Future Grizzly will hunt State titles this week in Kalispell

When your performances start bringing up names like Butte High Class of 1989 stars Scott Hemmert and Jasson McNallie, you know you are doing some great things in the arena of track & field.

That is certainly the case for Butte High senior Sam Henderson, who reached the height and length of legends last weekend as the Bulldogs hosted the Western AA Divisional meet on the Charlie Merrifield Track inside the Gene Fogarty Complex. (Results; Class AA and A State meet schedule)

Henderson had already surpassed Hemmert for the school record in the triple jump. On Saturday morning, he blew past the Bulldog great again with a personal-best leap of 48 feet, 7 ¼ inches to win the event by more than 2 and a half feet. William Hollenstein of Kalispell Flathead took second at 46-0.

Hemmert held Butte High’s record from May 27, 1989 until Henderson popped off a jump of 48-0 ¼ April 18 at the Harry “Swede” Dahlberg Invitational. (He beat the meat record set by Marc McGree’s 28-year-old record of 47-0 in that meet.)

Henderson also went 48-4 ¾ at the Top Ten Meet four days later in Missoula. He went 46-10 two days after that at the 129th Penn Relays in Philadelphia.

Henderson, a future Montana Grizzly, brought McNallie’s name into play on Friday when he cleared 6 feet, 10 inches in the high jump. That incredible leap by Henderson fell just three quarters of an inch short of McNallie’s school record.

McNally, who was inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame with the 1988-89 Butte High basketball team last summer, cleared 6-10 ¾ to set the state record at the Class AA meet May 26, 1989. That was the same day Hemmert went 22-11 in the long jump to set a Bulldog record that still stands.

At last year’s State meet in Great Falls, Henderson placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 47-2 ¼. Great Falls High senior Scott Klinker won at 48-0 ½. Henderson placed third in the high jump at 6-4.

Henderson will head to the Class AA meet Thursday and Friday in Kalispell as the No. 1 ranked Montana athlete in those two events. He will also compete in the 110-meter hurdles. He placed seventh in that event at divisionals after previously reaching the qualifying standard.

He heads into the final meet of his prep career with state records in the triple jump and high jump at least in the conversation.

Mathew Tokarz of Flathead set the triple jump record of 48-9 ½ in 2013, and Trey Tinteger of Helena High set the high jump mark of 7-1 ½ in 2017. The high jump mark seems less likely, but Bulldog fans have learned to not doubt Henderson, who transferred from Butte Central after his freshman year.

Henderson was not the only Butte High athlete to bring some former Bulldog greats into play last weekend. Sophomore Jaeger Hansen let go with a throw of 163-9 in the javelin. He beat his personal record by 20 feet, 1 inch to place fourth in the event.

Helena Capital senior Tyler Crum won with a mark of 183-1. He was followed by Missoula Big Sky’s Adam Guajardo at 168-10 and Helena High’s Auston Rowe at 164011. Guajardo and Rowe are juniors.

Hansen’s impressive throw not only sends him to State. It put him the top 10 of Bulldogs all time since the javelin was changed in the late 1980s. Hansen now ranks No. 10 on the Bulldog list, knocking out Bryce Gallagher, who threw 161-2 in 2016.

Ryan Richardson owns Butte High’s record with a throw of 190-6 in 2003.

While Henderson is competing in three events, Butte High junior Camden Houchin will run in four. In addition to the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter races, Houchin will run a leg of Butte High’s 1,600-meter relay along with senior Dylan “Bobby” Bache, senior Sam Sampson and sophomore Raeder Grey.

Bache took fourth place in the lone jump with a mark of 21-1 ½, and he will compete in that event along with classmate Tocher Lee. Lee did not compete at the divisional meet because he was busy playing shortstop for the Butte High baseball team. He qualified in the event during the season.

Junior Levi Wiltsie will run the 3,200 at State after placing fifth last weekend. Senior Brett Polich placed fifth in the shot put, an event he previously qualified for.

