Spring Sports 2017

Pony track teams ready to race Havre High thinclads are young, but talented Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com The past few seasons, head coach John Ita and the Havre High track teams have been building for the future and this season, with the girls team at least, the future appears to be now.

While the Blue Pony boys team lost Nate Rismon, who put together a stellar performance at the Class A state meet, the girls team returns a bunch of athletes from a team that scored just 10 points at state, but qualified a bunch of athletes for the state meet.

“The girls team, we have been saying that ‘they’re young, they’re young,” Ita said.

“But now they have kind of come of age. We have another group of really excellent, athletic freshman again, and I think we have people in a lot of different events. We are going to have throwers, distance, middle distance, speed, relays, jumpers, so I think for the girls team it’s going to be an exciting two years at least.”

Arguably the top girl returning for Havre is senior Naomi Terry, who placed at state in the 100 and 200-meter dash last season. However, due to an injury, Terry will have to sit out for about six weeks, before she will be able to attempt a comeback.

“Naomi is going to miss, like, six weeks or so,” Ita said. “But she wants to give it a try and we want to let her.”

Terry may be sidelined, but the girls team has other talented athletes, especially in the hurdles where juniors Logan Huebsch and Ireland Coyne will be looking to be consistent point getters. Both should have a chance to compete in the relays and Coyne may also run some sprints.

Some others that are returning that competed at state a season ago were Kristen Nash in the throwing events; Loni Waid in the pole vault and Amelia Beard in the triple jump. Other contributors for the Havre girls team this year will be Jordan Keith, Sarah Faber and Tayler Markinovich.

“I think it’s exciting,” Ita

Havre Daily News/File Photo Havre High sophomore Sarah Faber is one of many talented athletes for the Blue Pony girls track team this season. Head coach John Ita's teams have been hard at work since March 13 and are now getting their regular season underway. The Ponies host the annual Lions Havre Invitational this Saturday.

said. “We don’t have a ton of seniors, but the ones we do have are really good vocal leaders, and I think it’s going to be a really exciting year for the girls team.”

The HHS girls may be realizing their potential this season, but for the boys team, it will

be all about rebuilding after a number of talented performers graduated from last season’s team. Jacob LaBrie, who was a member of Havre’s 1,600-meter relay team that won the Class A state championship a year ago, is back, but there is very little experience after that.

One place where the Ponies do have some veterans is in the distance events, where they will be led by Austin Jones, Jakob Keller and Lane Paulson. Additionally, one name to watch this year for the Havre boys is Martin Wilkie, a two-time state champion wrestler, who

decided to come out for track.

Ita said he will try him in a few different events, but that he may wind up as a jumper, pole vaulter or sprinter.

“We have some good athletes,” Ita said. “The boys are really working hard, too, we just don’t have very many

proven point getters.”

Both Havre track teams opened the season April 1 in Lewistown at the Central Montana Invitational. Havre hosts the always-competitive Lions Havre Invitational this Saturday at the Havre Middle Schhol Track.

2

Havre

DAILY NEWS

Spring 2017

www.havredailynews.com

HHS looks for more success on the diamond Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com The Havre High softball team has put together a good run the past few years, making the Class A state tournament in three straight seasons.

But after losing some key players from last year’s team, the Blue Ponies will need to rely on a mixture of veteran experience and young talent to get back to state in the second year under head coach Whitney McNally.

“We don’t have a lot of seniors this year,” McNally said.

“But we have some good leadership and the girls have worked really hard, so we are looking forward to the season. We are excited.”

With the graduation of Dani Wagner, Havre’s top pitcher from a season ago, as well as Scout Boucher and Payton Howard, the Ponies will be replacing key players on the mound, at the plate and on defense.

However, the Havre offense will have one of its top hitters back from a season ago, as Jacy McDonald returns and will be playing first base. McDonald has the ability to hit for average and power, as does Camryn Huston, who will look to build on a solid sophomore season.

She will see time at both outfield and shortstop.

When it comes to the pitching staff, the Ponies will rely heavily on senior J.J. Hassa, who was one of the team’s top pitchers a season ago, as well as junior Alex Barkus. Nicole Parsons may also see some time on the mound, but she will do the majority of the catching.

“We don’t have a ton of depth when it comes to pitching,” McNally said. “We would like to have Nicole pitch some for us, but she is just so important behind the plate.”

The other seniors on the roster are Madison Tommerup, who will see time at both second and third base, as well as Traclyn LaBuda, who will be an outfielder.

