Mundel is state champ in 3,200 meters

Wildkat Samantha Mundel brought home a state Class A championship in the 3,200 meters last week, outpacing the rest of the field by 10 seconds for the title in Butte.

The junior clocked an 11:43.79 in the May 31 race to beat Corvallis’s Kaycie Stewart, who came in at 11:54. Mundel’s time was about two seconds faster than last year’s mark, when she took fifth in the event.

Mundel also took third in the 1,600 meters at 5:17.07. In that race, Stewart edged her by two seconds and Isabelle Pape of Corvallis won the event with a time of 5:13.73.

Other Columbia Falls athletes also did well at the state tournament. Senior Haley Belgarde was fourth in shot put with a throw of 34-9.

Junior Carla Nicosia was sixth in the 100 meter hurdles at 16.10 and fifth in the 300 hurdles at 48.88. She also took fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 35-3.50. The triple was her best event all season. Annika Moore of Hamilton won the event with a leap of 37-2.55.

On the boys side, senior Nakia Alexander took second in the triple jump with a 42-6.75 leap. Andrew Weltz of Polson won the event at 43-3.5. The Wildcats’ 1,600 meter relay team placed sixth at 3:31.26.

As a team, the boys took 18th with nine points, and the girls were seventh.