Yates, Cullen, Graham overall MVPs

The Hillcrest Hornets defended their team title Wednesday at the annual Butte Grade School Track Meet at Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

The Hornets racked up 437 points to take home the overall title once again. West Elementary placed second at 319.75, while Whittier took third at 233.75. Butte Central finished fourth at 178.

Hillcrest sixth grader Anna Yates took home the overall MVP award, as well as the girls’ MVP honor. She scored 48 points. Hillcrest fourth grader Kesten Osborne and BC fifth grader Oakley Stajcar tied for second at 30 on the girls’ side.

Whittier sixth grader Landon Cullen and Hillcrest fifth grader Jace Graham tied for the boys’ MVP honor with 30 points. Hillcrest fifth grader Kobin Kujawa finished third at 28.

Cullen and Yates were the sixth-grade MVPs, while Graham and Stajcar secured the fifth-grade honors. Whittier’s Logan Regan won the fourth-grade male MVP honor. Hillcrest’s Kesten Osborne won the fourth-grade female honors.

Click on the following links for complete results. (Results; Team scores; MVP report)

Bulldogs hit high marks

Butte High’s track & field teams saw lots of personal-best marks while reaching qualifying standards Saturday at a triangular with Billings West and Belgrade at West’s track in Billings.

West won the team title sin both. The Golden Bears scored 60 points to win the boys’ title. Butte High took second at 52, and Belgrade placed third at 32. (Results)

On the girls’ side, West ran away with the title with 81 points. Belgrade was second at 46, followed by Butte High at 26.

Jacob Galle, Camden Houchin, Raeder Grey, Jaeger Hansen, Ryan Hanson, Cadence Graham and Rylee Erickson posted individual wins for the Bulldogs, but that only begins to tell the story.

Galle won the 110-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.17 seconds. He also placed second in the 200-meter race with a PB of 22.65. Both times eclipsed qualifying standards for the Class AA State meet.

Houchin won the 3,200 with a season-best time of 9:52.37, beating the qualifying standard by more than 7 seconds.

Grey won the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.65, and Hansen took the top spot in the javelin with a throw of 152-6.

Hanson won the long jump with a mark of 21-3, and he took second in the high jump at 6-2. Both again reached qualifying standards for the senior. He also took third in the triple jump with a mark of 40-8.

Brady Hanson took third in the high jump on jumps after a personal-best mark of 6-2. That qualifies the sophomore for State.

Freshman Landon Day Purcell had a nice day, placing third in the 110-hurdles and fifth in the triple jump. He posted personal-best marks in both. Colt Stenson took third in the shot put and sixth in the discus.

Other Bulldog boys to place were Bradey Doyle (second in the pole vault), Cohen Andrews (second in the long jump), Gannon Sullivan (third in the discus), Cooper Carter (fourth in the shot put), Levi Wiltsie (fourth in the 3,200), Bridger Luebke (fourth in the 800), Miner Lee (fifth in the 200), Mason Swanson (fifth in the shot put), Colbey Doyle (fifth in the pole vault), Brian Moen (sixth in the high jump) and Isaac Zell (sixth in the 1,600).

The Bulldogs also ran to victory in the 1,600 relay.

Graham led the Bulldog girls. She ran to victory in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 47.39 seconds. She placed second in the 100 hurdles with a personal-best time of 15.59 seconds.

Both times again eclipsed the qualifying standard for the Class AA State meet. She beat both qualifying standards three teams earlier in the season.

Erickson, a freshman, won the javelin with a personal-best throw of 105 feet.

Milee Stillwagon took second in the 1,600 with a personal-best time, and Sophia Houchin ran to second in the 800.

Saege Grey, a freshman, placed third in the 200-meter race with a personal-best time of 26.50 seconds. That beat the qualifying standard.

