Malta takes home meet

You may call it home-field advantage, but there was no denying the Mustangs and M-ettes track team shined at the Malta Athletic Club Invitational last Tuesday, April 21, at Mustang Field.

The M-ettes showed no mercy, racking up 163 points, while their nearest competition, the Chinook Sugarbeeters, took second with a score of 99. The Havre Blue Ponies racked up 74 points and placed third.

In the boys action the Mustangs scored 82.5, taking first place in the process. The Havre boys scored 76.5 to take second place, while Harlem was in third place with 68.

Sophia Stiles dominated the meet, winning four individual events and anchoring the short relay team that also won.

Stiles won the long jump with a leap of 17 feet and one inch, the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 16.64 seconds, the triple jump with a length of 35-07.50 and the 300 hurdles with a time of 51.54.

Stiles was a second and a half slower than her 15:31 time she posted last year at state.

"It was good," Stiles said. "My start definitely could've been a little better, I'm not very fast getting out of the blocks, but it was a good race."

Rather than running in the 100, a race that Stiles thrived in last year, Stiles has only been running the 100 in the short relay form, where there are huge differences.

"You definitely have to get your hand-offs good and worry about not letting your team down," Stiles said.

She went on to say that the relay brings more pressure than an individual event.

The short relay team consisting of Marley Manoukian, Darby Schye, Kaitlyn Smith and Stiles won with a time of 54.68.

Schye put on an impressive showing in Shot put, taking first place in the finals with a throw of 39-01.25. It is also her new personal best.

"I'm super pumped and I'm ready to see what else I can do," Schye said.

Schye had been doing well in the preliminary rounds, but with throwers like Chinook's Britney Nelson and Harlem's Emma Humphreys looking to take the event, Schye's throw coaches gave her advice.

"I have a problem," Schye said. "When you throw, you're supposed to look up at the sky so your chest opens up and gets the needed airspace. They told me to get my chin up and that's what happened on that last throw."

Schye also took fifth in discus with a throw of 91-01 and fifth in the 100 with a time of 13.92.

Manoukian took first in pole vault after clearing 8-00 and tying her personal best. Hinsdale's Courtney Capdeville also cleared the height on an attempt later than Manoukian.

Though Manoukian won the event, she clearly wanted to do better than she finished. This is because she had a clear number, she would like to pass.

"First I would like to clear 8-06," Manoukian said. "But I would really like to get over 9-00 at some point. That's my ultimate goal."

Manoukian also took second place in the 300 hurdles with a time of 53.32 and fourth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.24.

Jada Nicholson took first place in high jump after clearing 4-10 in the event and then 5-00. The closest jumper was her sister Hailey Nicholson who took second after clearing 4-08.

Jada was second in the 200 with a time of 30.29.

Smith took first in the javelin with a throw of 106-06. Mary Grace Kalal took third in the event with a throw of 99-00.

Smith also took fourth in shot put with a throw of 31-01.50 and sixth in the 100 with a time of 14.00.

The long relay team consisting of Manoukian, Mary Grace Kalal, Hailey Nicholson and Darby Schye placed second with a time of 4:45.64.

Riley Mortenson had a strong showing in distance events as she took third in both the 800 and 1600 races. She had a time of 2:48 in the 800 and 6:09 in the 1600.

Mortenson shared what it takes to have a good long distance run.

"You have to make sure that you're breathing, staying calm but also pushing yourself at the same time," Mortenson said.

Often times athletes get caught in the goal of trying to beat their numbers from previous meets, but Mortenson looks at it another way.

"Coach has told me to work on placing and my time would come down," Mortenson said. "I focus on placing and from what I've noticed, my time has decreased a lot."

Joanie Sjostrom took sixth in the 800 with a time of 3:06.60.

Rheanna Messerly took sixth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 21.44 and sixth in the 300 hurdles with a time of 58.94.

Sara Ware took sixth in the 400 with a time of 73.04.

Sophomore Correena Torrez is in her first year with the M-ettes' track team since being in track with Chinook in the eighth grade.

"People are excelling but it's kind of rough for me because I was really out of shape," Torrez admitted.

She long jumped for the second time this year at the Malta Invitational and left a mark at 11-07.

"I got my own personal record, which isn't that great yet but it's my second time doing that this year," Torrez said.

Her goal is to get around 15 feet in long jump before the year ends.

"That would be sweet," She said.