Martin, 84’1”, Sophie Irish, 83’0”; High Jump – Zeason Schaffer, 2nd, 4’8”, Sophie Irish, 4’4”, Maddie Zimmer, 4’2”; Long Jump – Zeason Schaffer, 3rd, 14’5½”, Maddie Zimmer, 12’9½”; Triple Jump – Zeason Schaffer, 3rd, 31’6¾”; 400 M Relay – Maddie Zimmer, Zeason Schaffer, Sophie Irish, Abigail Martin, 59.83.