By Bill Foley

All-State performance by Gavin Vetter, Jonas Sherman and Jaric Sparks paced Butte High on the first day of the Class AA State track meet on the Charlie Merrifield Track inside the Gene Fogarty Complex.

Butte High will look for more when the meet resumes Saturday at 9 a.m. (Results)

Vetter placed second in the pole vault, two spots ahead of Sparks. Sherman took third in the high jump.

With a personal-best mark of 14 feet, 3 inches, Vetter finished just 3 inches behind Helena Capital’s Alex Brisko. Capital’s Andy Williams, who posted a personal record with 13-6 for third, and Sparks placed fourth at 13-0.

Sherman cleared 6 feet to tie with Bozeman’s Trent Richards for third in the high jump. Garret Coley of Gallatin won at 6-4, and Missoula Big Sky’s Porter Gibbs took second at 6-2.

Boys who won state championships on Friday were Rafe Premo of CMR in the 400, Sam Ellis of Glacier in the 1,600, Josh Goleman of Helena in the shot put, and Coley in the long jump.

Butte’s Morgan McClernan and Holt Downey qualified for Saturday’s finals in the 110-meter hurdles. Teammates Cole Worley, Dylan Snyder, Kenley Leary and Holt Downey qualified ninth in the 400-meter relay.

Wyatt Gross and Broc Ludwick are alternates in that event.

McClernan will run the 300 hurdles as well as a leg of the 1,600-meter. Other members of the relay, including an alternate, are Downey, Isaac Kohler, Jakob Nielsen and Cole Stewart.

Cameron Tobiness placed eighth in the high jump. The top six in each event earn All-State recognition. He will compete in the triple jump on Saturday.

On the girls’ side, state titles were claimed by Odessa Zentz of Helena in the 400, Keney May of Hellgate in the 1,600, Sydney Mattfeldt of Helena in the shot put, Hannah Schonhoff of Bozeman in the High jump, Logan Todorovich of Helena in the long jump and Hannah Moses of Hellgate in the pole vault. Moses won her title Thursday evening.

Butte High’s Mollee Conlan qualified sixth in the 100 meters. Dylann Bartoletti, Madison Seaholm, Emmarie Richards and Conlan placed 15^th in the 400 relay.

In addition to Conlan, Butte High will have its 1,600-meter relay team running Saturday. Team members are Darby Harrington, Pieper Joseph, Alexandria Kovnesky, Gabriella McPeek and Seaholm.

Helena High’s girls lead team standings with 67 points. Billings West sits second at 41, and Bozeman is tied with Missoula Hellgate for third at 32.

Gallatin leads boys’ standings at 34. Sentinel is second at 30, followed by Capital at 27 and Glacier at 24. Butte High is tied for fifth with Big Sky and Helena High at 17.

Click here to follow the meet live.