Also for the Bulldog boys, Ryan Hanson will compete in the long jump, and Jacob Galle will run the 110-meter hurdles.

Sampson, Bache and Grey will run the 1,600-meter relay with Houchin, while Xavier Jory, Preston Jensen, Sampson and Galle will run legs of the 400-meter relay.

On the girls’ side, Butte High senior Brityn Stewart heads to Kalispell looking to defend her title in the javelin. She placed second at the divisional meet with a mark of 120-8. Junior Kaelyn Saari of Capital won the event.

Last year in Great Falls, Stewart captured gold with a throw of 130-7. That mark bumped Rebecca Robinson, who threw 126-0 in 2008, for second place on Butte High’s all-time list since the javelin was changed.

Kalli McCloskey still holds the Bulldog record with a throw of 136-2 in 2007.

Sophomore Cadence Graham will run in four events for Butte High. She qualified in the 100 hurdles by placing seventh. She previously qualified in the 300 hurdles. Graham will also run a leg in each relay for Butte High.

Eight grader Saege Grey will also run each relay, as well as competing in the 100-meter dash.

Senior Dylann Bartoletti qualified for State by placing seventh in the 100 and eight in the 200. She posted a personal-best of 13.06 seconds in the 100.

Senior Peyton Trabert cleared 9-6 to place fourth and qualify in the pole vault. Classmate Mylee Demarais qualified in the shot put with a PF for 32-7 and fifth place.

Autumn Clary will run the 400 relay along with Bartoletti, Grey and Graham. Wakely Burlson and Sophia Houchin will run the 1,600 relay with Grey and Graham.

Maroons send 10 to State

Butte Central will not have a huge contingent of athletes in Kalispell for the Class A side of the meet. The Maroons, though, will be well represented.

Senior Keefer McGree will lead the way for the Maroons. He qualified in both hurdles races at the Western A Divisional meet in Polson. (Results)

McGree placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles in 40.94 seconds and fifth in the 110 hurdles in 15.89. Both are personal records. Freshman Parker Kellicut will also run the short hurdles after placing 10th at divisionals.

Sophomore Danny McCarthy is the only other Maroon competing in and individual event. He will run the 100-meter dash after placing seventh in 11.76.

The Maroons will also have a 400-meter relay team, but coach Clay McQueary said he is not sure who will be running it just yet.

Central placed ninth in the event at divisionals. Their original team is McGree, McCarthy and seniors Justus McGee and Patrick Stimatz. McGee, though, missed divisionals because of a family wedding, and Stimatz suffered a leg injury while running the 100.

McQueary said Stimatz would have qualified in the 100 if he was not injured.

So, Kellicut and sophomore Teghan Sparks ran legs in Polson. McQueary said he will not know until Friday which runners will compete.

On the girls’ side, the Maroons qualified in the 400-meter relay, Caden Tippett, Evyn Tippett, Isla Bengston and Lexa Thompson will each run a leg.

McPartland wins divisional title

Butte Central senior Owen McPartland is the only Mining City tennis player still in the state title hunt as the prep season comes to an end this week.

McPartland will represent Butte Central at the Class A State meet after rolling to the singles title at the Central A Divisional meet last week at East Helena.

After earning a first-round bye, McPartland cruised to three wins to capture the divisional crown. He beat Callen Stoner of Havre 6-2, 6-0 in the championship match.

Jim Bradshaw and Karter Lindau also completed in singles for BC. Bradshaw won his first match before dropping out with two losses.

In boys’ doubles, Aidan McPartland and Connor Hardy advance to the semifinals before eventually falling one win short of qualifying for State.

Joe Bradshaw and Conan Holmes won one match before bowing out. James Holmes and Emmett Foley also represented the Maroons.

For the BC girls, Mackenzie Cupp and Arwen Regester competed in singles. Presli Smith and Logan LeProwse teamed up in doubles.

Bulldog tennis season ends

Butte High’s tennis team will not send any athletes to the Class AA State meet, but a few Bulldogs made a strong run at the Western AA Divisional meet in Missoula.

