Lady Penguins third in standings at Havre Invite

The Dodson, Saco and Whitewater track teams attended the windy 2021 Havre Track and Field Invitational last Saturday. The Cal Wearley Memorial that was set for Wednesday, March 31, was postponed.

The Whitewater Lady Penguins placed highest among Phillips County Class C Schools, by taking third place with 65.5 points, the Saco Lady Panthers took sixth with 38 points.

The Whitewater Penguins were eleventh in the boys meet with 14 points, and Saco was eighteenth with two points.

WHITEWATER

The Whitewater Lady Penguin tracksters had several placers.

The long relay team consisting of Kora LaBrie, Kendall Scheffelmear, Kia Wasson, and Paige Wasson, took first place with a time of 4:52.

P. Wasson, a freshman, took second place in the 400 meter run with a new personal best of 1:09.14. She also posted a new best and took tenth in triple jump with a length of 29-10.

Senior Kelsee Cummings was third in shot put with a throw of 33-2.5.

Cummings recently signed to compete in track and field for Dickinson State University next year under scholarship. She shared her experience and what helped her make her decision.

"I went to visit there and I really liked it," Cummings said. "They were offering (a scholarship), so I decided to go there and I am really excited to compete in track."

Cummings also took tenth in discus with a throw of 88-10.

"I have been working hard in practice to be able to get my throws farther," Cummings said. "I have been working to get my footwork down."

In all, Whitewater has 13 athletes, 11 of which are eligible for varsity. Being that this year's team is Whitewater's largest team in recent history, Cummings was asked how it felt to have this many athletes.

"It's looking pretty good, especially for the girls because there are so many of us," Cummings said. "We are all pretty athletic and I think that we will be able to do pretty good at the end of the season."

Freshman Kendall Scheffelmear was third in the 400 with a time of 1:10.6. Scheffelmear was also fourth in high jump, clearing a new best of 4-10, and fifth in triple jump with a new best of 30-10.

Senior Kia Wasson took fourth place in the 1600 with a time of 6:07.

LaBrie placed fifth in the 400 with a time of 1:13.1.

Kendra Cummings was sixth in the 3200 with a time of 17:11 and had a personal best of 54-6 in discus.

The short relay consisting of LaBrie, P. Wasson, Ava Hanley, and Scheffelmear, were seventh with a time of 58.9 seconds.

A. Hanley was seventh in the 100 hurdles with a personal best of 18 seconds. She also posted a new best of 13.9 in the 100

H. Hanley had a season-best of 14.1 in the 100.

For the Penguin boys, Beau Simonson placed in both of his events, taking second place in shot put, setting a personal best of 43-8.5. Simonson nearly won the event on his last throw, but Malta Mustang football teammate Cash Salbery won the event with a throw of 44-3.25.

"It feels good," Simonson said of setting a new personal best in shot put. "I still need to come a long way, but I am progressing every week and every practice, so I am doing good."

Beau said to improve on his throws, he will need to keep his form, focus on improving and working out in the weight room.

Simonson has improved upon his fitness since his last track season in 2019.

"Playing in three sports every year will keep you in shape and you just have to focus on lifting in the weight room," Simonson said. "Every time you go in the weight room, you have to focus on each sport and keep grinding."

Penguin teammate Hunter Ellis, a sophomore, posted a personal best of 66-8.5 in discus, and had a throw of 20-5 in shot put.

SACO

The Lady Panthers were led by junior Jaycee Erickson who took first place in javelin with a throw of 102-2. Erickson was also second in pole vault by clearing 8-6, and she was fourth in triple jump with a new personal best of 30-7.

Freshman Teagan Erickson placed in three of her events. She won the high jump by clearing 5-2, was third in long jump with a personal best of 16-3.5, and was fourth in the 800 with a time of 2:44.5. She also set a new best in javelin with a throw of 87.5.

Josie Brown, a freshman, set personal records in each of her events. Brown placed fourth in the 200 with a time of 28.34, seventh in triple jump with a length of 30-7, ninth in pole vault by clearing 6-6, tenth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 18.44, and tenth in the 100 with a time of 13.84.

After her performance in the 100, Brown was asked how things were going.

"Things are going pretty well," Brown said after running the 100. "I have a new PR, and beat my last time by about a second."

She admitted that hurdles and triple jump were difficult because they were events that she hasn't done since seventh grade due to the track cancellations in 2020.

"It's really cold," Brown said of the track season so far. "But it's really fun and I have missed it."

Teammate Abby Yeska, also a freshman, hit a mark of 95-7.5 in discus on her final throw, but the mark was met with some controversy after the meet, being recorded under another athlete, according to Saco Coach Barry Malone.

Still, Yeska was asked about her throw after she left the mark.

"I don't know, but I do know that the throw before was awful and I was just hoping that I would get out there because I wasn't doing the best and it just landed way out there," Yeska said. "It felt really good."

The Panther boys team was led by Marshall Caves, a freshman, who took fifth in pole vault by clearing 8-6. Caves set a new best of 13.92 in the 100 and 66-5 in javelin.

Teammate Dylan Brown, a junior, set a new best of 78-7 in discus. Brown said that the meet wasn't going well for him, but that he plans to practice hard to improve.

DODSON

The Dodson Coyotes Boys track team had two athletes on Saturday; freshmen Michael Turnsplenty and Sebastian Best.

Best left a mark of 29-1 in triple jump. In long jump Best had a leap of 14-2 and in the 200 Best posted a time of 29.3.

The Lady Coyotes consisted of sophomore Emma Cole, and freshmen Kataya KillEagle and Imagin Fox.

KillEagle left a mark of 26-10.5 in triple jump, 11-3.5 in long jump, and she had a throw of 45-3 in discus.

Fox had a time of 33.4 in the 200, 15.8 in the 100, and a leap of 10-5.5 in long jump.

Cole had a throw of 19-7.5 in shot put and a throw of 51-6 in discus.