Surprising Lady Loggers control field events
<p>Kaitlyn Gilder hands the baton off to Krysten Mossburg on the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter relay at Saturday’s Eureka Invitational. The Libby girls placed third in the race.</p>
Libby Head Track Coach Jim May wasn’t sure what to expect from his youthful girls team this season. It’s safe to say that after their showing at the Eureka Invitational, the bar has been raised.
The Lady Loggers rose to the challenge of facing a talented Eureka squad, and finished second behind them, with 96 points to Eureka’s 116.
“It was a surprise,” May said. “We were missing some kids, but they still stepped up.”
Freshmen Krysten Mossburg and Jenna Barrick were busy athletes, competing in several events each. Mossburg finished less than two seconds behind the 800-meter winner, Alex Bartmess of Eureka, and came in second in the long jump as well.
Barrick won the 300-meter hurdles, took second in the triple jump, third in the pole vault and fourth in the 800.
The girls also almost had a clean five-slot sweep in the javelin, but Michaela Curry of Troy set her personal record to finish fourth. Libby sophomore Hailey Craig threw 89-feet-10 to win the event.
Libby’s boys performed well in middle- and long-distance events, but struggled in a meet that was dominated by strong Troy and Eureka teams, finishing third with 61 points.
Coach May said a depleted roster might be taking its toll on the team.
“Our numbers are kind of suffering because of spring break,” he said. “Kids that were gone this week are missing a couple meets and a lot of practice time.”
Dan Leggins, the Loggers’ new distance-runner, continues to improve. He won the 1,600-meters by thirteen seconds and was two-tenths of a second away from beating Fernie’s Matt McArthur to win the 800.
Errik Westlund edged out two Eureka athletes to take the 110-hurdles and Christian Dewine took second in the javelin. Senior Barak Lapka finished second in the pole vault behind Eureka’s Cole Jankovsky. They both cleared 11-foot-6, it just took Jankovsky less tries.
The Logger teams will reclaim their missing athletes as they head to Kalispell on Tuesday for the Flathead Time Trials.
“It’s a huge meet,” May said. “The two Kalispell AA teams and all the A-teams in the valley will be there.”