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Silk medals at Junior Worlds
COLLALBO, Italy — Will Silk captured a bronze medal in the Mass Start at the Junior World Speed Skating Championships Sunday.
The 2024 Butte High graduate finished the 10-lap race in 5, minutes 34.64 seconds, finishing 3 seconds behind Metoděj JÍLEK of the Czech Republic.
Silk competed in the Allround competition on Friday and Saturday, finishing 8th. Germany’s Finn Sonnekalb won the Allround. Silk’s best individual race places, other than the Mass Start, were 11th in both the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters.
Silk also won a bronze medal in the 3,000 meters at a Junior World Cup race last weekend at the same rink. He finished 16th in the Allround at the last year’s Junior World Championships in Hachinone, Japan.
Summary of Silk’s Junior World Championship results:”
500M — 45th – 38.88
1500M — 11th – 1:52.80
1000M — 30th – 1:15.20
5000M — 11th – 6:50.40
Allround — 8th – 155.120 (Samalog points, each races time divided by number of 500Ms in distance)
Team Pursuit — 6th – 4:07.48 (USA Team with Liam Kitchel and Max Weber)
Mass Start — 3rd – 5:34.64(Will Silk, right, is shown with is father, Dave, in the photo above.)
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of Feb. 10.
Monday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Parish
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. ParishTuesday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Someday StartersWednesday
7 p.m. — Cook vs. Jellyfam
8 p.m. — Cook vs. Someday StartersThursday
7 p.m. — Poi Time vs. Washington Generals
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BC-Stevensville boxscores
Butte Central’s basketball teams swept Stevensville in Southwestern A games Saturday.
BC’s boys rolled to a 78-34 win over the Yellowjackets in Stevensville, while a shorthanded Central girls’ team won 43-17 in Butte.
Arika Stajcar scored 11 points, and Rylee Forbes added nine to lead the BC girls in the win. Owen McPartland tossed in 25 points to lead the BC boys. Cade Kelly scored 19, while Joshua Sutton netted 17.
Both BC teams were shorthanded because of illness. We will have more on these games in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap.
BOYS
Butte Central 78, Stevensville 34
BUTTE CENTRAL (6-8, 3-3) — Patrick Stimatz 1 1-2 4, Joshua Sutton 7 2-2 17, GG Fantini 0 0-0 0, Justice McGee 2 2-2 6, Owen McPartland 10 2-2 25, Cade Kelly 8 0-0 19, Noah Sutton 2 2-3 7, Jaxon Hiatt 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 9-11 78.
STEVENSVILLE — Kaden Wyant 1 2-2 4, Evan Montague 1 0-0 2, Angus Trangmoe 1 5-6 7, Tanner Brown 2 2-2 6, Jake Gavlick 1 0-0 2, McCoy Enders 1 0-0 3, Kyon Manibusan 0 0-0 0, David Beames 4 0-2 9, Silas Siefert 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 10-14 34.
Central 19 20 23 16 — 78
Stevi 8 8 9 9 — 34
3-point goals — BC 9 (McPartland 3, Kelly 3, N. Sutton, J. Sutton, Stimatz), Stevi 2 (Enders, Beames). Fouls — BC 13, Stevi 15. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Butte Central 43, Stevensville 17
STEVENSVILLE — Avery Raszler 0 6-12 6, Emma Tan 2 2-2 7, Emma McKoy 0 0-0 0, Amy Donaldson 0 1-4 1, Harley Gilleard 1 0-0 2, Olivia Hanson 0 1-2 1, Maddix Yaeger 0 0-0 0, very Henderson 0 0-0 0, Kayden Tolley 0 0-0 0. Totals 3 10-20 17.
BUTTE CENTRAL (5-10, 3-3) — Evyn Smith 2 0-0 4, Marly Mansanti 2 0-0 4, Rylee Forbes 3 3-4 9, Natalie Osterman 0 0-0 0, Braelynn Schelin 1 2-6 4, Jaedyn Maldonado 3 1-2 7, Evyn Tippett 0 0-0 0, Arika Stajcar 5 1-6 11, Meika Boyer 0 4-10 4, Caden Tippett 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 11-28 43.
Stevi 4 4 6 3 — 17
Central 12 7 14 10 — 43
3-point goals — Stevi 1 (Tan), BC 0. Fouls — Stevi 22, BC 19. Fouled out — Gilleard, Hanson, Mansanti. Technicals — none.
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Butte High-Hellgate boxscores
Butte High and Missoula Hellgate split Western AA basketball games Friday night, and both games went down to the wire.
Missoula Hellgate won the girls’ game 54-52 in Missoula, while the Bulldogs won the boy’s game 61-57 at the Richardson Gym in Butte. Tocher Lee found his 2024 form and hit four 3-pointers, including the game winner with 18 seconds left.
Lee’s three put Butte up 59-57. After the Bulldogs forced travel and Hellgate fouled twice, Braylon Larson broke free for a thunderous two-handed dunk as time expired.