On the girls’ side, Murphy Sullivan came within one win of moving on. That came after she won two singles matches to advance to the semifinals.

Avery Blue won a consolation match before bowing out of the tournament in singles play. Carleigh Donaldson and Alissa Pennock also competed for the Bulldogs.

In doubles, Ayva Gerry and Reena Hubber won three consolation matches before ultimately falling one win shy of a berth at State. The teams of Chloe Jewell/Sienna Bradley, Emily Allred/Jordyn Yelenich and Rory Trafford/McKenzie Reed also played for Butte High.

For the Butte High boys, Josh Shrader won a first-round match, while Matthew Weldon and Tashi Hanley each won consolation matches. Bryce Gratton also played singles for the Bulldogs.

In boys’ doubles, the teams of Drew Hanson/Jaxon Jonart, Archer Adams/Jason Johns, Hutner LaPier/Kanyon Flynn and Max Peraston/James Pearston competed for the Bulldogs.

Spartans close out Bulldog softball

Butte High’s softball season came to an end Thursday with when Missoula Sentinel swept a best-of-three playoff series with the Bulldogs in Missoula.

The Spartans pulled out a 3-2 in in the opener before closing out the sweep with a 9-5 victory. Game 2 went nine innings.

Sentinel heads to the Class AA State tournament in Great Falls. Butte High closes the season at 7-15.

Ally Godbout scored when Ashlinn Mullaney worked a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at one in the top of the third inning of the opener.

Moments later, however, Nina Sammoury belted a two-run home run to put the Spartans on top for good. Kendallyn Schad singled in Mattie Stepan with a run in the sixth, but the Bulldogs could not get the one more run they needed.

Stepan doubled to lead the Bulldog offense, which mustered five hits. Godbout, Mullaney and Reese Johnson joined Schad with a single. Mullaney worked two walks, and Gracie Ferriter and Stepan each worked one.

Mullaney pitched the distance, taking the hard-luck loss.

In Game 2, Brooklyn Wright and Payton Taylor hit solo home runs, and Haley Sellers added a two-run blast in the top of the ninth inning.

Butte High had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the eight, but Mullaney was thrown out at home by Wright, the center fielder, to end Butte High’s threat.

Taylor pitched eight innings of relieve to get the win.

Gracie Jonart went 3 for 5 with two doubles and a run scored to lead the Bulldogs. Mullaney doubled, while Ferriter and Johnson each hit two singles. Stepan, Schad, Madisyn Swanson, Allie Becker and Brea Henderson each added hits for the Bulldogs. After Mullaney started and went three innings, Henderson, an eighth grader, pitched six innings of relief.

Butte High baseball qualifies for play-in, but falls at West

Butte High won its final five regular-season games to qualify for the play-in round of the Montana High school baseball season.

The Bulldogs, though, saw that streak and their season come to an end Saturday with a 11-1 loss to Billings West in Billings.

West took advantage of five unearned runs as the Golden Bears pulled away for the win that was called by the run rule after six innings. Owen Schneider pitched the distance for West, striking out seven.

Gavin Schwend drove in three runs, and Jaxon King and Colton Bush each knocked in two.

Senior Tocher Lee went 2 for 3 with a stolen base to lead Butte High in his final game in a Bulldog uniform. Classmates Will Stepan, Karsen McEwen and Lucas Harris-Huerta added singles, as did Logan Carden.

Stepan drove in Lee for Butte High’s lone run, which came in the top of the first. West, though, took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the first.

The loss came less than 24 hours after the Bulldogs went to Livingston and clinched a play-in appearance with a 5-0 victory.

Harris-Huerta, pitching on three day’s rest, went the distance for the victory.

Stepan went 3 for 4 with a double to lead the Bulldog offense. Lee singled and walked twice, while senior Matthew Donaldson and freshman Kodye Kjersten added singles. Sophomore Evan McEwen walked twice.

Tegan Duffy and Gunnar Bushman joined Donaldson with an RBI.