The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Winter continues to hang around forcing teams to practice indoors and get creative with their preparation for the season. Schedules are coming together and just one postponement has been noted on the Chinook High School schedule. Turner Track and Field is still finalizing their spring schedule as is Hays/Lodge Pole. Harlem Track and Field has submitted their schedule to the Blaine County Journal as well.

Generally the Track and Field schedules for Harlem, Chinook, Hays/Lodge Pole and Chinook follow a pretty similar path. Coming up this Saturday, the Glasgow Invitational was set to take place with all four Blaine County Schools, but has since been canceled.

The first Golf meet of the season in Shelby originally scheduled for this Friday has been postponed with no make up date being announced. The meet scheduled for Anaconda Hills in Great Falls on Saturday, April 1 has been rescheduled to take place on April 10.

The 'Beeters and Lady Cats Track and Field teams return a number of athletes with state meet experience. Chinook returns senior Anna Terry who placed fourth in the 3,200 meters and eighth in the 1,600 meters a season ago. Junior Hallie Neibauer earned a sixth place finish in the 800 meter run. Sophomores Alexus Seymour and Hannah Schoen competed at the state meet as well.

Senior Levi Jensen earned a fifth place finish in the high jump for the 'Beeter boys and senior Braxton Inman and Tyler Schoen ran legs on the teams 4x100 Meter second place relay team. Senior Brenden Fetter returns with state meet experience as does sophomore Landon Beck.

Harlem has one returner with state meet experience with junior Kaitlyn Johnson having competed in the Class B State meet in the 300 Meter Hurdles as well as the Javelin.

Chinook Golf returns senior Morgan Friede as the lone team member with State meet experience. In Tennis Chinook finished fourth in the Class B/C State meet and return junior Mya Berreth who placed fourth in the Singles tournament a season ago. The top three placers all graduated last spring leaving Berreth as the early favorite to win it all this spring.

The Doubles duo of senior Lexi Pitkanen and senior Torin Cecrle also return and will look to once again be a force this spring following up on a strong showing at the State B/C last spring.

The track schedule will include the Cal Wearley in Havre on April 15 as well as the Top 10 in Glasgow on May 2. The Sugarbeeters, Tornadoes and Thunderbirds will head to the District 9C

Track and Field Meet in Havre on Wednesday, May 12. The Northern C Divisional will be in Great Falls May 18-19. Harlem will head to the District 2B in Glasgow on May 13 and the Northern B in Great Falls on May 20. The State B will be in Butte, May 25-27 while the State C will be in Laurel the same weekend.

Harlem junior Kaitlyn Johnson is the lone Lady Cat returner with State Meet experience. Johnson will look for a strong season in the 300 Meter Hurdles as well as the Javelin.

The Chinook Sugarbeeter and Harlem Lady Cat Tennis teams will take part in a seeding tournament on May 13 with matches in Chinook and Havre. The Northern B/C divisional will be in Great Falls May 18-19 with the State B/C Tournament taking place in Great Falls the following weekend. It will mark the first time the State Tennis Tournament will take place the same weekend as the State Track and Field meets.

The Class C Girls and Boys State Golf Tournament will take place in Great Falls May 13-15 withe the Eastern C Divisional being held in Laurel on May 8. The Sugarbeeters will host their Invitational on May 6.

The spring season is very short with about five weeks of regular season competition leading into the post season. Weather plays a huge role every year making every opportunity to be able to compete even that more important, but as they say everyone faces the same issue.