Hudson Luedtke poured in 24 points to lead the Bulldogs. Lee finished with 14, while Dylan “Bobby” Bache and Larson each finished with 10.
Brityn Stewart scored 28 points to lead the Bulldogs in the loss. Cadence Graham scored 16.
We will have more on these games in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap.
BOYS
Butte High 61, Missoula Hellgate 57
MISSOULA HELLGATE (9-4, 6-3) — Easton Sant 7 2-2 17, Parker Link 0 0-0 0, Zane Gillhouse 3 0-0 6, Chance McNulty 2 5-7 9, Evan Pyron 3 0-0 6, Vince Paffhausen 0 0-0 0, Jacob Finch 2 0-0 4, Sam Cohea 1 0-0 2, Sencer Wayland 4 2-2 13. Totals 22 10-12 57.
BUTTE HIGH (9-5, 5-4) — Tocher Lee 5 0-0 14, Dylan Bache 4 2-4 10, Torre Tempel 0 0-0 0, Hudson Luedtke 7 9-11 24, Braylon Larson 5 0-0 10, Spencer Callaghan 1 0-0 3, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0, Brady Hanson 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 11-15 61.
Hellgate 20 13 10 14 — 57
Butte 17 13 15 16 — 61
3-point goals — Hellgate 3 (Wayland 2, Sant), Butte 6 (Lee 4, Luedtke, Callaghan). Fouls — Hellgate 16, Butte 12. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.GIRLS
Missoula Hellgate 54, Butte High 52
BUTTE HIGH (9-5, 5-4) — Dylann Bartoletti 0 0-0 0, Cadence Graham 5 5-8 16, Brityn Stewart 9 8-9 28, Addie Hiatt 1 0-0 2, Franki Salusso 3 0-0 6, Ellison Graham 0 0-0 0, Emma Johnson 0 0-0 0, Autumn Clary 0 0-0 0, Gracie Jonart 0 0-0 0, Allie Becker 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 13-17 52.
MISSOULA HELLGATE (8-4, 6-2) — Paisley Johnson 3 5-5 13, Elly Reed 4 2-3 10, Lucy Hutchins 1 1-1 3, Shannon Kane 5 1-1 13, Gianna Passuoclo 0 1-2 1, Ryan Meservy 2 0-0 5, Savannah Spepherd 0 0-0 0, Cody Schneider 2 5-8 9. Totals 17 15-20 54
Butte 14 6 13 17 — 52
Hellgate 5 13 18 18 — 54
3-point goals — Butte 3 (Stewart 2, C. Graham), Hellgate 5 (Johnson 2, Kane 2, Meservy). Fouls — Butte 15, Hellgate 17. Fouled out — Kane. Technicals — none.
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Butte Central-Stevi games postponed; Butte High-Hellgate still on
Update 2:47 p.m.: Butte Central’s games against Stevensville have been rescheduled for Saturday. The boys play in Stevensville, and the girls play in Butte.In both cases, the frosh games start at 1 p.m., with the JV games following at 2:30. The varsity games are set for 4.
Today’s Butte Central’s Southwest A basketball games against Stevensville have been postponed because of the heavy snow, BC Activities Director Chad Petersen said.
The games will be made up, but a makeup date has not been set. The Maroon boys were supposed to head to the Bitterroot Valley, while the BC girls were set to host the Yellowjackets.
Butte High’s games against Missoula Hellgate are still on, as of now. The Bulldog boys will host the Knights, while the Butte girls will head to Missoula.
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Butte High girls’ subvarsity report
Following are the Butte High girls’ basketball subvarsity reports for games against Missoula Big Sky, Helena High and Helena Capital, as provided by coaches.
Missoula Big Sky sophomores 41, Missoula Big Sky 26
Allie Becker’s 20 points lead the way as the Bulldogs rolled to the victory Jan. 24 at the Butte Civic Center. Becker was one of eight Bulldogs who scored points in the win.Stella Callaghan scored five points, while Brityn Klima and Kendallyn Schad each scored four. The Bulldogs also got two points apiece from Avery Barsness, Ellie Yates, Reese Johnson and Kate DeShaw.
With her six rebounds and great defense, Yates was named the Junkyard Dog of the game.
Haylee Filcher and Zoe Boone each scored six points to lead the Eagles. Peyton Reynolds scored five.
Butte High JV 45, Helena High JV 39
Ellison Graham and Allie Becker combined for 32 points as the Bulldogs went to Helena for the Jan. 30 victory.Graham hit three 3-pointers and scored 17 points, while Becker tossed in 15. Gracie Jonart scored four points for Butte High, which got three from Saege Grey and one from Emma Johnson.
Jonart was named the Junkyard Dog of the game.
Kortney McKay scored 16 points to lead the Bengals. Emme Bermingham added 10 points.
