Mustang teams nearly sweep meet

The Malta Mustangs Varsity and JV teams nearly won both events at the Havre Lions meet on Saturday, April 13, at Havre Middle School.

The varsity team took second place at the meet with a total of 105.33 points. Fort Benton won the varsity meet with a total of 115 points. Belt was third with 93, Havre took fourth with 42, and Chinook was fifth with 36.33.

Malta’s JV team won their event with a total of 146.5 points. Shelby was second with 72. Havre took third with 57, and Chinook took fourth with 42.

Malta’s varsity team shines in jumping event thanks to the friendly rivalry behind Mustang teammates Tanner Smith and Cormac Benn, who have been going back and forth throughout the past two seasons.

“It’s kind of fun having a pair together because they push each other and they support each other,” Malta Track Coach Jim Benn said. “What I really appreciate is how well they get along with each other and how they are genuinely happy for each other when they do well. That’s really what it's all about. Especially, when you are teammates.”

Cormac Benn started things early with a win in long jump, by clearing a new personal best of 20-00.75. Benn’s flight was after teammate Smith, who posted a leap of 19-09.25. Both marks were bests from 2018.

“We both push each other,” Cormac said. “We want each other to beat our bests. It pushes us to do our bests. We both want the best for each other.”

Smith felt that his mark was a good start to the season, considering he matched his best from 2018. But he knew Benn had made a better mark.

“I really like going up against him,” Smith said. “In practice, we just go back and forth. And then at a track meet I will win and then he will win, that’s how it was last year and we will see how it is this year.”

Smith was asked about the team’s talent in 2019.

“I think the team is looking really good,” Smith said. “I think we should be able to trophy at divisionals. We have a lot of kids that are good at all of the events.”

Smith, who was in his first meet of 2019, would go on to win the high jump by clearing a new personal best of 6-0. Benn was able to clear 5-8 to take fourth place. Smith took third in triple jump with a mark at 39-03.50. Benn took fourth with a mark at 39-00.50.

Benn was also second in the 300-meter-hurdles with a PR of 44.61. Benn was able to beat Turner’s Cody Welsh, the 2018 Class C Champion, who took third.

Smith competed in javelin for the first time in his career and was thirteenth with a throw of 107-.50.

Senior Michael Pugh won the 200-meter-dash with a time of 24.11. Pugh also took second place in the 100 with a PR of 11.68. Pugh also took third in the 400 with a time of 55.03 and fifth in long jump with a new PR of 19-07.25.

Sophomore Cordel Salsbery took second place in shot put with a new PR of 38-09.50. Salsbery also took second in discus with a throw of 112-02.

Cash Salsbery took sixth place in discus with a throw of 106-03, a new PR. Ca. Salsbery also placed tenth in shot put with a throw of 34-05.50.

Sophomore Kooper Oxarart took second in javelin with a throw of 136-07, a new PR. Oxarart also recorded a throw of 31-04 in shot put.

Sophomore Pierce Mortenson took sixth place in shot put with a throw of 37-10.50. Mortenson was also seventh in discus with a toss of 101-07.

The team’s long relay team consisting of Keigo Kawai, Parker Mortenson, Oxarart, and RC Skiff took second place with a time of 3:49.72.

Kawai was eighth in the 400 with a time of 58.47 and ninth in the 200 with a time of 25.99.

Bobby Dolphay recorded a throw of 76-0 in discus and a throw of 28-10.75 in shot put.

JUNIOR VARSITY

Kanyon Stiles led Malta’s JV team taking first place in the 200, the 110 hurdles, and 300 hurdles. Stiles set a new PR of 20.54 in the 110 hurdles. He posted a PR of 26.82 in the 200 and a time of 49.82 in the 300 hurdles. Stiles placed eighth in his other two events, with a mark at 90-08 in javelin and at 15-05.25 in long jump.

Rex Williamson took first place in long jump with a PR of 17-07.75. Williamson also won the 400 with a PR 1:00.59. He was second in the 100 with a PR of 12.59.

Zac Judd was second in the 110 hurdles with a PR of 20.57 and second in the 300 hurdles with a time of 51.73.

Connor Tuss was third in both hurdle events with a PR of 22.94 in the 110 hurdles and a PR of 53.95 in the 300 hurdles.

Eion Estill won shot put with a throw of 32-09, a new PR.

David Pitman won discus with a PR of 102-09. Pitman also took third in shot put with a PR of 31-10.25.

Zach Welch took third in the 800 with a time of 2:32.13. Welch was also fifth in the 400 with a time of 1:04.13 and sixth in the 200 with a time of 27.90. Bobby Dolphay took fourth in javelin with a throw of 97-07.