Guide to the 2024 Class B state track and field meet (2024)

BILLINGS — Laurel plays host for the 2024 Class A and B state track and field meets this weekend.

The Class B meet begins on Friday at 9 a.m. with the boys javelin and is scheduled to culminate at approximately 3:50 p.m. on Saturday with the 4x400 relay. A full schedule of events for the weekend can be found here. Live results will be here.

As athletes from across the state set out to defend titles, break records and reach goals, here are some storylines to keep an eye on.

Returning individual champions:Isabelle Berry, Missoula Loyola (girls 100, 200, 100 hurdles); Avery Gerdes, Huntley Project (girls 400, 800); Madison O'Connor, Baker (girls high jump); Breauna Erickson, Conrad (girls pole vault); Cori Coombe, Joliet (girls triple jump); Talen Rogers, Colstrip (girls shot put); Alexis Deming, Plains (girls discus); Hunter Stevens, Jefferson (boys high jump); Talen Reynolds, Missoula Loyola (boys triple jump); Dalton Noble, Jefferson (boys shot put); Vaughn Miller, Glasgow (boys javelin).

Overview:The Panthers have an opportunity to complete a four-year streak of state titles if they can top the field again this week in Laurel. Doing so would land them on the state record list of consecutive state champions and tie them with Billings West, Butte, Charlo, Plentywood, Ennis, Kalispell Flathead and Glasgow.

They won their district handily, but Red Lodge won theSouthern B divisional by three points a week ago in Laurel. What makes this matchup particularly intriguing is that both teams have strengths in different areas. The Rams are loaded in the sprints, but the Panthers have depth in the throws and distance events. Missoula Loyola won the Western B divisional title by doubling-up Florence, and Glasgow swept the Northern B.

On the girls' side, after edging out Huntley Project last season by two points to capture its first title since 2012, Missoula Loyola looks to potentially have to fend the Red Devils off again. The Red Devils won the Southern B divisional last week in Laurel while the defending champion Breakers tied with Anaconda last week at the Western B. Both teams have five of the top marks in events coming into the state meet.

The Rams are led by three-event champion Isabelle Berry who is bound for the University of Montana next season. She'll be busy with the 100, 200 (where she's the two-time defending champion), 100 hurdles and relay.

But the Red Devils also have a standout in sophom*ore Avery Gerdes, who is the defending champion in the 400 and 800 and also holds the best girls triple jump mark in Class B.

Record watch:Wolf Point senior Peyton Summers has had his eye on the 3,200 record of 9 minutes, 30.64 seconds currently held by Poplar's Scott McGowan since 1999. He topped that with a 9:23.76 at the Top 10 meet in Glasgow a few weeks ago in a mostly solo effort. But to take the title, he'll go up against Jefferson's Luke Mest, a matchup fans will see in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. The two went 1-2 at the state cross country meet in October with Summers capturing his first title.

TheRed Lodge boys are half a second off Huntley Project's 42.55 in the 4x100, which has stood since 2006 and three seconds away from Fort Benton's 4x400 of 3:21.48 from 1986. Get the baton around cleanly and they could come close.

Conrad's Breauna Erickson is a three-time defending champion in the girls pole vault and broke the Class B record at 11-9 last season. The Eastern Washington bound vaulter has yet to hit that mark again this season, but she and teammate Ava Krings have both cleared 11-6 in 2024 as they've chased Huntley Project's Brynn Wandle's season best of 12-0. Wandle, who's headed for Carroll College next season, has finished as state runner-up twice to Erickson in her career so it may take another record to determine the winner this year.

Missoula Loyola's Berry has run 12.25 in the girls 100, which betters the current record of 12.29 held by Joliet's Truanne Roginske since 2015. The same rings true in the 100 hurdles where her season-best 14.62 is better than the current state record of 14.75 from Plains' Hailey Phillips since 2015.

Berry and her teammates have the Breakers' 4x100 within a tenth of the 49.33 record held by Choteau since 2016.