Helena High sophomores 40, Butte High sophomores 28
Stella Callaghan scored 10 points to lead the Bulldog effort, but Butte High fell in Helena Jan. 30.Brittyn Klima and Kendallyn Schad each scored seven points for Butte. Ellie Yates and Reese Johnson both scored two. Schad was named Junkyard Dog of the game.
Butte High freshmen 33, Helena High freshmen 20
Butte High used a balanced attack to pick up the Jan. 30 win in the Capital City.Berkli Salusso scored eight points to lead the way. Ava Bryson and Wakely Burleson each scored seven points, while Evie Smith netted six. The Dogs also got three from Aly Verlanic and two from Milee Stillwagon.
Burleson took home Junkyard Dog honors.
Ava Reynolds scored nine points to lead the Bengals.
Helena Capital JV 41, Butte High JV 39
Six Butte High players scored points, but the Bulldogs dropped a nail-biter to the Bruins Feb. 1 at the Richardson Gym.Allie Becker tossed in 12 points to lead the Bulldog effort. Ellison Graham added nine points for Butte, which also got five from Stella Callaghan, four from Emma Johnson, three for Gracie Jonart and two from Saege Grey.
Grey’s effort in the game earned her Junkyard Dog honors.
Helena Capital sophomores 34, Butte High sophomores 26
Brittyn Klima took home Junkyard Dog accolades in a game that saw seven different Butte High players score points.Capital, though, got the last laugh with the Feb. 1 win at the Richardson Gym.
Stella Callaghan led the Bulldog effort with seven points. Brittyn Klima, Kendallyn Schad and Evie Smith each scored four points, while Avery Barsness tossed in three, and Ellie Yates and Kate DeShaw each scored two.
Butte High freshmen 46, Helena Capital freshmen 32
Evie Smith had a huge game to lead the Bulldogs in the Feb. 1 victory at the Richardson Gym.Smith poured in 19 points to lead the Bulldogs in the victory. Ava Bryson scored nine points, while Wakely Burleson added eight. The Bulldogs also got four points from Berkli Salusso and two apiece from Aly Verlanic, Sage Leber and Milee Stillwagon.
Leber was named Junkyard Dog of the game.
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Podcast No. 244: Hudson Luedtke
No boy has scored more points for Butte High’s varsity basketball team than Hudson Luedtke. He is just a junior, too.
With 1,052 points heading into Friday’s home game against Missoula Hellgate, Luedtke is 30 points ahead of the late John Dawson on the Butte High all-time boys’ scoring list.
Hudson passed Dawson for the top spot Saturday in Helena.
The thing about Hudson’s game, though, is he is not just a great scorer. He is a great distributor of the ball, always getting his teammates involved in the game. He is a great rebounder for a 6-foot-2 guard.
Oh, and Hudson can play defense. That is something his grandfather, Mickey Tuttle, makes sure of.
Tuttle was a Mining City hero in 1984. That’s when he helped lead Butte High to its last state championship in basketball. That team beat Great Falls High in the title game on St. Patrick’s Day in Missoula.
Mickey celebrated the title by climbing up and sitting on top of the hoop.
That photo of that iconic moment hangs on the wall outside Butte High’s Richardson Gym. Mickey is determined that his grandson will recreate that moment when he brings Butte High its first state title in hoops since that night nearly 41 years ago.
Mickey, by the way, was a guest on episode No. 9 of the ButteCast.
Hudson’s dream was to play in the NBA from a very young age, and he is known for his incredible work ethic. He spends hours in the gym shooting and practicing his game.
He is also a three-time All-State football player for the Bulldogs. He is also on his way to a third All-State selection in basketball.
This podcast was recorded Wednesday night at the Knights of Columbus Hall. Listen in to hear what drives Hudson to be great. Listen to hear what it is like to play on a team that is coached by his father.
Listen in to hear where he gets most of his talent — from his mother or his father? Listen to hear if he plans to climb up on top of that hoop if (or when) the Bulldogs win the State title.
Today’s podcast is presented by Thriftway Super Stops. Download the TLC app and start saving today.
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Scramble for record books continues
Tuesday was a rough night for high school hoops in the Mining City.
With the boys’ and girls’ teams from Butte High and Butte Central both in action, only the Butte High girls picked up a victory. The Bulldogs edged Missoula Sentinel in a 51-49 thriller at the Ross J. Richardson Gymnasium.
Over the past week, though, we once again saw local media members scrambling to find out if a Butte athlete broke a record, or at least came close.
We saw that all season long as we followed Butte High junior Hudson Luedtke’s quest to pass the late John Dawson for the Bulldog boys’ all-time scoring lead. Luedtke overtook Dawson Saturday in a loss at Helena Capital.
We saw that when Butte High sophomore Cadence Graham made a run for Butte High’s single-game record when she scored 33 points in a win over Missoula Hellgate. We saw it when Butte Central sophomore Joshua Sutton tied Dougie Peoples’ school record with eight made 3-pointers against Anaconda.
We saw it when the Maroons sank a team record 19 treys in that same game.
