Glacier High School’s track coaches have figured out an effective plan for senior Maddey Frey this season: Turn her loose, let her run and watch her jump.
They’ve figured out a good plan for senior Taylor Hart too: Have him do everything.
Sometimes, with great athletes on your side, the best strategy is to point them in the right direction and let them go. To be sure, there will be coaching along the way. But when you are dealing with gifted athletes, half the battle has already been won.
Frey is the reigning Class AA state champion in the 100-meter dash. In last year’s Class AA final, Frey edged out Missoula Sentinel’s Chantelle Grey, 12.8 to 12.96. Only Class B champion Deni Fitzpatrick, a sophomore from Cut Bank, ran a faster time at any of last year’s state meets, finishing in 12.5 seconds.
So not only is Frey going for her second straight Class AA title, she’s battling for the title of “fastest girl in the state.” Frey, who will also participate in the jumping events, has committed to play soccer at the University of Montana next year.
“Maddey’s running really well right now,” said Jerry Boschee, girls track coach at Glacier. “She makes everyone look good. Just her presence makes everyone work a little harder.”
For the boys squad, head coach Arron Deck expects Hart, a standout running back on the football team, to do as many events as possible. Deck wants to take advantage of Hart’s athleticism and versatility. Hart is fast, but also big, at 6-2 and 205 pounds.
“He’s going to do everything,” Deck said.
Glacier had three individual state champions at last spring’s Class AA meet. Two, including Frey, are returning. The other returning champion is Lexy Boschee, Jerry’s daughter, who won the high jump as a freshman with a jump of 5 feet 6 inches. Ben Cutler, who won the 400 meters for boys, graduated and is playing basketball at Carroll College.
As a team, Glacier placed sixth for girls and seventh for boys. In addition to the returning state champions, the Wolfpack have a few state placers coming back as well. For girls, Rachel Cutler, a junior, placed sixth in the long jump and will also do sprints. And Stacey Pitt will look to improve on her sixth-place finish in the high jump and her sixth-place finish in the pole vault.
“She plays big in our season outlook,” Boschee said of Pitt.
On the boys team, Shane Freese enters the season as one of the best high jumpers in the state. Freese consistently placed in the top two at meets throughout last season and narrowly missed a state title, clearing 6-4 to finish just behind Billings Senior’s Scotty Owens, who cleared 6-6.
Deck and Boschee expect to have strong runners in the distance events as well, including some freshmen who could step up to have big seasons. But since the freshmen and underclassmen are untested, Boschee said “our distance runners are our biggest question mark.”
A few runners shouldn’t carry any question marks, however, including the Fraleys. Junior Heather Fraley and freshman Troy Fraley are coming off strong performances during the fall cross country season. Deck also said Richie Boyer should have a good season.
“We have some younger underclassmen who have been untested, but athletically we feel they can do it,” Deck said.
Boschee also spoke highly of the Pilsch sisters, Katie and Krysten, who will compete in the throwing events. Krysten won first place in the javelin at last year’s Western AA divisional meet. Across the board, Boschee thinks he has an athletic group of girls.
“The girls should be fun to watch,” he said. “If we can stay injury free, I’m excited.”
The Wolfpack boys and girls track teams kick off the season with a triangular meet held at Glacier High School, weather permitting, or at Legends Stadium.
Later this week: Flathead High School track and field preview