Other players who will see time with the varsity team are sophomore Jenae Boles, who will be the everyday centerfielder and Lauren Kato, who will see some time at third base and possibly on the mound. Freshman Sam Oliver is another pitcher, and while she will start out throwing for the JV squad, she may see some time with the varsity team at some point.

“Right now we have about nine girls for sure that will be with the varsity,” McNally said.

“We have some others that will

play with both the varsity and the JV team. We still want to see how the girls do at different spots and how they play together, so we don’t have a lot that’s set in stone right now.”

In order to get to state, Havre will need to make it out of the Central A again, which won’t be easy with teams like Lewistown and Belgrade. Livingston and Browning haven’t been quite as competitive as Havre in recent years, but with a lot of youth in the conference, it should be wide open.

“Belgrade and Lewistown, they both have a lot of girls back,” McNally said. “They had some young girls and we have some young girls, but they are going to be tough again this season.”

Havre opened the season at the Great Falls Invitational April 1.

Havre Daily News/File Photo Above: Havre High's Jacy McDonald gets ready to swing during a Central A fastpitch softball game last season at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field. The Blue Ponies graduated a lot of firepower off last year's state tournament team, but McDonald is a key veteran back in Havre's lineup, including being one of the top hitters for the Blue Ponies last season. Havre opened its season at last weekend's Great Falls Jamboree.

Left: Blue Pony Nicole Parsons will once again handle the catching duties for the Havre girls fastpitch softball team this spring.

Parsons was one of the top catchers in the Central A a year ago.

Havre has key home games this season, including the Havre Invitational, which will be played May 5. The Blue Ponies also play Browning at home April 13, Lewistown April 17 and Belgrade April 22. All games will be played at the Sixth Avenue Memorial Field.

3

Havre

DAILY NEWS

Spring 2017

www.havredailynews.com

Plenty of area tracksters will shine this spring George Ferguson

Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com It’s spring time in Montana and we all know that means unpredictable weather. It also means that the springs sports season is upon us and along the Hi-Line for most athletes, that means track and field time.

While most schools along the Hi-Line play football and basketball, track and field is one of the other sports almost all local schools participate in and that will be no different this season as Chinook, Fort Benton, Turner, Chester-Joplin-Inverness, Big Sandy, Box Elder, North Star and HaysLodge Pole will all field teams.

When it comes to track and field, Chinook and North Star have generally had the most consistent programs in the area, but with Fort Benton joining the District 9C a couple years ago, they are also in the mix.

The Fort Benton girls are the defending Northern C Divisional champions in track and with Leah Gannon, Maddy Thompson and Kaitlyn Bird, who combined to win four divisional titles last season, all back, the Longhorns should be tough again. Coya Nack will add another element to the team, as she won shot put and discus for Geraldine a season ago and will be part of the team. Gannon, Bird and Thompson all placed at state as well.

Chinook also boasts a solid roster that features Jaye Anderson, Rochelle Chaffin, Brooke Elliot, Rachel Gunderson, Kourtney Hanson, Raynee Hasler, Lincy Johnson and Megan Moylneaux. The Sugarbeeters 400-relay team took fifth at state last season and returns Chaffin and Moylneaux.

North Star also boasts some

talented track athletes such as Lily Pedersen, Sheridan Spicher, Paij Peterson and Katelyn Harvey. Both Pedersen and Spicher placed at the Northern C Divisional meet last season and competed at state. The Knights also won the 9C girls track and field title.

On the boys side of things, North Star also won the District 9C meet and comes back with a team that scored 25 points at divisionals a season with a bunch of those points scored by returnee Devon Miller, who placed in the 100-meter dash and the javelin throw. Another one of the top returning athletes in the area comes from Turner in Eddie Harmon, who won the 800 at the Northern C Divisional and took second in the 400, while also finishing third at state in the 800.

CJI will look to recover from losing Justin May, who placed in multiple events at state a season ago, while Box Elder will be looking to fill the shoes of Shane Ketchum, who did the same. Franks Runs Above will be the top athlete returning for HLP and he will compete in the distance events.

Chinook will also have a group of talented competitors led by senior Kyler Johnson, who competed at state a year ago and is a solid distance runner. The rest of the team features Wade Schneider, Cord Schneider, Brendan Edwards, Josh Gillett, Kurtis Hamilton, Trajan Hannum, J.T. Hauer, Paxtin McCann, Steven Mulonet, Jase Pursley and Ross Reed.

