Jaynes, Albus talk about missing track

There are only a couple of seniors trying to make it back to the Class C State Track Meet amongst the Dodson Coyotes, Saco Panthers, and Whitewater Penguins track teams.

The Penguins have an at-home program provided by Coach Charlene Wasson, which will be in the PCN soon, but that team has no seniors this season.

Dodson's Christina Jaynes and Saco's Brady Albus were kind enough to answer a few questions about how they are dealing with the possibility of missing track in their senior year thanks to the threat of the COVID-19 virus, which has shut down schools across Montana and the country.

Jaynes had been to the State C Track meet in her freshman and junior seasons as a Lady Coyote and she was hoping to make it in her final year as a senior. Last season, Jaynes placed in the top 10 in two throwing events at state. She was seventh in shot put with a throw of 33-6.5 and ninth in discus with a throw of 99-1. She set her best throws of 35-0.5 and 102-10 respectively at the 2019 Cal Wearley Memorial in Havre. Though Jaynes has set goals for herself to place higher in her senior season, she fears the season will not happen due to the virus.

"I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself," Jaynes said.

Jaynes planned to throw for the first time since state, but Dodson Public Schools and all school around Montana shut their doors to the public by the direction of Montana Governor Steve Bullock last month. Jaynes has been keeping herself busy by working in Malta at Joe's In and Out.

"I'm working, trying to make as much money as I can," Jaynes said.

The thing that she is saving for, a trip with the school's trip to Washington D.C., is also in limbo. The event was initially scheduled for April, but the Close Up Foundation suspended trips to D.C. on March 12, according to one of their social media pages. The Dodson High School students' trip was rescheduled to the middle of June, according to Jaynes..

Jaynes has been a First Team All-Conference Athlete in basketball for the past two seasons, and she has been winning throwing events since her junior high years. She was asked how she would feel if the track season was never to happen.

"It would really stink," Jaynes said. "It's the only sport that I do that I 100 percent, full-heartedly love. I don't have to talk myself into competing."

She said that she loves that she gets to go out and do her own thing without having to worry about anyone else's performance than her own.

"It's all on me," Jaynes said.

The Saco Panthers track team had a full two weeks of practice prior to the shutdown and the team's lone senior, Brady Albus, felt confident about how his season started.

"I was running pretty strong and running with a good stride," he said.

Though Albus did not participate in 2019 he was hoping to make it back to state for the first time since the 2018 season. Albus took ninth place in the 800 with a time of 2:05.90 and his personal best was 02:03.64, a time that he set in the North-East Top 10 meet in Glasgow. Albus also had a PR of 56.44 seconds in the 400, and a leap of 16-8 in the long jump that season. He also ran in the short relay with Chayten Pippin, Chandler Pippin, and Chris DePuydt.

In a way, Albus has been able to stay in shape because he has been keeping busy by hauling hay from Saco to Harlem. He began working as soon as the school closed it's doors to students and the public. He has also been working on the farm and on the family pickup trucks.

"I'm not being a slouch or anything," Albus said. "Cleaning grain bins is kind of a workout. You have to pack around a grain sweep."

Though he is healthy and has been able to continue working, he understands the shutdown because of what can happen to those that have a higher chance of not surviving the COVID-19 virus.

"You have to respect what is going on because there are a lot of people at stake," Albus said.

He said he would like to go back to school and at least get a few track meets in but he doesn't see it happening because media outlets have mentioned that the virus will be a threat even in June.

"I would like to see the track season make it in the end, but I just think it's over at this point," Albus said. "This will be a heck of a story to tell somebody someday."

Though Albus missed last season helping his father with the family's business, he wanted to compete in track and field knowing that is would be his last chance. He set a big goal for himself this season.

"I don't know what the competition looks like this year, but I was hoping to win the state title in the 800 or come close to winning it," Albus said.

The MHSA Executive Board is scheduled to address the state of the 2020 spring sports season on Thursday, April 9, and will deliver their judgment on Monday, April 13, according to updates on their website.