Last Thursday, it was Butte High senior Torre Tempel’s turn to send the media looking for the school record book.
With all eyes on Luedtke — including those of the top-ranked Helena High Bengals — at the Richardson Gym, Tempel stole the show by shattering Butte High’s single-game 3-point record. Tempel shot a lights-out 9 for 13 from behind the arc on his way to a game-high 29 points in the 74-73 victory.
Tempel’s big night broke the school record of six. That mark was shared by Scott Johns (in 1991), Ryan Mickelson (1999), Chad Jonart (2004), Brock Bond (2011), Trevyn Roth (twice in 2018), Billy Kelly (2020) and Luedtke (2024).
Luedtke, who entered that game needing 20 points to pass Dawson, finished with 14 points.
While he did not get the record that night, Luedke proved once again that he is about more than scoring. He was credited with 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the win.
Those stats are courtesy of Bruce Sayler of ButteSports.com.
Dylan “Bobby” Bache scored 13 in that win. Butte High got nine points from Braylon Larson, who is gaining statewide recognition for his shot blocking.
Also, Spencer Callahan scored eight points, and Tocher Lee tossed in one.
Luedtke matched Bache with 20 points in the 64-61 loss to Luedtke. Brenton Belzer scored 19 points as the Bruins got the last laugh in the victory. Luedtke, though, left the Capital City as the Bulldog’s highest-scoring boy in history.
Larson added nine points, while Lee scored six, and Callaghan and Kendel Noctor each scored two.
Butte High’s boys fell 60-49 at Missoula Sentinel on Tuesday. Luedtke scored 15 in the game. Bache tossed in 13, while Larson scored eight, Lee tossed in seven and Tempel scored six.
Incomplete book keeping keeps us from knowing the leaders for the Spartans.
Luedtke’s career total is now 1,052 points. He is 30 more than Dawson, and he has a lot of games to go.
Butte High fell to 8-5 overall and 4-4 in Western AA play.
Clutch play lifts Butte girls
It took some clutch play for the Bulldog girls to pull out that 51-49 win over the Spartans on Tuesday.
Graham hit a big 3-poitner with just over 20 seconds left to put the Bulldogs up by three points. After a huge rebound by Franki Salusso, Graham knocked down two free throws to seal the victory.
The win was the second straight for the Bulldogs (9-4, 5-3), who had dropped three in a row.
Graham finished with 27 points. She sank four 3-pointesr and buried 9 of 10 shots from the free throw line.
Brityn Stewart added six points for the Bulldogs, who got five apiece from Salusso and Ellison Graham. Dylann Bartoletti scored three points.
Butte High stopped its mini losing streak with a 41-34 win at home against Helena Capital on Thursday. The game was tied at 27 after three quarters.
Cadence Graham scored 11 points in that win that saw a balanced Bulldog attack. Salusso scored nine, Stewart tossed in eight, and Bartoletti netted six. Butte High also got three form Ellison Graham and two from Addie Hiatt.
Two nights earlier, Butte High fell 44-39 at Capital. Dakota Lieberg scored 11 points, and McKenna Pipinich tossed in five to lead the Bruins.
Three Bulldogs scored in double figures. Stewart led the way with 11, while Bartoletti and Cadence Graham each scored four. Also, Hiatt netted four, and Salusso and Emma Johnson each scored two.
Butte High’s boys and girls will play Missoula Hellgate on Friday. The girls will be on the road, while the boys will be at home. The boys’ game will be at the Richardson Gym because the Butte Civic Center is hosting the Western B Divisional wrestling tournament.
Vigilantes take two at MAC
East Helena’s boys and girls impressed Tuesday night with a non-conference sweep of Butte Central at Maroon Activities Center.
After the East Helena girls won 73-34, the Vigilante boys won 71-59 behind a 27-point performance by 6-foot-3 junior guard DeonDray Ellis. The 20 points from Slade Olson and 13 from Talen Thatcher.
Senior Owen McPartland scored 25 points to lead the Maroons, who got eight from Sutton and nine from freshman Jaxon Hiatt. BC also got five points from GG Fantini and two from Ryan Peoples, who is still far from 100 percent after battling an illness the last couple of weeks.
BC’s boys rolled to a lopsided 73-37 win over Corvallis in a Southwestern A game Saturday at the MAC. McPartland scored 16 points to lead four Maroons in double figures in that win. Sutton scored 15, while Fantini and senior Patrick Stimatz each scored 10.
Also for BC, Cade “Buzz” Kelly scored nine points, Hiatt tossed in seven, and eighth grader Noah Sutton netted five.
Two nights earlier, defending Class A state champion Dillon came to town for a 52-41 win at the MAC. Kyler Engellant scored 19 points, and Carter Curnow tallied 17 to lead the Beavers, who outscored BC 33-13 in the middle two quarters.
Joshua Sutton scored 15, and McPartland netted 11 to lead BC. Also, Fantini scored six, Hiatt scored four, Peoples finished with three, and Justus McGee knocked down two.
