The week in sports in the Mining City has already been a busy one, and it will hopefully get even busier.

The softball, baseball and track teams were all in action for Butte High and Butte Central Tuesday afternoon. So was the BC tennis team.

The week will only ramp up, too, as we get ready for two of the best track meets of the season. Butte High will host the Harry “Swede” Dahlberg Invitation Saturday at on the Charlie Merrifield Track. The boys-only meet starts at 11 a.m. inside the Gene Fogarty Complex. That meet will include Butte Central, which is also set to compete in a meet Friday in Boulder.

The Bulldog girls, meanwhile, will head to the Optimist Meet Saturday in Great Falls. Action will begin at 11 a.m.

We will take a look at that and more was we take a lap around the week of Butte sports. Of course, with another wet forecast looming for this week, the schedule is subject to change. Follow the up-to-date schedules in the ButteCast.com menu.

Dogs, Maroons qualify for State

With the Dahlberg, Optimist and next week’s Tomich Invitational on the horizon, the Class AA and Class A State meets were on the mind of several Butte High and Butte Central athletes this week.

Seniors Jacob Galle and Ryan Hanson reached qualifying times and marks for the Bulldogs. So did junior Brady Walsh and freshman Saege Grey. Maroons Danny McCarthy, a junior, and Palmer Kellicut also recently hit times to advance to State.

The Class AA State track meet will be held May 28-30 in Missoula May. The Class A meet will be the same weekend in Laurel.

Galle, Grey and Hanson reached qualifying marks during a meet Tuesday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. (Reults) Walsh and Hanson hit marks as Butte High dropped duals at home Saturday with Glacier. (Results)

Missoula Sentinel’s boys’ won Tuesday’s meet with 93 points. Helena Capital was next at 81, followed by the Bulldogs at 61 and BC at 9.

Capital’s girls won with 117.5 points. Butte High was second at 78, followed by Sentinel at 57 and Central at 5.5.

Hanson won the long jump with a qualifying mark of 21 feet, ¾ inch. He also placed second in the high jump, clearing 6 feet. That came three days after he cleared 6-2 to win the high jump against Glacier. That mark, which is his best as a Bulldog but second-best overall, is good for a qualifying mark.

Galle ran to second place in the 300-meter hurdles and third in the 110 hurdles on Tuesday. His time in the 110 was 15.61 seconds, which qualifies him for State.

Walsh won the long jump Saturday with a qualifying mark of 21-8. On Tuesday, he ran to sixth place in the 100 with a qualifying time of 11.24 seconds. He also ran to fourth place in the 200. Both his times Saturday were personal bests.

Grey posted a pair of personal-bests by winning the 100 and taking second in the 200 Tuesday. Her time of 12.96 seconds in the 100 gives the freshman a berth in the State meet.

Other Butte High winners Tuesday were Charles Killebrew in the 800 and Camden Houchin in the 3,200 on the boys’ side, and Cadence Graham in the 300 hurdles for the girls. Graham also took second in the 100 hurdles).

Butte High’s boys’ and girls’ 1,600-meter relay teams also took the top spot.

The Butte boys’ team was made up of Reece Cunneen, Raeder Grey, Galle and Houchin.

The girls’ team, which reached a State provisional time at 4:17.73, was made up of Evelyn Smith, Cadence Graham, Sophie Houchin and Grey.

Also placing for the Bulldog boys on Tuesday were Bridger Luebke (second in the 800), Levi Wiltsie (second 3,200), Lincoln Zell (third 800, fifth 1,600), Bradey Doyle (third pole vault), Raeder Grey (fourth 300 hurdles), Colt Stenson (fourth shot put), Brady Hanson (fifth high jump), Cohen Andrews (third triple jump), Jaeger Hansen (sixth javelin) and Sawyer Casey (sixth javelin).

Other place winners for the Bulldog girls were Emma Johnson (second discus, fourth shot put), Smith (second 400), Milee Stillwagon (second 1,600), Kynsley Wrampe second (high jump), Valerie Trabert (second pole vault),  Kate DeShaw (third long jump, fourth triple jump), Penelope Luebke (third 300 hurdles), Autumn Clary (fourth 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles), Ellie Yates (fourth javelin), Berkli Salusso (fifth javelin), Kloe Dickinson (fifth 100, fifth triple jump, sixth long jump), Rylee Erickson (sixth javelin), Clara Sigler (fifth pole vault), Adalie Grochowski (fifth long jump) and Deearea Naugle (sixth triple jump).

In addition to Hanson and Walsh, who also took second in the 100, Butte High winners on Saturday were Camden Houchin (1,600), Stillwagon (800), Sophie Houchin (1,600) and Graham (100 hurdles.)

