CMR’s Tarver climbing record books
GFH jumpers shine at crosstown meet
Jackson Tarver needed a good breather after his 400-meter race Friday at Memorial Stadium.
It was well earned, as the C.M. Russell High star exploded out of the blocks to gain a healthy lead early and maintain enough to finish first in the event at the Crosstown Track Meet with Great Falls High.
“I can’t really see but I can talk,” Tarver quipped shortly after the race.
The senior ran the second-best time of his career in the 400 at 49.45, a onehundredth of a second off his schoolrecord time that he set two weeks ago in Helena.
“It felt pretty good,” Tarver said. “I went out and did what I wanted to do with that first 200. I ran a 21.6 (in the 200) last weekend and I was trying to open my race in the 21s and I think I did just that.”
Great Falls High’s Tristan Watson hit 6-foot-6 in the high jump Friday, earning a tie for first in the state at the mark with Kalispell Flathead’s Jacob Dolezal, Aayden Simmons of Helena and Bozeman Gallatin’s Quinn Clark. Watson bested his previous height by two inches after leaping 6-4 last weekend in Helena.
Defending state triple jump champion Scott Klinker vaulted a career-best in the event Friday at 48 feet, putting him at the top of the state rankings this season. The MSU-Billings baseball commit also leads the state in the long jump (23-2.25 on April 2) and is sixth in the high jump (6-5), but just one inch behind the leaders.
Great Falls High won both team races, with the boys winning 117-27 and the girls 82-63. A number of girls’
competitors were out on Friday due to prior sporting commitments out of town, as the meet had been rescheduled from Tuesday due to heavy rain and severe winds.
The 400 on Friday had an added flavor as Great Falls High distance star Ryan Harrington entered the event, coming in on Tarver’s heels in the final stretch at 50.50 to earn a state-qualifying time in his first official race in the event of the season.
Tarver said competing against the multiple All-State athlete Harrington certainly added to the experience of the competition.
“We’ve had a bit of a friendly rivalry in the past, so it was good to finally get that head-to-head race and it did add a little bit more fuel to the flame for this race,” Tarver said.
While the 400 was his only event at crosstown, Tarver as of Friday holds the top time in all classes this season in the 200 at 21.60, which he earned last Saturday in a dual with Helena Capital. Tarver now holds the CMR record in the 400 – a mark held by Paul Luwe since 1975 – and is second all-time for the Rustlers in the 200 behind all-class state record holder Chris Wilson (21.06 in 2009).
“It means a lot, especially since I’m the only CMR athlete in the 400 and 200 record books,” Tarver said. “It’s a lot of work and I’m glad it’s cemented finally.”
Harrington, ranked second in the 3200 and 800 this season to Bozeman superstar Nathan Neil, was first in the two-mile Friday at 9:53.09. His foray into the 400 now qualifies him for the state meet in four events, including the mile.
CMR’s Aizalyn Flaten qualified for state with a personal record in the triple jump with a second-place showing of 34 feet, 2 inches, while also winning the 300 hurdles. Addi Kynett took the triple jump with a career-best leap of 35-11.
Addison Smith of the Rustlers topped her previous mark in the pole vault with a victory at 10 feet, six inches to also qualify for state. Junior Katie Slade, already a state-qualifier in the javelin, took the event with a PR 127-07, while also taking the discus and shot put for the Bison.
Caleb Litzinger of Great Falls High won both hurdling events Friday, earning a personal-best in the 300 at 41.10 to surpass the state-meet mark. Abigail MacDonald, ranked in the top six in both the 100 and 200 in Class AA, earned victories in both races Friday.
The Great Falls High and CMR squads head to the Eastern AA divisional meet in Bozeman next Friday and Saturday, with those not already holding statequalifying marks can do so by virtue of a top-six finish.