I’m a little late to the party with this folks, but better late than never, eh. Take a stroll back in time with me as Replays revisits the culmination of our local Helena area prep spring sports from 50 years ago, to the final weeks of May, 1974.
Synness
The inaugural crosstown meetings between Helena High and brand new Capital, having first opened its doors the previous fall, were somewhat unbalanced since the Bruins were competing without a senior class.
At Vigilante Stadium, the Bengals swept the first intra-city track & meet, winning the boys’ event 121-24, and the girls meet 79-39. Coach Bill Gilbert’s guys were led by workhorse Tom Goodman, who scored 17½-points, capturing the long jump at 20-feet-9½, and the 100-yard dash in 10.35 seconds on a cinder track; while placing runner-up in the 220 and triple jump. He was part of winning 880 relay as well, with Denis and Delmar Jones, and Tim Scow, getting the stick around in 1:35.5.
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Teammate Jim Stipcich was also a double-winner, in the mile and 2-mile runs, clocking 4:38.6 and 10:09.7, respectively. Note this was seven prior to switching to metric.
Jim Stipcich
Rounding HHS’ victors on the track were Denis Jones, 220; Bob Samson, 120 high hurdles; Delmar, 180 low hurdles; and the mile relay of Mark Shepherd, Scow, Denis and Delmar. Their field event victors were javelin thrower Bruce Madsen, Tim Alling in the pole vault, Jerry DeMars in the discus, and triple jumper Tim Scow.
Posting victories for coach Darrell Vallance’s Bruins were Alan Harbaugh in the shot put, with a toss of 41-11, and high jumper Mike Neiman, who cleared 6-2 before missed on three attempts at a stadium record 6-3½.
CHS teammates placing second were Jim Hand in the 440, 2-miler Dan Pelletier and John Huftel in the high hurdles. Their young mile relay foursome of Hand, Neiman, Tom Faulkner and Bruce Robertson was less than 2-seconds behind the Bengals.
On the girls side, Helena was paced by double winners Lyanne Bunkowske, in the 100 (11.75) and 220 (26.8), Diana Williams in the 80 high hurdles (11.7) and 110 low hurdles (16.15), Lauri Adams in the mile (2:24.8) and 2-mile (5:47.2), and Sarah Power in the shot put (36-2½) and discus (99-5½). Bunkowske, Kelley Flaherty, Harrison and Kathy Knott teamed up to garner the 440 relay. Also claiming a win for Lady Bengals’ coach DeDe Hodges was long jumper Judy Myles.
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