For the Maroons, Kellicut placed fourth in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the 300 hurdles on Tuesday. Henly Mansanti took fourth in the high jump and fifth in the long jump, McCarthy ran to fifth in the 100, and Grady Button took sixth in the 400.

For the BC girls, Evyn Tippett had a big day, placing fourth in the 400, fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 100. Harper McGree took fourth in the high jump, and Caden Tippett finished fifth in the shot put.

McCarthy qualified for state with a time of 11.19 seconds in the April 11 East Helena meet. Kellicut posted a qualifying time of 15.84 in the 110-yurdles in an April 14 meet in Butte.

BC falls to Broncs, Beavers

Butte Central’s softball team dropped a pair of Southwestern A games. The Maroons fell 15-0 to Hamilton Saturday at Stodden Park. (Boxscore) On Tuesday, BC fell 17-7 at Dillon. (Boxscore)

Hamilton pitchers Mariah Johnson and Tayleigh Bakken combined to hold the Maroons hitless before the game was called by the run limit after the third inning.

Hadley Lockhart hit a double and a single to lead the Broncs’ nine-hit attack. Hayleigh Savage and Coco Vachon each hit two singles. Kennidi Cooper and Addalyn Henderson each drove in two runs.

Luci Fantini worked a walk. She was the only BC player to reach base.

Kaitlyn Konen, Reese Jensen and Lilla Gulberson each drove in three runs to lead the Beaver past the Maroons. Konen did her damage with a home run and a single. Ashlyn Burk and Tymber Barnes tripled, while Burk, Jensen, Kenndyl Meine and Mya Creighton doubled in the win.

Kodee Badovinac went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI to lead the Maroons, who pounded 13 hits in the loss. Braelynn Schelin hit a double and a single, Ryan Olson hit a double and a single, and Kenzie McQueary hit two singles. Natalie Osterman doubled.

Blake Smith, Fantini and Arika Stajcar each hit a single, while Smith and Mila Carriger worked walks for the Maroons.

The Maroons get another crack at Hamilton Saturday. They take on the Broncs at 4 p.m. in Hamilton. First, BC will play Stevensville at 11 a.m. in Stevensville.

Bulldogs win one, lose one

Butte High’s softball team went 1-1 at Stodden Park to open a week in which they hope to get four Western AA games in.

Butte High beat Missoula Hellgate 11-3 Monday. (Boxscore) A day later, the Bulldogs dropped a 13-3 decision to Missoula Big Sky. (Boxscore)

Senior catcher Mattie Stepan had a huge game from the leadoff spot to lead the Bulldogs past Hellgate. Stepan went 3 for 4 with a home run and a double to set the plate for Butte High’s 10-hit attack. Brityn Klima added a home run, and Kendallyn Schad and Gracie Jonart each added two hits and three runs scored.

Reese Johnson and Allie Becker also delivered hits in the win. Brea Henderson and Ally Godbout joined Jonart with two walks.

Henderson pitched the distance, striking out eight batters, to get the win.

Kaelynn Hopfauf hit a single and drove in two runs to lead the Knights. Ella Lambert, Nat Blaney, Kaylie Moe and Piper Wells added hits for Hellgate.

Sara Bjornson struck out 11 batters Tuesday to power the Eagles past Butte High in a game called by the run limit after six innings.

Bjornson also joined leadoff hitter Hayden Weaver with three RBIs. Bjornson, Hailey Nicoson and Madison Norcorss hit home runs. Nicoson and Elise Regan hit doubles for the Eagles.

Klima, Stepan and Cliry Conway doubled for the Bulldogs. Klima also hit a pair of singles. Godbout and Hinderson hit singles, too.

Butte High will head to Kalispell this week for two more games. The Bulldogs will play Flathead Friday before battling Glacier on Saturday.

Broncs, Eagles top Dogs

Butte High’s baseball team will have the rest of the week off after falling 19-8 to Missoula Big Sky on a small Missoula field. (Boxscore)

That loss came three days after the Bulldogs fell 9-3 in a non-conference game to Hamilton at 3 Legends Stadium. (Boxscore)

Left fielder Remington Howard had himself q pretty good week on Tuesday to lead the Eagles. Howard went 4 for 4 with a home run, two doubles, a walk, three runs scored and eight RBIs.

Kade Williams also added a blast in a three-hit day for Big Sky. Ethan Paugh hit two doubles, and Isaac Thorne and Mathew Doty each hit on.

In all, the Eagles pounded 19 hits in the win.

Gunner Bushman and Koyde Kjersten homered for the Bulldogs, who smoked 13 hits in the loss.

Calvin Cunningham, Evan McEwen and Logan Carden doubled hit doubles. Cunningham and Bushman each had three hits on the day. Carden and Kjersten each hit two.

