Guide to the 2024 Class C state track and field meet (2024)

BUTTE— Great Falls’ Memorial Stadium is the host for the 2024 Class AA and C state track and field meets this weekend.

The Class C meet begins on Friday at 9 a.m. with the boys’ javelin and is scheduled to culminate at approximately 3:50 p.m. on Saturday with the 1,600-meter relay. A full schedule of events for the weekend can be found on the MHSA website.

As athletes from across the state set out to defend titles, break records and reach goals, here are some storylines to keep an eye on.

Returning individual champions: Brooke Reuter, Savage (girls 100, 200); Cole Kramer, Ennis (boys 400); Taylee Chirrick, Roberts (girls 400, 800, 300 hurdles); Shaphan Hubner, Manhattan Christian (boys 800, 1,600); Shelbi LaBrie, Whitewater (girls 1,600); Oren Arthun, Manhattan Christian (boys 3,200); Claire Bucklin, Sunburst (girls 100 hurdles); Johnslee Pierre, Lustre Christian (boys 300 hurdles); Audrey Sampsen, Plentywood (girls high jump); Blaine Downing, Saco (boys pole vault); Caiden Sekuterski, Cascade (boys triple jump); Ayla Janzen, Twin Bridges (girls triple jump).

Overview: After winning its first state title last season, the Manhattan Christian boys are looking for a repeat. It took care of business at the Western C Divisional last weekend, edging out Drummond by six points in what came down to the final 4x400 relay. The Eagles are led by a pair of distance runners – Oren Arthun and Shaphan Hubner – who both know what it takes to earn individual and team gold at state. Arthun is the two-time defending champion in the 3,200 and currently has the state’s top times in that event and the 1,600, along with the second-best time in the 800. Hubner is the two-time defending champion in the 800 and he defeated Arthun to win gold in the 1,600 last year. Nobody in Class C has run a faster 800 than Hubner this season, and only his teammate, Arthun, has run a faster 1,600.

Last year’s runner-up, Belt, looks to be one of the biggest threats to dethrone Manhattan Christian. The Huskies won the Northern C Divisional with a whopping 178 points, as Chester-Joplin-Inverness was the runner-up with 126 points. Belt has the fastest 400-meter relay in the class so far this season. JD Shepard boasts the fastest time in the 300 hurdles and the throwing duo of Lane Waldner and Johnny Tingey both rank in the top three for the shot put and discus. With a deep and balanced squad, the Huskies hope it’s enough for their first state track title ever.

Other teams that could be in the mix for a team trophy on the boys side include Cascade, Lustre Christian and Harlowton-Ryegate-Judith Gap.

In the girls’ team race, a bevy of teams will be battling to be on top of the podium, a spot that Plentywood has held for two straight seasons. With two vital pieces to those state titles now at Montana State, Annie Kaul and Emma Brensdal, the Class C girls’ gold could be up for grabs.

Despite a second-place finish at the Eastern C Divisional meet, Savage looks to be one of the teams to beat at state. Brooke Reuter is going for a four-peat in the 100, and only her teammate, Cambry Conradsen, has sprinted a faster time in the event this season. Reuter and Conradsen have Class C’s two fastest times in the 200 as well. The duo gives Savage fierce relays in both the 400 and 1,600, and Reuter also excels in the 400 and long jump. Reuter has broken the state records at both sprints multiple times in her career so it remains to be seen if she does it again before heading off to Montana State next year.

Scobey took down Savage at last week’s divisional, and another performance like that could lead to a team title. Mya Green, Mia Handren and Mady Willis have each shown they are capable of all-state performances in multiple events for Scobey. Kaytie Aanstad has the second-best mark in the shot put and the 1,600-meter relay has the second-best time behind Savage.

Roberts will be another title threat behind the sister duo of Taylee and TJ Chirrick. Taylee broke three state records last season in the 400, 800 and 300 hurdles and currently has Class C’s best mark in five different events. TJ is looking to podium in both the 1,600 and 3,200. Other teams in contention for trophies this weekend include Twin Bridges, Saco and Whitewater.

Record watch: Six state records were broken at last year’s Class C state meet in Laurel, all on the girls’ side, and five between two athletes. Roberts’ Taylee Chirrick broke records in the 400 (56.69), 800 (2:12.97) and 300 hurdles (43.06). Savage’s Reuter sprinted to state bests in the 100 (12.35) and 200 (25.33).

With both Chirrick and Reuter back for their senior seasons, they have the chance to break their own records while looking to break new ones as well, which can only be done at state meets.

Chirrick’s longest leap in the triple jump this season, 38-0.5, would be enough to break the current record set by Ryegate’s Kelsey Kirkpatrick in 2003 (37-10.75). Reuter is looking to a set a new record in the long jump, with her highest mark of the season (17-11.25) clearing the current record of 17-7.5, set by Alberton’s Fran Peterson in 1976 and matched by Superior’s Nicole Stroot in 2013.

The longest standing Class C boys state record is the triple jump (45-7.75), set by Columbus’ Greg Stene in 1976. Cascade’s Caiden Sekuterski is the two-time defending state champion in the triple jump, and he came up just .25 inches short of breaking Stene’s record at last year’s state meet. Sekuterski jumped 46-4.5 earlier this season, a mark that would break the 48-year-old record if completed this weekend at the state meet.

A University of Montana track and field commit, Sekuterski has also proven he’s capable of breaking the long jump record of 22-5.5 set by Outlook’s Tyler Bucklin in 1995. Just last weekend at the Northern C Divisional meet, he leapt 23-6.5.

Another event to look out for is the boys’ 100-meter dash, in which Chester-Joplin-Inverness junior Benedikt Syrbe ran a time of 10.98 at the 9C District meet. The state record is 10.96, set by Power’s Trevor Heckford in 1993.

Plentywood's Audrey Sampsen cleared 5-7 in the high jump last week at the divisional to top the previous high mark this season in Class C by Brynn Kammerzell's (5-6.5) from Chester-Joplin-Inverness. If that bar keeps going up this weekend, the current mark of 5-7.5 held by Chester's Michele Van Dyke from 2000 could come down.