Other Butte High girls to place were Evelyn Smith (fourth in the 800), Emma Johnson (fourth in the discus), Kate DeShaw (fourth in the long jump), Adalie Grochowski (fifth in the pole vault), Kynslee Wrampe (fifth in the high jump), Allie Ballensky (fifth in the discus), Ellie Yates (sixth in the javelin) and Wakely Burelson (sixth in the 400).

The Bulldogs will host a meet with Butte Central and Dillon Thursday at Bulldog Memorial Stadium. That meet, which is the final tune up for the Bulldogs before the Western AA Divisional meet starts May 22 in Helena, begins at 3 p.m.

Maroons post wins in Dillon

Danny McCarthy, Palmer Kellicut and Evyn Tippett grabbed individual victories Saturday at the Dillon Invitational. (Results)

McCarthy and Kellicut were double winners, while Tippett placed in three events.

McCarhty, a junior, won the 100- and 200-meter races. He finished the 100 in 11.53 seconds, while winning the 200 with a personal-best time of 23.41 seconds.

Kellicut, a sophomore, won both hurdles races for the Maroons, who placed third in the 10-team event. He reached a qualifying standard with a time of 15.72 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. He won the 300 hurdles with a personal-best time of 43.34.

Central’s boys also placed third in the 400-meter relay. Henly Mansanti, Grady Button, Kellicut and McCarthy each ran a leg.

Central scored 56 team points. Anaconda won with 157.5, and the host Beavers placed second at 152.5.

Mansanti placed in tow events, taking fourth in the long jump and fifth in the high jump. Grady Boyer took fourth in the shot put with a personal-best mark, and Will McGree took sixth in the javelin.

On the girls’ side, Dillon ran away with the title with 199.67 points. Manhattan Christian took second at 90, and Anaconda placed third at 88 points. Central scored 39.17 points for fifth place.

Tippett scored a large percentage of those points for the Maroons. The freshman won the high jump with a personal-best mark of 4 feet, 6 inches. She also took third in the 100 and 200. Her 100 time of 13.41 seconds was a personal best.

Caden Tippett placed third in the shot put and sixth in the discus with a personal best. Ashley White ran to fourth place in the 800, and Lexa Thompson ran to sixth in the 100.

The Maroons also placed third in the 400 relay and fourth in the 1,600 relay. Harper McGree, Thompson, White and Evyn Tippett ran for BC in both events.

After Thursday’s meet with Butte High and Dillon, the Marrons will head to the Western AA Divisional, which is May 22-23 in Frenchtown.

Bulldog softball heats up

Don’t look now, but the Butte High softball team seems to be peaking at the right time.

The Bulldogs won three games over the last week, and they’ve have won four wins in their last five games.

Butte High started its three-game winning streak last Thursday with a thrilling 4-2 Senior Day win over Missoula Sentinel at Stodden Park. They followed with a 19-0 thumping of Missoula Hellgate Saturday at the University of Montana’s softball field, and the Bulldogs picked up a huge 5-4 win over Helena Capital Tuesday in Helena.

Freshman pitcher Brea Henderson pitched a gem to lead the Bulldogs to their Senior Day win over the Spartans. (Boxscore)

She struck out six batters in the win. Mattie Stepan, Reese Johnson and Allie Becker each smacked two hits in the win. Johnson’s day included a double and a pair of RBIs.

Kendallyn Schad, Gracie Jonart and Henderson added hits in the win that came after the Bulldogs honored their seniors and parents. Those seniors are Stepan, Jonart and Ally Godbout.

Henderson struck out five and gave up just one hit on the Griz stadium turf. The Bulldogs ended the game by the run rule after just three innings. (Boxscore)

Butte High still did plenty of damage, smacking 18 hits in Griz country.

Schad went 4 for 4 with four RBIs and three runs scored to lead the way. Stepan went 3 for 3, while Johnson, Becker and Cliry Conway each poked two hits. Conway’s day included a triple.

