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The Dogs (with 120 team points) defeated Annandale (86 points), true-team section rivals Renville County West (80 points) and BOLD/ BLH (77 points), and the rest of the 12-team field easily.

"We really had an outstanding team performance, winning a 12-school meet by 34 points," said coach Dave Randgaard. "Our field events, especially the discus and shot put throws, were our season's best and the pole vault was, too."

"The team placed in 17 of 18 events, with numerous multiple places in many events, showing our team depth, which is the strength of this team," continue Randgaard. "We need to continue to improve now as the meets become more important."

Junior Tara Schmidt won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes and ran the anchor leg on the Dogs' winning 800-meter relay, and sophomore Kacy Nehowig won the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs to lead the Dogs.

Schmidt recorded a personal best in winning the 200-meter dash and ran her second fastest 100-meter dash in the meet. (She was also fifth in the long jump.)

The 800-meter relay (senior Kendra Johnson, eighth grader Bri Jaeger, eighth grader Kally Felling, and Schmidt) ran their second fastest time in winning this relay. Their fastest time this spring set a new school record.

Johnson was second in the 300-meter hurdles and, like Schmidt, placed in four events for the Dogs. She also ran in the winning 800-meter relay, placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles, and tied for fifth in the high jump.

Ninth grader Kaitlyn Frenchick was second in the 1,600-meter run, 11 seconds behind Nehowig, and placed in three events, also taking fourth in the 800-meter run and fourth in the triple jump.

Jaeger also placed in three events: the 800-meter relay, the 400-meter dash (third), and the 200-meter dash (sixth).

The Dogs' 3,200-meter relay - ninth grader Melanie Koerner, eighth grader Erin Guzy, sophomore Tanis Beireis, and ninth grader Leah Felling - recorded the team's last top-three finish.

The Dogs also had several personal bests at this meet.

Eighth grader Anna Kotten broke her eighth-grade record in the pole vault, clearing 7' 6" to place fifth. Her best vault so far had been 6' 6".

Sophomore Randi Schaefer and ninth grader Nat Leadem both had personal bests in the discus, placing seventh and eighth, and in the shot put (though neither placed).

And the Dogs' 400-meter relay team - junior Kacie Wander, Schaefer, Leah Felling, and sophomore Kirsten Miller - ran their best time of the season.

This week, the Dogs competed at the true-team section meet at ACGC on Tuesday. If they finish first, they will run in the state true-team meet at Blaine on Saturday, May 21, for the second year in a row.

Next week, the Dogs will vie for the conference title on Thursday, May 19, at Melrose.

Team Scores
1. Paynesville 120
2. Annandale 86
3. Renville County West 80
4. BOLD/BLH 77
5. Minnewaska 54.5
6. Morris 50
7. Benson/KMS 43
8. ACGC 42.5
9. NL-S 41
Yellow Medicine East 41
11. Melrose 40
12. BBE 27

Individual Results
100-meter hurdles: Kendra Johnson, fourth, 17.2;
300-meter hurdles: Johnson, second, 50.08; Anna Kotten, eighth, 53.52;
100-meter dash: Tara Schmidt, first, 12.98;
200-meter dash: Schmidt, first, 26.81 (personal best); Bri Jaeger, sixth, 28.39;
400-meter dash: Jaeger, third, 1:03.44;
800-meter run: Kaitlyn Frenchick, fourth, 2:36;
1,600-meter run: Kacy Nehowig, first, 5:38; Frenchick, second, 5:49;
3,200-meter run: Nehowig, first, 12:36;
400-meter relay: Kacie Wander, Randi Schaefer, Leah Felling, and Kirsten Miller, seventh, 55.94 (season best);
800-meter relay: Johnson, Jaeger, Kally Felling, and Schmidt, first, 1:51;
1,600-meter relay: Miller, Erin Guzy, Leah Felling, and Melanie Koerner, seventh, 4:33;
3,200-meter relay: Koerner, Guzy, Tanis Beireis, Leah Felling, third, 10:45;
Discus: Schaefer, seventh, 98' 10" (personal best); Natalie Leadem, eighth, 96' 11" (personal best);
Shot put: No places;
High jump: Johnson, fifth, 4' 10";
Long jump: Schmidt, fifth, 14' 10 1/2";
Triple jump: Frenchick, fourth, 32' 4";
Pole vault: Beireis, fourth, 8''; Kotten, fifth, 7' 6" (new eighth grade record).