Saco Brings Back a Couple of State Champs

The Saco Panthers and Lady Panthers teams saw their first action of the season at the Red Lodge Classic in Laurel on Friday, April 6.

Both teams return plenty of experience in 2024 including Panther Blaine Downing, a junior that won the state title in pole vault last year. He was also runner up in 2022. The Lady Panthers welcome back Josie Brown, who was fifth in the 200 meter and 400 meter races at state.

The Lady Panthers welcome back Teagan Erickson, who missed the 2023 season due to AAU basketball. Erickson was state champion in the high jump in 2022 and 2021. Erickson was a part of the Lady Panthers' fourth place 4x100 relay team in 2022 with Brown, and Ireland Mears, who is a sophomore this season.

The team welcomes first time Head Coach Kelly Downing in 2024. She takes over for longtime coach Barry Malone, who retired from teaching. Coach Downing was Malone's assistant for the past few years. She will be joined by assistant coaches Amber Erickson and Chris Pippin.

"We are blessed with a talented group of athletes," Coach Downing said. "They are willing to try new events, they work hard, and they have positive attitudes. I anticipate several of them will prequalify in various events, and we should have a good showing at state. It's always our goal to represent our school well and make Phillips County proud."

The Saco track team competed in Laurel and both teams placed in the top ten. The Lady Panthers had four athletes and the Panthers had three.

The Lady Panthers took third place with 57 points in their meet. Huntley Project won the Womens' meet with 98 points and Broadwater was second with 82 points.

The Panthers were tenth in the Mens' Meet with 14 points. Jefferson won with 104 points, Red Lodge was second with 97 points, and Columbus was third with 68 points.

Downing won the pole vault event by clearing 14-0, he was fourth in the 400 with a personal best of 53.76.

Jake Brown set marks of 103 in javelin, 16-5.75 in long jump, and had a time of 59.52 in the 400.

Carter Pippin had a personal best of 51-7 in discus, 24-6 in shot put, and a season's best of 42-6 in javelin.

For the Lady Panthers, Josie Brown won the 100 meter and 200 meter events with times of 12.78 and 26.67 respectively. She also won the 300 with a personal best of 47.09. Brown was third in the 100 hurdles with a personal best of 16.79.

Teagan Erickson won the long jump with a mark at 16-2.75. Erickson was third in javelin with a throw of 118-4 and fourth in triple jump with a mark at 32-7.5.

Emerson Downing was sixth in pole vault, clearing 7-6. Downing also set a mark of 29-4 in triple jump and had a time of 23.43 in the 100 hurdles and 54.95 in the 300 hurdles.

Downing, Ireland Mears, Erickson and Brown took sixth in the 4x400 relay with a time of 4:38.75.

Mears had a time of 14.99 in the 100, 31.58 in the 200, and 58.86 in the 300 hurdles.

Saco Schools

Track & Field 2024 Schedule

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DAY DATE EVENT SITE

Saturday March 23 Scobey Indoor Meet Williston, ND

Friday March 29 Glasgow Invitational Glasgow

Saturday April 10 Cal Wearley Invitational Havre

Saturday April 13 NE Invitational Wolf Point

Saturday April 20 Sidney Invitational Sidney

Thursday April 25 R&L Invitational Lambert

Tuesday April 30 Norm Girard Top 10 Glasgow

Friday May 3 Gene Nelson Memorial Wolf Point

Saturday May 4 Jean Dreikosen Meet Glasgow

Saturday May 11 District Track Meet Wolf Point

Thursday May 16 Divisional Track Meet Wolf Point

Thurs. - Sat. May 23-25 State Track Meet Great Falls

------- SACO MIDDLE SCHOOL --------

Saturday April 13 Glasgow Invitational Glasgow

Friday April 19 Wolf Point Invititional Wolf Point

Saturday April 20 Havre Invitational Havre

Saturday April 27 Malta Invitational Malta

Friday May 3 Whitewater Invitational Whitewater

Friday May 10 District 3C Meet Glasgow