Vikings win Whitefish meet, Valkyries take third

Several Bigfork athletes qualified for state or improved on existing qualifying marks this week as the Vikings and Valkyries track teams were in action at the Russ Pilcher Top 10 meet in Missoula April 26 and the Whitefish ARM Invitational Saturday.

Jack Jensen, a state qualifier in the 1,600 and 3,200 meter races, won the all-class 1,600-meter race at the Top 10 meet in Missoula with a season-best time of 4:36.04 before following up with a win in the 800 at Whitefish Saturday with a time of 2:03.02.

George Bucklin finished second in the high jump at the Top 10 meet by clearing 6 feet, 1 inch, but followed up by tying his season best of 6 feet, 4 inches in Whitefish Saturday. His state-qualifying season best is the second highest jump in the state this season.

Bucklin also qualified in the long jump Saturday, winning the event with a leap of 21 feet, 1.5 inches.

Isak Epperly, a qualifier in the 110-meter hurdles, finished ninth in the event at the Top 10 with a season-best time of 15.66 seconds before winning the event at the Whitefish meet Saturday with a time of 15.81 seconds.

Levi Peterson, who qualified for state in the triple jump at the Dilley Bar meet in Ronan earlier this season, was eighth in the event at the Top 10 meet with a leap of 40 feet, 5.5 inches.

Levi Taylor finished third in the shot put in Whitefish, but qualified for state with a toss of 47 feet.

Also in Whitefish Saturday, Elliot Sanford won the 3,200 meter run with a PR time of 10:35.56 and Joseph Farrier set a PR of 148 feet, 10 inches to win the javelin.

The Vikings won the meet, beating out several Class A schools to finish with 151 poins. Columbia Falls was second with 98 points and Whitefish finished with 82.

For the Valkyries, Chloe Raats set a new PR of 1:01.40 to qualify for state in the 400 and finished fifth at the Top 10 meet. The time is the fastest in Class B this season.

The 4X100 relay team of Danika Bucklin, Lilly Tanko, Raats and Afton Lambrecht was sixth at the Top 10 meet with a time of 51.66 seconds. The state-qualifying squad set a season-best time of 51.51 seconds to finish third in Whitefish Saturday.

The 4X400 relay team of Bucklin, Raats, Lambrecht and Coralyn Shillam posted a season-best time of 4:18.56 to finish ninth at the Top 10 meet.

Scout Nadeau, a state qualifier in shot put, used a toss of 35 feet, 3 inches to finish fifth at the Top 10 before winning the Whitefish meet with a throw of 36 feet, 4 inches. Nadeau also set a PR in the discus with a toss of 108 feet, 10 inches to finish fifth at the Top 10 meet.

Also for the Valkyries in Whitefish, Zoey Albert threw a season-best 113 feet, 6 inches to win the javelin and Inga Turner won the long jump with a season-best leap of 15 feet, 2.5 inches.

Bigfork’s track teams will be in action Saturday at the Archie Roe meet at Legends Stadium in Kalispell.