Fairbank second in high jump at Top Ten Meet

By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Senior Chase Fairbank earned second place in the high jump, leading Columbia Falls at the Top Ten Meet on Tuesday in Missoula.

Fairbank cleared 6 feet, 2 inches to finish in the runner-up spot behind Seth Wright of Libby, who had a winning height of 6-4. Wildcats coach Jamie Heinz said Fairbank was close to clearing 6-4.

The Cats’ 4x100-meter relay team of John Woody, Dean Phillips, Steven Baumgartner and Scott Palmer ran to sixth place. The quartet had a season-best time of 45.01.

CFHS’ other competitor in the boys division, Nathan Klug, did not place in the discus.

Emily Stoltz of the Wildkats squad tied for sixth in the girls pole vault at the Top Ten Meet. She cleared 9 feet. The Kats’ other vaulter at Missoula, Ketti Wilhelm, did not place.

The meet featured the top 10 athletes in boys and girls divisions in the western half of Montana, Heinz said.

“A lot of the time this Top Ten Meet is tougher than the state meet,” the coach said.

CFHS won three girls events and placed first in a boys event at the Bigfork Relays on April 15. There were no team scores recorded in a meet that featured events with three athletes from a participating school determining team finishes.

Finishing first in girls competition were the Wildkats in the pole vault (25 feet), discus (245 feet, 5 inches) and spring (time of 2 minutes, 7 seconds). The Kats placed third in four events, including the shot put (67-2). CFHS was also third in two individual events, the two-mile run (11:41.4) and weight relay (1:03.2).

The Wildcat boys were first in the high jump (5-2). They placed second in the discus (330-6 1/2), sprint (1:51.3) and two-mile run (9:01). CFHS was third in the javelin (333-5), pole vault (8-6), 400 (50.2) and mile (4:03).

CFHS was third in the co-ed 200 hurdles (33.27).

Weather permitting, CFHS thinclads compete in the Whitefish ARM Meet on Saturday.The Whitefish JV Meet is set for next Tuesday.