The track season started this past weekend for local teams, and continued in Havre today with the Cal Wearley Invitational, one of the most prestigious meets of the year along the Hi-Line. The action continues this weekend with the Lions Havre Invite.

Havre Daily News/File Photo Chinook's Kyler Johnson is one of the top returning boys athletes in the District 9C this spring. As always, the 9C will be one of the most competitive districts in Class C, with teams like North Star on the boys and girls side, as well as the Sugarbeeters and Fort Benton girls all fielding powerhouse squads.

Havre Daily News/File Photo Left: North Star's Peytan King throws the javelin during the District 9C meet last May at the Havre Middle School Track. The Knights, under head coach Brian Campbell, are always one of the top Class C track and field teams.

4

Havre

DAILY NEWS

Spring 2017

www.havredailynews.com

Pony netters poised for great things Chris Peterson

Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com The Havre High boys and girls tennis teams have had a lot of success, really, for going on two decades now. And when each new spring dawns, two things remain constant — the Blue Ponies will find success on the court, and longtime head coach George Ferguson will be there to help guide them.

Ferguson enters his 15th season at the helm of the Pony tennis program. Under his guidance, Havre has collected more than 20 boys and girls Central A team titles, a combined five Class A state team titles and 18 combined trophies from the state tournament, as well as countless individual Central A and Class A champions.

But while the success the Ponies have enjoyed under Ferguson has been stout, he said, it’s not why he continues to enjoy coaching tennis.

“I just love coaching this sport, and in particular, our kids,” Ferguson said. “I’m a Blue Pony. We have great kids here at Havre High. We have a great school, and it’s the kids who make this program what it is. It’s very special to me, and I’m just as excited for this season, as I was my very first.”

This season began for the Blue Ponies two weeks ago in Cut Bank, but Ferguson said, the work started all the way back on March 13.

“The kids have worked really hard. Collectively, they’re a great group,” Ferguson said.

“Our numbers are really good.

We have a lot of returning talent, lots of exciting underclassmen, and a great group of freshmen and newcomers. But what I really love about these kids is their enthusiasm. They’ve come to practice every day really excited about tennis, about learning the sport and about getting better at it. That enthusiasm, to coaches, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Ferguson shares their enthusiasm, too.

His Blue Pony boys team is coming off its third straight third-place trophy at the Class A state tournament. And while Havre will certainly miss the services of one of the all-time HHS greats in Jeff Miller, as well as veteran doubles player Jerod Boles, the Ponies do have all the makings of a team poised for another run at hardware, including what would be a 14th Central A team title in Ferguson’s 15 seasons at the helm.

Leading the way for the Pony boys is a strong group of seniors, including four-year varsity standouts Jake Sedahl and

Shannon Hanson Havre High senior Dustin Haas is gunning to be one of the top singles players in Class A this season. Haas was All-Conference a year ago for the Blue Ponies, who started their season two weeks ago at the Cut Bank Invitational.

Nate Korb, who will team up in doubles. The duo did so as freshmen, but have had different partners since. Sedahl and Boles won the Central A title

and placed fifth at state last year in Bozeman.

Fellow seniors Dustin Haas and Trey Hanson will man singles spots for the Ponies, with

Haas coming back from an appearance at state as a junior.

Havre also has a strong junior group, led by Trey Murphy and Kennedy McKay, now entering

Shannon Hanson Havre High junior Alex Donaldson is a three-year varsity player for the Blue Ponies. The Havre High teams play their only home meet of the season this weekend when they host the annual Havre Invitational.

their third year as a doubles team. Brady Ophus is also back and will likely play doubles with Tommy Brown. Brown is a sophomore who played varsity a season ago, and Ferguson said he will have a big role this season, while Kendall Holden and Vander Swensen are also returning juniors who have seen their share of varsity action.

“Our returners, our seniors and juniors, those guys have a ton of experience now,” Ferguson said. “They’ve been a part of a lot of success over the years, and they’re going to lead us this season. They’re all good tennis players, and, it’s really nice to have that much experience and leadership. So they give our boys team a really solid foundation.”

Ferguson is excited about his turnout of new boys in the program as well, in particular two seniors in Jase Stokes and Bobby Personett. Both are in their first and only year of tennis, but Ferguson noted that both have already made big strides, and will certainly help the Ponies this season. The coach also said sophomores Josiah Harrison and Jack Johnsrud are progressing, too, while his freshman group, with Jake Huston, Tyrel Kjersam, Noah Nitz, Jacob Miller, Reece Bulkey, Torek Swensen, Joey Bender, John South and Eric Harrison, is one of the biggest freshman classes he’s had in some time, and that is another reason to be enthusiastic.

