Distance runners excel at Archie Roe meet

By RICHARD HANNERS / Whitefish Pilot

Whitefish distance runners continued to do well in track and field competitions, as both Drew Coco and Lauren Kuennen raced to victories at the Archie Roe Invitational in Kalispell on Saturday. The weather was sunny and cool, which aided the runners.

"The weather was terrific, excellent, almost ideal," Bulldog head coach Derek Schulz said.

Coco, a junior, traded leads with Polson's Logan Torgison in both the 1,600 and 3,200, but Coco came away the victor in both races. He ran the 1,600 in 4:28.01 and the 3,200 in 9:40.2, defeating Torgison by six seconds in the first race and seven seconds in the second.

"Drew set a Whitefish school record for the 3,200," Schulz said. "He already held the school record for the 1,600."

Schulz said Coco, who is among the top-three distance runners in the state, ran "an incredibly smart race."

"It was a spectacle to watch," Schulz said.

Kuennen, a senior, won the 1,600 race in 5:28.95 but took second in the 3,200 in 11:39.53. She was three seconds behind Glacier's Heather Fraley.

"She came in second in the 3,200, but it was a Whitefish school record," Schulz said. "She's an amazing runner. She's made so many improvements this year."

Schulz split the credit for Kuennen's success to Kuennen herself and distance-coach Bill Brist.

"She's put in a lot of off-season practice time," Schulz said.

All told, the Bulldog teams took home five firsts, four seconds and one fourth-place finish at the tournament.

The Whitefish boys took fourth place with 45 points to first-place Flathead's 121. Hamilton came in third with 49 points. Five Bulldogs placed at the tournament.

Aaron Tkachyk, a junior, took first in the long jump with a 20-9 1/2 leap.

"He's been jumping consistently," Schulz said. "Aaron is one of the few in Western Class A to consistently jump more than 20 feet."

In the high jump, Colt Idol, a junior, cleared 6-1 and came in fourth. The winning jump was by Seth Wright of Libby, at 6-5. Schulz said Idol has cleared 6-4, but he's had a slow start this season due to injuries from basketball.

The Whitefish girls team captured fifth place with 42 points, to dominating first-place Big Sky's 148 1/3. Polson was in fourth place with 45 points.

The Lady Bulldogs placed in five events, including taking second in the 1,600 relay at 4:16.55. The winning Big Sky team finished the race in 4:15.84.

Ashley Ferda, a senior, took second place in two events. She ran the 100 hurdles in 15.96 seconds, losing to Big Sky's Lindsey Hall at 15.61.

"She's running the hurdles really well," Schulz said of the two-time state champion.

Ferda also took second in the javelin with a 127-1 throw, behind Plains' Ashton Vulles at 129-4.

"That was a tremendous throw by Ashley — her personal best," Schulz said. "She's thrown over 120 feet in the past, but not this year."

The Bulldog boys and girls teams travel to Polson on Saturday for the ABC Meet, the last meet before divisionals, which will be held here at Whitefish High School on May 16-17.