Winter Storms Force Spring Sports Indoors
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The Chinook Sugarbeeter Tennis team have been relegated to shoveling snow off the courts as their daily workout to begin the 2023 season. Teams across Blaine County trying to prepare for the upcoming track and Field, Golf and Tennis seasons have been forced to come up with unique ways to prepare for the season. The first day of competition is scheduled for March 31, but looking at the forecast, who knows if that will even be a possibility with highs topping out in the 30's and 40's.
The weather has not been very cooperative to the start of the high school spring sports teams start to the season. Track and Field athletes in Turner, Chinook, Hays/Lodge Pole and Harlem have been forced to workout indoors while Golf teams in Harlem, Chinook and Hays/Lodge Pole face challenging starts as well. The Chinook Sugarbeeter Tennis team has been outside, but not really working on Tennis as they clear the courts.
Winter has caused problems for spring sports many times through the years, but this year it seems to really be hunkered down as teams prepare for the upcoming season. Despite the weather teams will continue to do their best to prepare. The first day of competition is scheduled for the end of March, but after a glance at the extended forecast those dates may be in jeopardy of postponement or cancellation, only time will tell.
Chinook Sugarbeeter Tennis Head Coach, Janelle Deanon has had her team practicing in a fairly unusual way to start the season, "Definitely not sure if I'm coaching a winter or spring sport at this point! We're starting off our season with some heavy conditioning, shoveling the snow off the courts! The girls have been great sports about it and are really building up some muscle for one thing."
Deanon added, "I have 10 girls out this spring and eight of them are returning players. Five have played at the State tournament before so I think we have a really good shot of getting some more state placers this year! Junior, Mya Berreth is definitely going to make a run in singles this year as are seniors Lexi Pitkanen and Torin Cecrle in doubles."
The Harlem Track and Field team has been doing their best to get going. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Kim Faulkinberry once again the team has been busy any way they can, "First week is going well considering we are indoors! We are focusing on conditioning and strength training this week."
The coaching staff is working hard to give the kids what they need, "We will get some equipment moved indoors so we can work on footwork and fundamentals. Junior Kaitlyn Johnson is our only returner that competed at State last year, but we do have quite a few that competed at Divisionals returning to give it another go!"
Faulkinberry stated her team had good numbers to start the season, "This week we have had 38 kids at practice, hopefully they will all want to put in the time and stick it out."
For our local Golf teams the opportunity to get out to the course and work on hitting irons into greens or putting is a long way off so some creativity is required. The 'Sugarbeeter Golf team is under the direction of first year Head Coach, Nick Turner this spring and he has his team doing what it can to get ready, "We are hitting balls at the simulator here in town and soft balls in the high school auditorium. Working on putting and chipping a lot. Reviewing the rules of golf and things like that."
This year the 'Beeters have decent numbers out for the team, "I've got eight boys and three girls out this spring. Senior Morgan Friede is my only returner that has played at the State tournament last year," concluded Turner.
The 'Beeter Track and Field team has been down this path before and Head Coach Kendal Harwood has his kids preparing as best they can, "This year we are focusing on core strength and conditioning while we are stuck inside for the foreseeable future"
Harwood adds, "Our Distance runners are starting out great. Some of them are doing workouts on treadmills and others are braving the elements and running outside."
Numbers for 'Beeter Track and Field are good states Harwood, "We have 13 girls and 25 boys out and getting ready. The Jumpers are working on drills and jumping strength."
One thing is for certain about spring sports on the Montana Hi-line, regardless of the weather the teams will do their best to compete and whatever needs to be done will be done. State Track and Field meets, State Golf meets and State Tennis meets have all dealt with snow, rain and wind even at the end of May. Hopefully that's not the case again this year as everyone is certainly ready for spring to truly arrive, but if it is the teams will get through it.