Brooks Vincent and Chase Nasheim added hits for Butte High. Cayde Stajcar worked three walks. Cole Solomon walked once.

On Saturday, the Broncs scored seven runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back.

Connor Quinn and Jude Widmer doubled. Quinn also singled for the Broncs, while Jackson Lubke, Bridger Huddleston and Adrian Cardullo each hit a pair of singles.

Quinn pitched five innings giving up just one hit. Landon Ekin pitched the next two innings to finish off the victory for the Broncs.

Carden tripled for the Bulldogs. Kjersten and Stajcar singled. Carden, Kjersten, Stajcar, Bushman and Troy Samson worked walks for the Dogs.

Next up for the Bulldogs is Monday’s 5 p.m. game against Butte Central at 3 Legends Stadium. The game was moved to Monday earlier this week. It was originally set for March 31, but Mother Nature had other plans.

Maroons walk one off

Butte Central’s 8-7 walk-off win Saturday over Lone Peak highlighted the Maroons week on the baseball field. (Boxscore)

That came after BC dropped a 14-7 home game to Dillon last Wednesday. (Boxscore) Central then fell 8-2 Tuesday to Billings Central in Billings. (Boxscore)

Of course, we want to talk about the walk-off win first.

Senior centerfielder Trapper Stajcar singled in Jack Nagle for the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Maroons to victory. The game was scheduled for seven innings.

The game winner was the third hit of the game for Stajcar, BC’s leadoff hitter. That includes a double.

Stajcar also pitched three and two thirds innings of relief for the Maroons. Kelton Berger got one out for the win in relief, and Hassler pitched five strong innings to start things off.

Berger added a triple in the win, while Cohen Stajcar, Colt Hassler and Nagle doubled. Hassler and Berger also singled in the win. So did Beau McGree and Treigh Hollow.

Oliver McGuire and Jens Biggerstaff each poked three hits to lead Lone Peak. Biggertaff and Sidney Morris doubled, while Ebe Grabow and Steen Mitchell each hit two singles.

Sawyer Tackett went 4 for 5 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs to lead Dillon past the Maroons last Wednesday. Trenton Moreni added a pair of hits and three RBIs for the Beavers.  His day included a triple.

Cohen Hartman tripled and scored four runs from the two hole.

Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien and Trapper Stajcar tripled for the Maroons. Hassler hit two doubles. Berger joined Trapper Stajcar with two hits in the loss. Hollow and Cohen Stajcar each added one.

Billings Central star Paxton Prill struck out 11 Maroons Tuesday in Billings. Porter Dahlberg tripled for the Rams, while Brendan Warn and Zach McDonald each hit a double.

Central finished the day with four hits — all singles. Trapper Stajcar hit two, while O’Brien and Hollow each added one.

The Maroons will play host to Livingston Saturday at 3 Legends Stadium before taking on the Bulldogs on Monday.

Dogs make progress on court

Butte High did not pick up any team wins as the Bulldog tennis teams went to Billings Saturday to take on Skyview and Senior.

Coach Paul Miranda’s squad, though, continued to make progress.

The Bulldog girls fell 7-1 to Skyview an 5-3 to Senior. The Butte boys lost 5-3 in both duals.

Ayva Gerry won a three-set match at No. 3 singles against Skyview.

Kenzie Read won a No. 4 match in three sets against Senior. Sienna Bradley and Chloe Jewell won at No. 3 doubles, and Lucy O’Leary and Emily Allred won at No. 4.

On the boys’ side, Tashi Hanley won in straight sets at No. 3 singles against Skyview. Briggs Jospeh teamed with Jaxon Jonart at No. 3 doubles for a win. Bryce Gratton and Marcus McMullen won at No. 4 doubles.

Against Senior, Josh Schrader and Hanley won singles matches, Schrader at No. 2 and Hanley at No. 3. Gratton and McMullen won in straight sets to pull off the 2-0 day.

Butte High will be in Missoula Saturday for a Western AA meet.

BC grabs court wins

We’re playing a little catchup with BC’s tennis results.

The Maroons played at the Fergus Invitational April 11 in Lewistown. Hayden Salmonsen and Emmitt Foley won a No. 4 doubles match against Lewistown in that tournament. Sofia Doto and Jaylee Williams teamed to take down their Livingston opponent at No. 2 doubles.

Doto won a singles match at Dillon on April 14. Presli Smith and Tessa Ganzenmuller won a doubles match. On the boys’ side, Joe Bradshaw picked up a singles win for the Maroons.

BC hosted Corvallis Saturday at Stodden Park, and Aidan McPartland picked up BC’s only win. He took a three-set thriller at No. 1 singles.

The Maroons played Tuesday at Belgrade, but results from that action was not provided in tome for this report. BC will head to Anaconda to take on the Copperheads Saturday.