Trojans look toward personal bests

The Trojan track team has some great athletes. The only problem is there aren’t many of them.

Head Coach Neil Newton said the 26 track and field participants are gunning for Thompson Falls, the likely prospect for best team in 7B.

“We’ve had a lot of good marks so far,” Newton said of the two meets Troy has competed in. “I’m excited to see what the season holds for us.”

Well, at least the boys are. Newton admits that softball takes a good portion of girls from Troy’s athlete pool. 

Senior javelin thrower Michaela Curry will be a bright spot for the Lady Trojans.

For the boys, several athletes have a nice lineup heading into the meat of the season.

Freshman sprinter Sean Opland might be one to watch for post-season implications after turning in a 11.6 100-meter dash at the Ronan-St. Ignatius Invitational, just a hair ahead of conference opponent Austin Gordan of Bigfork. 

Newton said Opland will draw a lot of attention for his sprints and jumps in the next few years. 

Junior Gabe Hickman could vie for top marks in the long jump, as he was only an inch behind Cameron Nissen of Bigfork at 19 feet. Zack Dolezal might well be the best discus thrower in the conference, launching the disk 129-feet-3 at the Ronan Invite.

 Senior Rick Roach could be a solid producer in the middle-distance range if he shaves a few seconds off his 400-meter time, currently 55.99.

Newton said the biggest factor for his team’s success is if those individuals can stay healthy until the weather settles.

“It’s cold some days, warm the others,” he said. “It’s always a worry.”

Newton said other athletes will earn some personal records as well. 

“I look forward to good things from Pate Scott and Luke Haggerty,” Newton said. 

Troy will head to Eureka with Libby for a double-duel meet this Saturday.