Dodson welcomes three new athletes in 2019

The Dodson Track Team has five athletes listed this season, and the team is already off to a better start than they were last season, according to Head Coach Tianna Bloomer.

"We have been able to be outside this past week," Dodson Head Coach Tianna Bloomer said.

Last season all track teams in Phillips County we unable to get on to their respective tracks due to a slow snow melt in 2018. Though teams still were delayed in going outside Coach Bloomer was appreciative that the team was able to practice outside days before the team attended the Scottie Invitational on Saturday, March 30.

"Last year we weren't able to be outside until mid-April," Coach Bloomer said. "The fact that we could actually go outside before the first meet is lucky. Also, the fact that we were able to go to the first meet without it being canceled or postponed was pretty big also. And that meet had some very nice weather. I hope the spring holds with the weather."

Coach Bloomer will again be joined by Assistant Coach Natacha Doney.

Of the returning athletes, junior Christina Jaynes brings the most experience having made state in shot put and discus in 2017. Jaynes just missed out on making state in both of those events in 2018 despite posting the best numbers of her career last season.

Jaynes had a personal best of 33-0 in shot put at the North-East Top 10 Meet in Glasgow last season. She also hit 99-9 in discus at the District 3C Meet last season.

Jaynes won the shot put event in this year's Scottie Invitational last Saturday, March 30, with a new personal best of 33-6.25.

Coach Bloomer noted that Jaynes will try to qualify for the North-East Top Ten Meet for the third season in a row, a goal that Jaynes sets yearly. As far as State goes, not only does Jaynes want to reach state, she wants to do it well before the 3C meet.

"Tina is determined to qualify for state before districts," Coach Bloomer said. "that is her main goal. She doesn't want to worry about having to make it at district and divisionals. Just wants to qualify beforehand."

The team also welcomes back sophomore Jeramiah Benson, who participated in running events last season. Benson posted new bests at the 2019 Scottie Invitational. He posted a time of 13.60 in the 100-meter dash and 1:02.81 in the 400. Last year his best time in the 200 was 28.34.

Benson will be running the 100 and 400 again this season, but he has added a new event; javelin.

"He is excited about it," Coach Bloomer said. "I think some of his friends from Malta do it so he wants to try."

The team welcomes freshman Michael Jaynes who was a strong competitor in 3C junior high meets last season, though his season will start a little later than anticipated.

"He is currently battling a hamstring injury," Coach Bloomer said. "He will compete in the Long Jump, High Jump, and Triple Jump."

Treyten KillEagle, a freshman, will be participating in throwing events this season. In his debut, KillEagle threw personal bests in both shot put and discus with throws of 18-0 and 45-0 respectively.

Another new addition to the Dodson team is Caitlin Fenner, a transfer student from Great Falls High School. Though she was a distance runner with Great Falls, this year Fenner has changed events.

"Caitlin has decided that long distance is not her forte," Coach Bloomer said. "She will be switching to sprinting the 100 and 400 and picking up disc."

In her new events, Fenner ran a 3:15.33 in the 800 and a 7:31.86 in the 1600.