The super-young BC girls went 0-3 over that stretch.
Kenleigh Graham scored 11 points, and Landri Hartman followed with 10 as Dillon beat Central 55-31 Thursday at the MAC.
Freshman Kenzie McQueary scored 13 points to lead the Maroons. Classmate Zayonna Otherbull tossed in nine. BC also got six from junior Arika Stajcar and three from freshman Braelynn Schelin.
The Maroons hit the road Saturday and dropped a tough 45-41 decision at Corvallis. Otherbull’s 18 points led the way for BC in that game. Freshman Rylee Forbes joined McQueary with nine. Stajcar scored three, and freshman Evyn Smith tossed in two.
Janelle Taylor, a 5-11 senior, scored 21 points to lead the Vigilantes past the BC girls on Tuesday.
The Maroons got off to a slow start before holding their own in the second half.
McQueary’s 12 points led BC. Otherbull scored eight, Smith tossed in four, and Stajcar and sophomore Marly Mansanti each scored three. Freshman Jaedyn Maldonado tossed in two.
Butte Central celebrated Cancer Schmancer Night, remembering the spirit of Mairissa Peoples, a former BC basketball player who passed away after a long battle with cancer in 2014. Peoples was the older sister of BC coach Quinn Carter.
Before the games, Butte Central junior Caden Tippett wowed the crowd with a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
Central’s boys and girls will play Stevensville in Southwestern A games on Friday. The girls will be at home, while the boys will play the Yellowjackets in the Bitterroot Valley.
Bulldog mat men ready for postseason
Butte High’s boys’ wrestling team closed the regular season with a 27-7 dual record after a pair of road wins last Tuesday.
Coach Corey Johnston’s Bulldogs hit the highway to beat Belgrade 45-35, Bozeman 58-12 and Gallatin 45-36.
In the win over Belgrade, Keagan Hunt (110 pounds), Zell Lincoln (126), Bridger Garrison (138), Will Stepan (165), Bridger Brancamp (190) and Braydon Pierce (215) all won by way of the pin. Reveles McEwen (118) won by decision, Bode Hazlett (144) picked up a forfeit victory.
In the lopsided win over the Hawks, Kuley Queer (103), Hunter LaPier (126), Finn Wortham (150) and Kasen O’Keefe (175) each grabbed a pin. Jett Nichols (110), Isaac Zell (118), Bladen Horne (132), Jaeger Hansen (144), Cameron Fleege (157) and Mason Swanson (190) accepted forfeits.
Against Gallatin, Hazlett, Stepan, Garrison, Bradey Doyle (118) and Darryn Rossiter (126) pinned their Raptor counterparts. Gavin Rowe (285) won by decision, while Renzy LeProwse (103) and Ben Tierney (110) won by forfeit.
The Bulldog boys and girls will head to Kalispell Friday and Saturday for the Western AA Divisional Qualifying tournament, looking to earn a spot in the Feb. 13-15 state tournament in Billings.
Coach Geno Liva’s Butte High’s girls’ continent will include Irelynn Cullen, Lilyi Malone, Jessie LaPier, Jessica Blow, Deearea Smith, Keeleigh Doherty, Brooke Johnson, Mattie Stepan, Matti Neighbor, Rylee Radcliffe, Chyanne Robinson and Peyton Liva.
Butte Central’s wrestlers, meanwhile, will head to Browning Friday and Saturday for the Western A Divisional.
Competing for the coach Andrew Holmes’ Maroons will be Tyge Menesses, David Sandoval, Marquis Abad, Kelsen Brackett, Brennan Lester, Devin Rossiter, Jack Holmes, Kohker Sparks, James Holmes, Jon Cox and Amira Gonzales.
Dogs, Maroons mix it up at YMCA
Butte High and Butte Central’s swim teams competed in the Butte Bulldogs-Maroons Crosstown Meet Monday at the Butte Family YMCA.
The meet, which was a late addition to the schedule, gave the swimmers one more shot to post qualifying times for the state meet, which is Feb. 13-15 in Great Falls.
Butte High coach Lynn Shrader said she put some swimmers in events she thought they might qualify in. Others swam events for the first time of the year.
Shrader said the most exciting race was the boys’ 200-yard freestyle relay, which featured the Bulldogs’ top eight 50-yard freestyle swimmers.
The B team of Alex Sonnemann, Gunnar Benson, Ayvahn Mann and Nathan Stone out touched the team of Tucker Kissell, Gage Plum, Elgin Hoar, and Blair Hamry. Both teams posted their best times.
The meet closed a busy stretch for the Bulldogs, who competed three times in four days.
Butte High hosted a meet on Friday before heading to Missoula on Saturday.
Butte High’s boys placed ninth in Missoula. The girls took 10th.
Junior Tatum Trefts and eighth grader Adalie Grochowski finished in the top 10 to lead the Butte girls. Trefts took fifth in the 100 breaststroke, while Grochowksi took eighth in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 50 free.
