With spring right around the corner, Park High spring sports, including track and field, are preparing for their upcoming seasons. Track and field training started in March with optional practice. The season will officially kick off on April 4 with the team’s first track meet of the season in Lewistown. Park High will host one home meet this season, which is scheduled for May 10. The Rangers also have a handful of meets in Laurel, as well as Dillion, Butte, and East Helena. See the Park High website sports schedule for more times and dates.
Members of the Park High track and field team are excited for their upcoming season. With practice starting, student athletes in track and field are shaking off the rest of winter to prepare for the spring season.
Some members of the team never stopped competing and participated in indoor track and field with Bozeman Track Club at MSU. Senior Cole Bartz did indoor track at MSU and plans on competing in shot put, 100 meter dash, 4×100 meter relay race, and high jump. He is anxious to get the season started. Bartz hopes his off-season training with the Bozeman Track Club will help him reach his goals for the 2024 season.
Bartz plans to throw a 50+ foot shot put throw and run a 100 meter dash in under 12.8 seconds. He hopes to go to state again this season after his eleventh place finish last year at state for shot put.
Asa Duncan, also a senior at Park High who went to MSU for off-season indoor track with the Bozeman Track Club. plans to compete in pole vault, 4×100 meter relay race as well as long jump. Duncan’s main goal is to compete in state again this year after his sixth place finish last season. He has been competing in track and field each year of highschool, including pole vault all four years. He also hopes his hard work and dedication to his off-season training at MSU will show through this season and at state.
Fellow pole vaulter senior Vay O’brien plans to vault, run the 100 meter dash, and run the 4×100 meter relay. Vay hopes to set a new personal record this season and help her team and herself by competing as best she can in her individual events and relay team events. “I’m looking forward to hopefully going to state and also trying to get a new personal record for pole vaulting,” she said.