It looks as though three times was the charm after BHS cycled through to its third head track coach in one year. Last year, Dave Brekke stepped in to a tainted position after the appointed head track coach, Jim Evans, was arrested for inappropriate relationships with students. Evans would have taken the place of former head coach John Griffith who also resigned, in order to take a higher educational position at a different high school.
A significant number of the early season track meets last year, during head coach Brekke’s first year, were cancelled due to uncooperative weather and many student athletes were anxious to see what Brekke could bring to the team in terms of unity and success.

Now, as the Hawk track team begins their second year under coach Brekke, it is evident that he intends to stay. According to Randy Russell, the BHS activities director, Brekke is more than qualified for the position. Brekke not only competed in a college track and field program but he also coached at Sacajawea middle school and was the athletic director at Willow Creek High School.

After a mediocre fourth place finish at state last year for the boys and a disappointing seventh place for the girls, many track athletes are anxious to settle in to a groove with head coach Brekke; and things are looking good so far this season.

The first meet of the 2012 season, against Ennis and some other smaller schools went well for the Hawk track team. A Bozeman athlete placed first in nearly every event, and while certainly not a predictor for state, it is a nice boost of confidence for the rest of the season.

The second meet of this season, a home meet duel against Billings Skyview, was cancelled on the seventh of April because of an excessive amount of snow the day before. As Brekke announced the cancellation to the team, he was met with an unsettling amount of cheering; a bad sign for a team wishing to place at state.

With a record without many state titles, to some this year’s track and field program may look a little vulnerable; but Brekke is no stranger to winning. He led a successful distance running career at MSU and his son Alex Brekke, now running in college, still holds distance running records at BHS.

Adam Wollant, a senior track athlete is excited to see how the newer athletes progress. Many of the highest point scorers at state last year have moved on to college athletics, giving an opportunity to the numerous younger athletes to take their position. Many of the varsity squads are now filled with underclassmen, making an interesting dynamic for coaches as well as older athletes as they learn the basics of the sport. “It will be interesting to watch the younger runners get better throughout the season and over the next few years…” said Wollant, “… While I’d like to see them get better as they get older, I hope [the younger runners] can reach their potential for this year as well. I’d like to be part of a successful state track team my senior year.”

The Bozeman track team boasting nearly two hundred runners this year will be halved tomorrow as separate boy’s and girl’s teams head to two different meets. The boy’s team is competing in Butte at the Dahlberg boys only meet while the girl’s are traveling to Great Falls in a girls only meet.   “For such a large team, not many BHS students come and watch the home meets. It’s actually pretty fun to come see, especially when we are winning” says Jason Holmes, a sophomore track athlete.

As the newcomers and older athletes get used to Brekke’s coaching style in his second year, for most athletes the goal for the end of the season is still the same. Ethan Wilhelm, an assistant coach, comments, “We all want to do well at state no matter how young the team is or how new the coach, in the end it comes down to the determination of the athletes.”