Sophomore Sophia Fladager earned the team points by taking 16th in the 500 free. The 200 medley relay team of Grochowski, Trefts, Bryher Fitzpatrick, and Bella Corrales took seventh, while the 200 freestyle relay team Fitzpatrick, Fladager, Corrales, and Grochowski captured eighth.
Butte’s 400 freestyle relay of Gracie Ferriter, Elly Rumler, Trefts, and Amy Fladager took 10th.
Sophomore Gage Plum was the lone Bulldog boy in the top 10 in an individual event. He placed 10th in the 500 freestyle, posting a personal-best time.
Freshman Tucker Kissell placed 15th in the 200 freestyle, and eighth grader Alex Sonnemann finished 16th in the 500 freestyle.
The boys’ 200 medley relay team of Plum, Elgin Hoar, Blair Hamry, and Kissell took 10th place, while Butte’s 400 freestyle relay team of . The 400 Free Relay of Sonnemann, Grayson Lynch, Gunnar Benson, and Nathan Knopp placed eighth.
“There were some good swims for Butte, and some good showings,” Shrader said.
Butte High’s 200 freestyle relay team of Kissell, Plum, Hoar and Hamry finished 12th, and the 200 freestyele B relay team of Lynch, Nathan Knopp, Mason Pullman and Benson took 15th.
Entries are for the state meet are due on Wednesday.
Butte Central’s swimmer are Connor Hardy, Morgan Hardy, Kherington Adams, Jim Bradshaw, Izzy Lopez, Carolyn Lopez, Conan Holmes, Robert Regester, Joe Bradshaw and Arwen Regester.
Click the links below for results form the last three meets.
Butte athletes shine at All-Comers Meet
It was not a Montana High School Association sanctioned meet, but some Butte High and East Middle School track athletes showcased their ability Sunday at the Bozeman Track Club’s All-Comers Meet.
Butte High senior Sam Henderson had a phenomenal day, winning the high jump and the triple jump. He cleared 6 feet, 4 inches in the high jump and leapt to a meet record in the triple jump with a mar of 48-2.
Henderson, who is currently tied for 10th nationally in the triple jump, beat Aayden Simmons of Helena High in that event. Simmons is ranked eighth in the nation.
The future Montana Grizzly also placed third in the 60-meter hurdles (8.36 seconds).
Fellow Bulldog senior Brett Polich placed fourth in the shot put. Polich posted a lifetime best with a mark of 48-9.5.
Junior Camden Houchin placed 30th in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5 minutes, 10 seconds. Houchin was coming off an illness.
Classmate Levi Wiltsie took 33rd in the 1,600 with an indoor best time of 5:21. He posted a lifetime best of 231.5 in the 800.
Eighth grader Sophia Houchin placed fourth in the middle school 400 with a time of 1:08.24, narrowly missing the top three by .05 seconds. She also took fifth in the 1,600 in 6:02. Both are lifetime best times her.
“It was an awesome meet for the athletes, and it bodes well for the outdoor season,” said Butte High cross country and assistant track coach Guy Wadas. “I know there will be some athletes going to Spokane at the end of the month for another big-time meet.”
Silk third in Italy
Will Silk, a 2024 Butte High graduate, competed in the Junior World Cup speedskating meet this past weekend in Collalbo, Italy.
He placed third in the 3,000-meter race, finishing with a time of 3 minutes, 59.86 seconds. He also placed fifth in the Mass Start Final in 5:57.89.
Silk will compete in the Junior World Championships this coming weekend on the same rink. His other results from this weekend were 15th in the 1,000 meters in 1:14:04, 16th in the 1,500 meters in 1:55:50, and sixth in the Mass Start semifinal in 5:23.85.
Click here for complete meet results.
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Butte High, Butte Central boxscores
Butte High’s girls’ basketball team pulled a thrilling 51-49 victory over Missoula Sentinel in a Western AA game Tuesday night at the Richardson Gym.
Butte High’s boys, meanwhile, fell 60-49 to the Spartans in Missoula.
East Helena swept a non-conference doubleheader with Butte Central at the Maroon Activities Center. The Vigilantes won the girls’ game 73-34 before the East Helena boys pulled away for a 71-59 win to complete the sweep.
We will have more on these games in Wednesday’s ButteCast SportsCap.
GIRLS
East Helena 73, Butte Central 34
EAST HELENA (4-10) — Ellie Siloven 4 0-9 9, Jaci Nickovich 2 0-0 5, Landri Carrell 1 0-0 2, Keeley Hamilson 2 0-0 4, Janelle Taylor 8 5-5 21, Brooke Harris 3 0-0 7, Rori Schoenfeld 4 1-2 10, Josie Jerome 0 0-0 0, Emma Taylror 2 0-0 4, Sara Dearing 1 0-0 2, Adde Mix 2 2-6 7, Kesslyn Snarr 0 0-0 0, Kyndal Lowrie 0 2-2 2, Jayden Christopher 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 10-15 73.