Brittyn Klima, Lilly Sandoval, Jonart, Godbout and Henderson also had a hit. Savannah Stosich scored three runs, while Taylor Reagan and Ellison Graham each scored one as the Bulldog lineup contributed from top to bottom — and then some.

Henderson singled in Becker and Johnson to cap a four-run sixth inning Tuesday as the Bulldogs edged the Bruins in Helena. (Boxscore)

She also pitched the distance, striking out seven and walking none in the win.

Stepan Homered, Klima doubled, and Becker hit three singles for the Bulldogs. Godbout and Henderson also singled in the win.

The Bulldogs will play their final home game Thursday when Helena High comes to town for a 3 p.m. game at Stodden Park. Butte High will close the regular season Saturday at Missoula Big Sky.

Maroons ready for Combo

Friday and Saturday will be “softball central” as Butte Central hosts the annual Laverne Combo Invitational at Stodden Park and the Longfellow Complex.

In all, 50 games will be played over the two days of the tournament. (Schedule)

The Maroons will play all four of their games on their home field at Stodden Park. They’ll take on Sidney at 3:30 p.m. Friday before playing a Southwestern A contest against Frenchtown at 7.

On Saturday, BC will play Whitefish at 12:30 p.m. before closing against Glendive at 4.

The tournament comes after the Maroons dropped a 12-10 Southwestern A game Saturday at Corvallis. (Boxscore)

Brooklyn Cary hit a two-run home run to walk off the victory for the Blue Devils.

Blake Smith had herself a day in the leadoff spot. She went 4 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Her day included a triple and two doubles.

Kenzie McQueary hit three singles, while Natalie Osterman and Braelynn Schelin each had a two-hit day. McQueary and Ryan Olson doubled for the Maroons. Luci Fantini, Kodee Badovinac and Zayonna Otherbull also singled for the Maroons.

The Maroons will close out the regular season Tuesday at home against Dillon.

BC baseball grabs two wins

The Maroons won a pair of baseball games since last report.

Central celebrated Senior Day with a 4-3 win over Florence Tuesday at 3 Legends Stadium. Then BC went on the road to beat Lone Peak 11-7.

Colt Hassler pitched the distance Thursday as the Maroons held on for an emotional Senior Day win over Florence. (Boxscore)

That was the last home game in BC uniforms for Hassler and fellow seniors Kelton Berger, Jack Nagle, Kelton Keene, Trapper Stajcar and Tony Stajcar.

Hassler gave up just one earned run in the victory. Gunnar “Goo” O’Brien hit a double and a single, while Trapper Stajcar hit two singles to lead the BC offense. Beau McGree and Berger each hit a single.

Treigh Hollow worked a pair of walks, while Nagle, Cohen Stajcar, Tony Stajcar and Hassler worked one.

The Maroons rallied late for the win over Lone Peak. (Boxscore)

BC scored 10 runs over the last three innings of the win. That includes four runs in the fifth and five in the sixth.

Trapper Stajcar tripled, and O’Brien and Hassler each hit two singles in the win. McGree, Nagle and Cohen Stajcar singled. Nagle drove in three runs, while O’Brien knocked in two.

Berger started and went three innings before Cohen Stajcar got the win with four innings of relief.

BC hits the road Thursday looking to secure a playoff game when they take on Livingston at 2 p.m. BC coach Richie O’Brien said a win Thursday — or a loss by less than 3 runs — would give the Maroons a playoff game.

Central will close the season Saturday at noon in Florence.

Bulldog baseball eyes playoff

Butte High’s baseball team will close out the regular season this week against the Great Falls schools.

The Bulldogs will take on CMR at 5 p.m. Friday. The team will celebrate Senior Day, an event that was moved back three days.

Butte High will honor seniors Cayde Stajcar, Gunnar Bushman, Brooks Vincent, Chase Lubick, Logan Carden and Grady Foley. Senior Jaxon Williamson is missing his entire senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.

