Memories aplenty at Archie Roe
May 9, 2009 Northwest Montana A Conference
Memories aplenty at Archie Roe By DILLON TABISH/The Daily Inter LakePublished: Saturday, May 9, 2009 1:26 AM CDT
Flathead boys track coach Dan Hodge was recently asked how many years the Archie Roe Invitational track meet has been taking place.
Hodge, having coached over 30 seasons in Kalispell, couldn't think of the answer off the top of his head, so he and his wife, Pat, relied on a tried-and-true resource - T-shirts.
"I have tons of T-shirts," Hodge said. "Every year we get one at Archie Roe, and every time I go to the state track meet I buy a T-shirt. I have hundreds.
"It takes up space, but I can't find a reason to throw away a perfectly good T-shirt just because it's old," he added.
As Hodge discussed his shirt collection and Archie Roe, which is today starting at 10 a.m. at Legends Stadium, Pat dug through full dresser drawers looking for the answer.
There's something about a good, old T-shirt that brings back memories, and Archie Roe has provided many - T-shirts and memories - for athletes and coaches throughout the years.
What started as the Flathead Invitational quickly grew into a highly sought after meet that now features 18 schools and roughly
1,000 athletes. Named after a Flathead High enthusiast who helped at events every way he could, the Archie Roe meet includes a freshman, junior varsity and varsity competition in every event.
"We provide a track meet for the entire track team, and they get to compete at a level that's at their ability," Hodge said.
Roughly the same fleet of schools are returning from previous years - the three Missoula AA schools, crosstown Glacier, and almost every Class A and B team in the Northwest.
"What we're doing is providing opportunities. It is a massive track meet, it does take a lot time, but they can get a lot from this meet," Hodge said.
A lot has happened at Archie Roe worth remembering over the years. There's 2004, the year Flathead runner Zoe Nelson won the 1,600 in 5:07 and followed with a 10:27 in the 3,200, one second off the state record time she would go on to set a few weeks later.
Or 1979, when Flathead's Lexie Miller ran a 14.4 in the 100 hurdles and set the oldest standing meet record.
"Here we go," Hodge said as Pat handed him a T-shirt she found that had a helpful hint on it. "In 2000, it says it was the 26th annual. So that makes it the 35th annual."
Then he paused for a moment to remember that year's Archie Roe.
"In 2000, that was the year my son Steven was a junior," he said.
The first Archie Roe was held in 1974, two years after Hodge moved to Kalispell and began coaching track at Flathead; one year after marrying Pat, and gaining a loyal aid who hasn't missed helping out at more than a handful of his meets since.
At Archie Roe this year, it won't be any different, except maybe for the T-shirt design.
Events
Running events: 10 a.m. (frosh boys, JV boys, Varsity boys, frosh girls, JV, girls, Varsity girls' - 100 trials (varsity only), 3200, 110 hurdles, 100, 400 relay, 100, 800, 400, 300 hurdles, 1600, 200, 1600 relay.
Field events: 10 a.m.
Archie Roe Records
BOYS
100 - 10.70, Graig Galle, Flathead, 1995
200 - 21.90, Ralph Dempsey, Cut Bank, 1991
400 - 49.25, Cody Henning, Whitefish, 2004
800 - 1:55.9, David Vidal, Flathead, 2001
1600 - 4:17.4, David Vidal, Flathead, 2000
3200 - 9:23.9, Seth Watkins, Flathead, 2001
110 hurdles - 14.10, Jamison Banna, Flathead, 1988
300 hurdles - 39.00, Jamison Banna, Flathead, 1988
400 relay - 42.9, Missoula Hellgate (Mark Terrazas, Robb Hollenback, Mike Molloy, Joe Thompson), 2002
1600 relay - 3:23.8, Whitefish (Justin Scoggin, Chris Hicks, Cody Henning, Matt Helgath), 2004
Shot put - 60-5 1/2, Scott Steckel, Havre, 1980
Discus - 187-7, Lee Tillman, Havre, 1987
Javelin (new) - 206-4, Nate Bach, Thompson Falls, 2005
High jump - 7-0, Mark Koefelda, Missoula Hellgate, 1993
Long jump - 22-7 1/2, Trevor Gunlock, Polson, 2000
Triple jump - 46-8 1/2, David Schwenk, Missoula Big Sky, 1998
Pole vault - 15-6, Curt Rogers, Whitefish, 2007
GIRLS
100 - 12.5, Michelle Cartwright, Havre, 1985; Kim Kindle, Eureka, 1995
200 - 25.8, Emily Alspaugh, Missoula Hellgate, 1999
400 - 58.3, Kasey Harwood, Polson, 2004
800 - 2:16.3, Kasey Harwood, Polson, 2003
1600 - 5:07.3, Zoe Nelson, Flathead, 2004
3200 - 10:27.9, Zoe Nelson, Flathead, 2004
100 hurdles - 14.4, Lexie Miller, Flathead, 1979; Claudine Robinson, Missoula Hellgate, 1989
300 hurdles - 44.91, Kasey Harwood, Polson, 2003
400 relay - 49.66, Flathead (Brittany Berger, Cricket Johnston, Molly Burt, Krista Jimenez), 2003
1600 relay - 4:03.1, Flathead (Ashley Younkin, Jenae Lister, Nicole Hall, Shannon Ross), 2007
Shot put - 44-6 1/4, Laine Botchek, Missoula Big Sky, 1999
Discus - 148-9, Bree Fuga, Polson, 1999
Javelin (new) - 153-9, Marissa Tschida, Missoula Loyola, 2005
High jump - 5-9, Brenda Naber, Havre, 1992
Long jump - 17-9, Tanya Tesar, Columbia Falls, 1989
Triple jump - 37-4 1/4, Kasey Harwood, Polson, 2004
Pole vault - 12-3, Melinda Owen, Polson, 2003 |
NATIONAL
MONTANA
