This year’s track season has seen PRs from some of Billings Central’s top athletes, as well as top athletes from all around Montana. PRs are an athlete’s personal record or their personal best. In the span of just two and a half months, the team has shown incredible growth. Many of Central’s Track seniors have proven themselves throughout the season, and some have hinted at attending the Nike Outdoor Nationals 2025, in late June. The Nike Outdoor Nationals, also known as NON, is a competitive middle school and high school track and field championship in which runners and field athletes go head-to-head in their specific event. To qualify for any event, your PR must be within their standards. For example, the girls 100-meter dash qualifying time must be 12.04 seconds in provisionals and 11.64 seconds in automatic acceptance. For the boys, 100-meter dash, the time requirement is 10.74 seconds in provisionals and 10.64 seconds in automatic acceptance. So, to even be taken seriously for NON, you must have one of the top speeds in your state.
Senior, Sam Jagodzinski, has a time of 27.76 seconds for the 200-meter dash, 51.27 seconds for the 400-meter dash, 1:54.61 minutes in the 800-meter dash, and 4:29.08 minutes in the 1600-meter dash. Senior, Montana Thomas, has a throwing length of 131’2” ft in Javelin. His javelin weighs 800 grams or 1.7 pounds. Finally, senior, Brock Wilkins, is a pole vaulter with a PR of 11’6” ft. The senior boys have until Divisionals to make their final debut before Track State, which is May 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. As for the girls, senior, Anna Prill, has a PR of 23’6” ft in shot put. Her “shot” weighs in at 4 kg or 8.82 pounds. Prill also has a throwing length of 106’3” ft in Javelin, which weighs 600 g or 1.3 pounds.
Following the senior and junior PRs, other athletes of different grades have also been able to gain a spotlight of their own. Junior, Shayla Britain, has a PR for the 400-meter at 1:04.43 minutes, the 800-meter dash at 2:32.82 minutes, and the 1600-meter dash at 5:27.86 minutes. She also has a PR of 11:54.11 minutes in the 3200-meter dash and 4:17.02 minutes in the 4×4 relay. Another junior, Greyson Piseno, has a PR of 2:02.36 minutes in the 800-meter dash, 4:24.68 minutes in the 1600-meter dash, and 9:58.93 minutes in the 3200-meter dash.
The team now heads into preparation for Divisionals and State, readying themselves for the first heats, events, and flights. Hopefully, they are ready to add another two State titles to the 2024-2025 school year.