“Our boys, as far as new guys go, it’s huge,” Ferguson said. “I’m so excited about that group. They are great kids, good athletes and they’re getting better and learning more and more every day. I look at that group, all the sophomores and freshmen, and I see the future of our program, and it’s so exciting.”

The coach feels the exact excitement about his girls team.

The Ponies don’t have a single senior on the roster this year, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be devoid of experience, and they’re certainly not lacking in talent.

In many places, that talent will come from some new faces, and in a lot of different roles, including in doubles where Ferguson graduated longtime tandems Rainey Stoner and Madison Huebsch and Alara Vogel and Reggie Bernard.

“It’s unusual to not have a senior,” Ferguson said. “But it’s

also interesting because conceivably, you’ve got the potential to have virtually the same team for two straight years. So you really know exactly what you can aim for. But even without seniors, we have veteran kids, we have three juniors who have played varsity from the first day of their freshman season, and a bunch of other juniors who have a ton of experience. So we have plenty of kids who have been there and done that, and those girls will be our leaders now.”

The returning juniors include Paige Nelson, who reached the Class A state tournament a year ago and will be not only Havre’s No. 1 singles player, but one of the top players in the Central A. Alex Donaldson and Megan Lindbloom are also back for their third year of varsity play, as is Baylee Miller, who has seen a ton of doubles action over her first two seasons at HHS. Katie Donaldson returns, as well, and will likely team up with her twin sister in doubles.

Marca Herron is another veteran junior, but is currently out of Havre’s lineup with an illness.

And that lineup will have a lot of sophomores in it, too, most likely. That’s because last year, Ferguson had a huge freshman class, and a year later, that class is ready to move into a much bigger role. The group includes Kadyn Acor, who won a match at the Central A playing No. 4 singles last spring, as well as Marcee Murphy, Devyn Solomon, Teagan Fee, Mckenzie Tommerup, Brynn Nault and Tiffany Ralph.

“That group of sophomores, I told them at the end of last season, they were going to have a bright future in our program,” Ferguson said. “Well, the future is now for those girls. They are all going to play important roles on this team this season, in singles and doubles. And I’ll just say, I’m really looking forward to it because they are all very passionate about Blue Pony tennis. They really put a lot of effort and time into preparing for this season because they knew they were going to have this opportunity. And we’re going to have a very strong team because of that.”

The future continues to look bright, too, because like on the boys side, Ferguson is very excited about his newcomers on the girls team. Sophomore Kassidy Compton, and freshmen Cassidy Acor, Kyndall Keller, Angela Rhines and Carsyn Vogel make up the group of newcomers, and all of them are making huge strides according to Fergsuon.

“It’s a great group,” Ferguson said. “They are going to only make us better, not just in the future, but right now. All of those kids are learning at a fast rate, and it’s only going to make us a deeper and stronger girls team."

And while Ferguson says practice is where it all comes together for his teams, the Ponies' strong schedule also helps in making Havre the powerhouse it is. Havre goes to tournaments like the Class A Duals in Cut Bank, the Glendive Invitational and the prestigious Helena Invitational, among others.

“I’ve always emphasized that whatever success we’re going to have, it’s going to be earned in practice,” Ferguson said.

“Tennis is about repetition and committing to muscle memory, and you do that in practice. So we work hard, we build and build and build over the course of these first two months. On the weekends, we want to take that work in practice into competition and just be better weekto-week, win or lose. And make sure we’re having fun, that’s a big thing. If we do that, if we work as hard as we can every day in practice, and compete as hard as we can in every meet, then when those two really big tournaments come in May, we will be successful, individually and as a team.

"We have a great schedule, too," Ferguson added. "We go play a lot of top competition, and that makes us better, and it's fun for the kids to get out there and compete and see what they're made of."

Of course, it's all preperation for Havre's two biggest tournaments, which starts with the Central A May 18-19 in Bozeman and the Class A state tournament the following week in Kalispell.

"This is going to be a fun and exciting season," Ferguson said. "And it's because of these kids. They are such a fun group to work with. I appreciate their effort and their passion for the sport, and they are a blast to coach. So, it's going to be a lot of fun this spring."

The spring continues for the Ponies with this weekend's Havre Invitational.