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Vikings, Lady Vikings run away with divisional titles
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MISSOULA—Charlo’s boys’ track and field team won the divisional title and the girls’ took second at the B,C Divisional Tournament. On both sides athletes took home numerous individual titles.
For four years it was Chance Rosenbaum’s goal to beat his uncle Scott Smith’s longstanding pole vault record of 13 feet and 8 inches. With a crowd gathered, clapping faster as he ran down the runway, Rosenbaum, a senior, finally achieved his goal by a quarter of an inch.
Rosenbaum was all smiles as he hit the mat below and teammates sophomore Webb O’Neill and freshman Jacen Peterson congratulated him with high fives. The three battled back and forth Saturday afternoon, long after the final races finished Saturday, May 21, at the Montana Western B,C Divisional Tournament in Missoula.
When it was over, they added 24 points to an already impressive lead to bring the Viking boys’ total team score to 149, well out of reach of second place contender Twin Bridges’ score of 76.
O’Neill placed second (13-00.00) and Peterson third (12-06.00) in the event, and along with top finisher Rosenbaum, will join the other top six competitors of each event at the state track and field meet May 27-28 in Missoula.
“They have been working hard all year. It’s nice to top it off at the right time, peak at the right time,” Coach Jim Petersen said with a smile. “Now if they can continue on here next week at state that will be even better.”
In fact, Charlo coaches had much to smile about all weekend. On Friday, sophomore Tra Ludeman, senior Chico Stipe, senior Austin Bauer and junior Stephen Delaney broke a 26-year-old divisional record (44.23) and the school record in the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 44.06.
The next day, Charlo boys placed in the top six in every running event. Bauer won the 100- meter dash (11.61), the long jump (20-07.50) and placed second in the 200-meter dash (23.74).
Delaney swept four events including the 400-meter run (51.74), 110-meter hurdles (15.54), 300-meter hurdles (40.62), and the 4x400 meter relay (3.33.98) with younger brother freshman Tyler Delaney, Rosenbaum and Stipe.
Senior Michael Smith won the 1600-meter run (4:44.71) and the 3200-meter run (10:20.64).
“Today was definitely a confidence booster,” Stipe said. “But we need to stay level-headed so we can walk away with another state title.”
Charlo’s Aspen Runkel doesn’t just compete to win. She competes to break records.
The freshman just broke a 23-year-old school record in the 400-meter run at districts. Now her next goal is to beat the school records in the 300 and 100-meter hurdle events, which she placed first (47.56) and third (16.56) in respectively at the B,C Track and Field Divisional in Missoula.
“It’s a big part of motivating me to become a better athlete,” said Runkel, who placed second in the 400-meter run Friday (1:02.69).
The Charlo girls’ team took second in team points with a strong showing by Runkel, freshman Jordan Ludeman and juniors Deondra Brown and Dawn Blevins. The team finished only two points behind team winner Shields Valley’s score of 78.
In field events Ludeman tied for second in the pole vault with Gardiner’s Maddie Hoeninghausen with a vault of 8 feet, Blevins threw a second-place finish (106-05).
The 4x400 meter relay team of Runkel, Brown, Ludeman and Blevins was second (4:17:00) behind the winning team from Seeley-Swan.
Brown took fourth in the 100-meter (13.80) and the 200-meter (27.77). She was also on the second place 4x100 meter relay team (52.69) that included Schaelyn Fell and freshmen Michaela Krahn and Runkel.
Runkel still has three years left to break school and even state records, but for now, she and the rest of the Lady Vikings are focused on state.
“My times have been up there, I think I will be able to compete well,” she said. “I feel confident going into state.”