BUTTE CENTRL (4-9) — Evyn Smith 2 0-0 4, Kenzie McQueary 4 2-4 12, Zayonna Otherbull 2 4-4 8, Braelynn Schelin 0 0-0 0, Arika Stajcar 1 0-0 3, Caden Tippett 0 0-0 0, Marly Mansanti 0 3-3 3, Rylee Forbes 1 0-0 2, Jaedyn Maldonado 1 0-0 2, Meika Boyer 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 9-13 34.
E. Helena 14 27 15 17 — 73
Central 7 3 12 12 — 34
3-point goals — E. Helena 5 (Silvonen, Nickovich, Mix, Harris, Schoenfeld), BC 3 (McQueary 2, Stajcar). Fouls — E. Helena 13, BC 10. Fouled out — none. Technicals — none.Butte High 51, Missoula Sentinel 49
MISSOULA SENTINEL — Kaitlyn Mammett 1 0-0 3, Peyton Size 5 0- 12, Avery Ogren 4 0-0 11, Shay Casagranda 3 0-0 6, Lucy Pfahler 5 1-5 11, Andrin Reimers 0 1-4 1, Mina Sammoury 1 0-0 2, Callie Crass 1 0-0 3, Kenzie Cline 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 2-9 49.
BUTTE HIGH (9-4) — Dylann Bartoletti 1 0-0 3, Cadence Graham 7 9-10 27, Brityn Stewart 3 0-0 6, Addie Hiatt 0 0-2 0, Franki Salusso 2 1-1 5, Ellison Graham 2 0-0 5, Allie Becker 0 0-0 0, Emma Johnson 2 1-4 5. Totals17 11-17 51.
Sentinel 15 5 12 17 — 49
Butte 20 5 14 12 — 51
3-point goals — Sentinel 7 (Ogren 3, Size 2, Hammett, Crass), Butte 6 (C. Graham 4, Bartoletti, E. Graham). Fouls — Sentinel 15, Butte 14. Fouled out — none. Technicals – none.BOYS
East Helena 71, Butte Central 59
EAST HELENA (7-7) — DeonDray Ellis 10 4-4 27, Andrew Maxness 1 0-0 3, Avery Hager 0 2-2 2, Chase Hager 0 0-0 0, Chase Leuthard 0 0-0 0, Jack Taylor 3 0-0 6, Slade Olson 7 4-6 20, Korren Gillespie 0 0-0 0, Talen Thatcher 3 4-5 13, Jordan Kambic 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 24-17 71.
BUTTE CENTRAL (5-8) — Patrick Stimatz 0 0-0 0, Joshua Sutton 8 0-0 18, GG Fantini 1 3-6 5, Justus McGee 0 0-2 0, Owen McPartland 7 9-11 25, Ryan Peoples 1 0-0 2, Cade Kelly 0 0-0 0, Jaxon Hiatt 4 0-0 9, Noah Sutton 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 12-19 59.
E. Helena 19 11 23 18 — 71
Central 15 15 10 19 — 59
3-point goals — E. Helena 9 (Ellis 3, Thatcher 3, Olson 2, Maxness), BC 5 (J. Sutton 2, McPartland 2, Hiatt). Fouls — E. Helena 18, BC 16. Fouled out — none.Missoula Sentinel 60, Butte High 49
BUTTE HIGH (8-5) — Tocher Lee 2 1-2 7, Dylan Bache 6 1-3 13, Torre Tempel 2 0-0 6, Hudson Luedtke 5 3-3 15, Braylon Larson 4 0-0 8, Spencer Callaghan 0 0-0 0, Kendel Noctor 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 5-8 49.
MISSOULA SENTINEL — Accurate statistics for Sentinel are not available.
Butte 13 11 16 9 — 49
Sentinel 9 13 21 17 — 60
3-point goals — Butte 6 (Lee 2, Tempel 2, Luedtke 2), Sentinel n/a. Fouls — Butte 14, Sentinel 9. Fouled out — Bache. Technicals — none. -
Pregnant referees highlight need for more sports officials
Until recently, the schedule for basketball officials had what we are calling a “seven-person crew” set to referee an upcoming high school game in Southwestern Montana.
It would have been some sort of record for the Butte pool of the Montana Officials Association, breaking what is believed to be the previous record of a “six-person crew” from earlier in the season.
No, the schedule did not call for more than the customary three licensed MOA officials for the varsity game. But all three of the officials are pregnant women and due to give birth this spring. One of those officials is carrying twins.
So, there would have been seven beating hearts moving up and down the court, all to make it possible for your children and grandchildren to be able to play a high school basketball game.
Unfortunately, the referee closest to her due date had to back out of the game, but we will still have a “six-person crew” since the referee carrying twins is still scheduled.
That all three were still on the schedule just a hand full of days before the game, however, tells us about the toughness and dedication showcased by these three remarkable young women.
