Hewitt leads trio of Cats to qualify for state track meet

CLARK FORK — Junior Bailey Hewitt will lead a group of three Clark Fork track athletes heading down to the state meet this weekend, after grabbing two firsts, a second and one third at the 1A district track meet last weekend at Kootenai.

Hewitt, the defending state champion in the 100 and 300 hurdles, is finally rounding into top form after spending the first half of her season indoors. She won the 100 hurdles in 15.9, and the 300 hurdles in 47.41, running away from the field in both races.

She also qualified for state in the long jump (15-8), where she finished third, and the triple jump (34-2), where she finished second. Head coach Frank Hammersley believes she can do well in all four events, stopping short of saying she’s the girl to beat in both hurdles.

“I think she’ll do well and have a good showing,” he said, not wanting to add any pressure to the defending state champ. “(Lack of) Track time has hampered her times, but with another week of coaching we can bring them down.”

Also returning to state is junior distance runner Adam Denham, who clocked a 10:39 in the 3,200, finishing fourth, just three seconds off the winning time. Last year he ran a personal best at state, and Hammersley believes he can do the same again this year. He also qualified in the mile, running a 4:57, good for fifth place.

Brittany Drayton put the shot 31-7, to finish sixth and become the third and final Wampus Cat to earn a berth to state.

Hammersley added that he had hoped Austin Martin and Matt Belville would both qualify in the hurdles, but each nailed a hurdle and narrowly missed qualifying at a surprisingly competitive district meet.