MISSOULA- The annual Russ Pilcher Track and Field meet welcomes the top ten athletes in each event of the 36 schools that make up the western classifications in the MHSA. In the 24th edition of the exclusive meet, the Hellgate Knights saw three event winners which included two new school records, and a whopping 14 top-five placers.
Recent Montana State University commit, Sophia Miller broke the first Helglate record of the day in the women’s 800-meters. She took first in the event with a time of 2:13.47. That mark surpassed Colorado State University’s Kensey May, who set the previous record in 2022 with a time just over 2:14. Miller’s previous best came three days prior in Great Falls as she paced a time of 2:15.44.
“Holding the school record is really special to me because it has been a goal of mine for a really long time,” said Miller. “I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season for the team as a whole, as we set up really well at this point in the season.”
Landrie Anderson followed up Miller shortly after, with a school record of her own in the women’s pole vault. The senior’s leap of 12 feet raised her mark to number one in red and gold, surpassing current University of Montana pole vaulter Hannah Moses by three inches. Moses previously broke the record herself last year by nine inches with a leap of 11’ 9”at the 2023 state meet.
“It means a lot to me especially since I didn’t get to compete last year because of the 90-day transfer rule,” said Anderson. “I’ve worked super hard to get that PR, so I am very happy about it.”
As for the final first place finisher of the day, another commit in the 2024 class to Montana State University, Kaitlyn Skinner, took home gold in the women’s 1600 meters. Her PR of 5:06.11 surpassed her previous best by nearly seven seconds. Skinner currently stands at number five for the 1600 on the list of all time Hellgate athletes.
14 additional Hellgate athletes placed inside the top-five of their respective events to put an exclamation mark on a historic day. To start the placing off, junior Sofia Szollosi went back-to-back in the women’s 100 and 200 meters for top-five finishes with times of 12.8 and 26.33.
Junior Ridley Key then continued Hellgates record day with a season best of his own in the men’s 800 meters, earning a time of just under two minutes and a fifth place finish. In the men’s 3200 meters Wilson Derry and Odin Berryman went back-to-back for fourth and fifth place finishes, and in the women’s 3200 meters Hellgate grabbed two of the top-five placers again with Jamison Molloy and Stella Diaz earning fourth and fifth.
Junior Corbin Weltzien grabbed two PR’s on the day in the men’s 110 and 300 meter hurdles. He finished second and third, respectively, with times of 14.44 and 40.56. To finish off the day of placers on the track, the women’s 4×400 relay team took home second with a time of 4:03.54.
Out in the field, the Knights saw four total top-five placers. Current AA leader in javelin distance, Timbur Nilson, continued his torrid 2024 pace with a toss just over 180 feet that earned him a PR. Freshman Paisley Johsnon took home fifth place in the women’s high jump with a leap just over five feet.
To end a stellar day for Hellgate, Boise State commit Alix Mund went back-to-back for top-five finishes in the women’s long jump and triple jump with jumps marking 16-05.5 and 35-02.25.
Hellgate track and field athletes return to action on Tuesday, April 30 for a triangular event with Flathead and Sentinel before divisionals and the 2024 state meet quickly approach in the first few weeks of May.