Butte High wrapped up the Western AA schedule, going 1-3 against the Missoula schools over the last week.

Butte High fell 10-4 Thursday at Sentinel, beat Hellgate 12-11 in an 11-inning thriller Saturday at home and fell 7-5 Tuesday to Big Sky at home.

The Bulldogs will likely host a playoff game next week. If so, the Bulldogs would have to win one game, while their lower-seeded opponent would need to beat the Bulldogs twice to advance to the inaugural Class AA State tournament, which is May 28-30 at 3 Legends Stadium.

Lefty Stellan Ridley pitched into the sixth inning Thursday to lead the Spartans past the Bulldogs. (Boxscore)

Kaden Thennis, Marek Hall and Trevor Johnson each had a multi-hit game to lead the Sentinel offense. Johnson drove in three runs.

Stajcar hit a double and a single, while Calvin Cunningham hit two singles and drove in three runs to lead the Bulldog offense. Cunningham, though, left the game with an injury, and did not play in Butte High’s last two games.

Carden, Kodye Kjersten and Bushman singled for Butte High.

Kjersten bunted and Chase Nasheim scored on an error to give the Bulldogs a thrilling 12-11 win over Hellgate Saturday. (Boxscore)

The game went four extra innings, leaving fans of both teams on the edge of their seats. The game saw a combined 27 hits and 13 errors.

Cole Solomon entered the game to pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning. The game was tied. Solomon got the final out of the frame and pitched all four extra innings in the win.

He also hit an RBI single to tie the game at 11 with two out in the bottom of the 10th.

Stajcar hit a home run to tie the game at 9 in the bottom of the sixth.

Owen Felton went 3 for 4 with a double and three walks — including two of the intentional variety — to lead the Knights. Daniel Fagen hit a double and a single, while Connor Larson, Lincoln Chamberlain and Tor Cooper each hit two singles.

Stajcar added a double for the Bulldogs. Teagan Duffy hit a double and a single, and Kjersten hit three singles. Bushman hit two singles, while Evan McEwen and Nasheim joined Solomon with one.

Ethan Paugh pitched six and two thirds innings to get the win for Big Sky Tuesday. (Boxscore)

The hard-throwing righty also hit a home run for Big Sky. Colter Nicolarsen tripled and made a couple of spectacular defensive plays at second base. That includes a running catch to rob Troy Samson of a game-tying hit to end the game.

Rowan Miculka doubled in the win. Duffy homered in a 3-for-4 effort to lead the Bulldog offense. He drove in three runs. Stajcar and McEwen doubled, while Kjersten hit two singles. Carden added a single.

Lubick pitched into the sixth inning to take the hard-luck loss.

BC tennis plays at home

Butte Central’s tennis teams are in the middle of quite the home stretch.

BC played Stevensville and East Helena at home on Thursday.

The Maroons will take on Ronan at 3 p.m. Thursday in Butte. That is the last action before BC hosts the Central A Divisional May 21-22.

Central’s only potential road action in May would be at the Class A State tournament, which is May 28-29 in Hardin.

Tessa Ganzenmuller went 2-0 to lead the Maroons against East Helena and Stevi. She beat her East Helena opponent 6-2, 6-3 and won by injury default over her Stevi opponent. She was up 4-3 at the time of the injury.

Joe Bradshaw, Maurice West, Roman Taylor and Hayden Salmonsen won singles matches for the BC boys against Stevi. Jaylee Williams added a singles win for the Central girls.

Ganzenmuller and Presli Smith won a doubles match against the Yellowjackets, too. So did Sofia Doto and Williams.

Connor Hardy and Emmett Foley teamed for a doubles win over Stevi on the boys’ side.

Butte High played Helena Capital and Helena High at home on Friday before taking on Missoula Hellgate on Tuesday. Results from that action was not submitted for publication.

Butte High will play Thursday at Belgrade before heading to Helena on Friday.