Indoor thinclads wrap up regular season with many top finishers

In the final meet of the season the Lovell indoor track and field athletes fine-tuned their performances in their individual events at the Park County Invitational held in Gillette last Thursday.

Competing at the meet along with the host schools Cody and Powell, who put on the meet at the Gillette indoor track facility, were Lovell, Casper Kelly Walsh, Sheridan, Thunder Basin, Campbell County, Worland, Douglas, Buffalo, Rawlins and Big Horn.

Placing at the meet for Lovell were Halen Strom, who was third in the shot put with a throw of 48-3, and Gavin Robertson, who also placed third in the 200 meters in a time 23.88. Robertson also placed ninth in the long jump with a mark of 18-10.5, 10th place in high jump with leap of  5-4 and 12th in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.85. 

Other top finishers for the Bulldogs were Jaxon Pluhar, who tied for 10th place in the high jump with Robertson with a jump of 5-4, Jacob Thomas, who was 15th in 800 meters with a time 2:21.53, and Stetson Asay, who finished 15^th in the 1,600 meters in 5:20.8.

For the Lady Bulldogs it was Janelle Hendershot placing 24th in the 200-meter run with a time of 29.47 and 26th in the 55-meter dash in 8.06. Emily Jensen placed 30th in the long jump with a mark of 12-1.75 and 74th in the 55-meter dash in a time of 8.94. Finishing 64th in the 55-meter dash was Kaitlynn Robison with a time of 8.74. 

Overall, Coach AJ Montanez was pleased with the performance of the Lovell athletes at the Park County Invitational.

“Our athletes performed very well at the meet with 14 of our 16 athletes breaking their personal records (PRs) in at least one event,” Montanez said. 

The athletes will now focus on the 3A State Track and Field Championships to be held this Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, in Gillette.

“The athletes are very excited for the state meet,” Montanez said. “It is a long season, and these kids have been preparing for their culminating event for nine weeks. I have been very impressed with the focus that the athletes have shown this season, and it has shown in the results. I expect to see more PRs at the state meet and a smooth transition to the outdoor season.”