Return to Sports Archives

Litchfield won the meet with 114.5 points with Benson/KMS second at 95.5 and the Bulldogs third at 88.83.

"We looked at this as our tune up for true team," said coach Dave Randgaard, "and wanted to see some girls in different events in this meet. I was really pleased overall with our team performance, being this is the first track meet we didn't take the championship."

With 13 teams and a lot of talent, placing was difficult, Randgaard added. The Dogs had 18 placers, with just 14 in individual events, their lowest totals of the season.

The Dogs stacked their 3,200-meter relay with their best long-distance runners, noted Randgaard, sacrificing 15 or so team points, but still only placed fourth in the event. They also competed without injured ninth grader sprinter Bri Jaeger, expected to return to the lineup this week for the true-team sectional.

Senior Tara Schmidt led the Dogs at NL-S, winning both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash and placing in four individual events. She also was fourth in the long jump and seventh in the 400-meter dash.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Frenchick also placed in four events, running third in the 800-meter dash, placing fourth in the triple jump, and running legs on the 3,200-meter, which placed fourth, and the 1,600-meter relay, which placed fifth.

Junior Kacy Nehowig had the second-highest finish for the Dogs, running second in the 3,200-meter run. She also ran a leg on the 3,200-meter relay.

Ninth grader Anna Kotten placed in three events for the Dogs: third in the 100-meter hurdles, third in the pole vault, and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles.

Ninth grader Kally Felling placed in two individual events for the Dogs: fourth in the 400-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash.

Other individual placers for the Dogs were ninth grader Linda Keller (fifth in the 1,600-meter run) and junior Tanis Beireis (seventh in the pole vault with a personal best by clearing 6' 6"). Keller, an All State cross-country runner last fall, participated in her first track meet this spring and also ran legs in the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter relays.

The Dogs' 400-meter relay and its 800-meter relay both placed eighth. Ninth grader Stacy Orbeck, who ran legs on both these relays, also ran a personal best in the 100-meter hurdles but did not place.

This week, the Dogs vied for their third straight trip to state in true-team track at the sectional meet at Holdingford on Tuesday.

Next week, the Dogs will compete in the West Central Conference North Meet at New London-Spicer on Thursday, May 18. If they qualify for state true team, that meet will be held at Stillwater High School on Saturday, May 20, at 10 a.m.

Team Scores
1. Litchfield 114.5
2. Benson/KMS 95.5
3. Paynesville 88.83
4. Annandale 60.0
5. BOLD/BL-H 57.3
6. Renville County West 52.3
7. ACGC 50.83
8. BBE 42.0
9. Melrose 41.5
10. New London-Spicer 29.6
11. Yellow Medicine East 28.5
12. Morris 22.3
13. Minnewaska 20.6

Individual Results
100-meter hurdles: Anna Kotten, third, 17.2;
300-meter hurdles: Kotten, fourth, 52.9;
100-meter dash: Tara Schmidt, first, 13.5;
200-meter dash: Schmidt, first, 27.7; Kally Felling, fifth, 28.5;
400-meter dash: Felling, fourth, 1:04; Schmidt, seventh, 1:07;
800-meter run: Kaitlyn Frenchick, third, 2:32;
1,600-meter run: Linda Keller, fifth, 5:54;
3,200-meter run: Kacy Nehowig, second, 12:39;
400-meter relay: Kacie Wander, Randi Schaefer, Stacy Orbeck, and Kirsten Miller, eighth, 56.9;
800-meter relay: Wander, Orbeck, Miller, and Melanie Koerner, eighth, 2:01;
1,600-meter relay: Koerner, Natalie Leadem, Keller, and Frenchick, fifth, 4:31 (season best);
3,200-meter relay: Keller, Leadem, Nehowig, and Frenchick, fourth, 10:37;
Discus: No placers;
Shot put: No placers;
High jump: No placers;
Long jump: Schmidt, fourth, 15' 4";
Triple jump: Frenchick, fourth, 31' 3";
Pole vault: Kotten, third, 8'; Tanis Beireis, seventh, 6' 6" (personal best).