They are certainly making some of us men who have turned back game assignments because of soft-tissue injuries feel like complete wimps.
The three pregnant women were not scheduled as a gimmick or to garner some publicity. They were not scheduled as any kind of joke.
No, they are scheduled because we desperately need officials.
The scheduling of the very pregnant women to referee a high school basketball game highlights the severe shortage of officials that we feel in Montana and around the country.
Sadly, we really are not far from the day that we will see games canceled because of a lack of game officials.
On Saturday, we almost had to do just that. We did not have enough officials to cover all the games on the schedule for the Butte pool. Luckily, the Dillon pool had enough officials to cover our two games that day in Sheridan.
On that one day, our coverage included four games at Butte High, three games at Butte Central, five games in Anaconda and six games in Boulder. We have days just as busy coming up on the schedule, too.
To make matters worse, we had nine officials who could not work on that busy Saturday, for various reasons. One official worked two games in Boulder, even though she was feeling so sick that she could hardly stand up.
That came after our weekly Monday study club meeting when our scheduling crew looked more stressed out than Jerry Seinfeld when he traded apartments with Kramer in the Kenny Rogers Roasters episode. We could not even joke about having to miss Saturday.
The Butte pool is hardly alone in being stretched so thin. Just about every pool around the state and across the country is facing the same stress.
Two days before our busy Saturday, we had a mix of Butte and Helena officials work games in Boulder. The Helena pool has escaped the pregnancy epidemic, but it could not escape the injury bug.
Even before the injuries and pregnancies, our official pools barely had enough refs to cover all the games. Most of us have been overworked, and hardly any of us are pain free at this point in the season.
Since I am available to work games early in the day, I have practically lived in my official uniform this season. One stretch saw me work eight of nine days. Including four junior high games on a Sunday, I refereed 17 total games in that span.
That might not seem like a lot to some of those college-age officials who work all day every day of those travel tournaments. But, at 50, I feel like Brett Favre after his brutal 2009 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Everything hurts, and it hurts all the time.
So, if it looks like I’m sore as I shuffle up and down the court, it is because I am.
This is my third year as an MOA official. After years of writing columns to encourage others to become officials — in any sport — I was talked into trying it myself.
The only thing I was equipped with was some very thick skin and a love of basketball. I have loved the sport ever since I first watched television and saw Larry Bird play for the Celtics.
Growing up, my heroes were high school basketball players.
I wasn’t good enough to play varsity high school basketball. I might be the only person to ever get cut from the Butte High and Butte Central basketball programs.
Officiating, though, just enhanced my love for the sport. You get a better vantage point than anyone on the benches or in the crowd, and the coaches cannot take you out of the games — no matter how badly they might want to.
Officiating is a blast. It is especially fun when you get a close game. Even though you might be tired, you hate to see the game come to an end. The same could be said for the season.
Refereeing also makes me want to watch hoops more when I’m lounging on my couch, trying to recover from the latest round of back-to-back games. Many nights I find myself watching college games between teams I have zero rooting interest in.
I also watch tons of videos of officials making correct and incorrect calls, trying to become a better official. I even watch video of my own games, even though it is tough to watch.
I run like Mose Schrute, only not nearly as fast.
Refereeing high school hoops has made me look forward to March Madness again. When I worked as a full-time sportswriter, I was always so sick of basketball by the time the high school season ended. So, I hardly ever watched the NCAA Tournament over the last 25 years.
Hopefully, more people will join our official pool, and soon. If you live outside our area, hopefully you will join your local pool.
Judging by the number of times we hear, “travel,” “3 seconds” and “that’s over and back” at every single game, we clearly do not suffer from a lack of people who know the rules. Or at least people who think they know the rules and aren’t afraid to make a call from up above.
Our pool is aging faster than the line for an early-bird special in Miami. We are in serious need for some new officials, especially officials who are on the right side of 50.
While I don’t know many referees who do it for the money, the money is not bad. It has to beat working in the service industry as a second job. Since you have a say in which games you take, the hours are somewhat flexible.
That makes it perfect for a side hustle to help you afford the high price of eggs.
So, think about joining our pool. Send me an email or hit me up on social media, and I will tell you when and where our study club meets on Mondays. You can start coming now to get ready for next season.
If you think you cannot do it, you are probably wrong. If you are tough enough to post something political on Facebook, then you have thick enough skin to handle the criticism.
If can jog — and sometimes slowly sprint — up and down the court, then you have the physical ability to pull it off.
If I can do it after years of marathon training wearing out my hips and lower back, then you probably do it, too.
Seriously, just about any excuse you might think of was thrown right out the window the second our “seven-person crew” went on the schedule. Your excuse is still gone now that the crew is down to six.
Unless, that is, you are pregnant with triplets.
— Bill Foley, who only looks like he’s pregnant with triplets, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74 or Bluesky at @foles74.bsky.social. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
The ButteCast with Bill Foley 