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Holdingford edged ACGC for the section title, 577.5-570, and will advance to the state true team meet on Saturday, May 22, in Blaine. Morris was third with 484.5, and Paynesville was fourth at 451.

True team track is sponsored by the Minnesota State Track and Field Coaches Association, not the Minnesota State High School League. The format is geared to judge teams based on their overall talent and depth.

In a typical meet, only the top six or eight placers will earn team points. At true team sections (with 11 teams), first-place finishers earned 22 points, second place earned 21, etc., with the 22nd finisher earning one point. Relays earn 33 points for first place, down to three points for 11th place.

Each team enters two individuals in running and field events and one team in each relay.

Senior Chad Wyffels recorded the only first-place finish for the Dogs last week, winning the 800-meter run. He also ran a leg on the Dogs' 3,200-meter relay, which finished second, and placed fifth in the 400-meter run. Other runners on that relay team were junior Jason Wendroth, A.J. Benson, and junior Chris Utsch.

Sophomore Aaron Bachman placed in the top six in three events. He finished third in the pole vault, fourth in the 300-meter hurdles, and sixth in the 110-meter hurdles.

In the 300-meter hurdles, senior Scott Millner also placed eighth for the Dogs, one of six events where the team had both finishers in the top ten. Top events for the Dogs were the 100-meter dash (senior Lee Fuchs-Thielen, fourth, and Millner, eighth); the 1,600-meter run (junior Matt Mehr, sixth, and sophomore Sean Glenz, seventh); the 3,200-meter run (Mehr, fifth, and ninth grader Dugan Flanders, tenth); the long jump (Fuchs-Thielen, sixth, and senior Doug Mages, ninth); and the shot put (senior Derek Burris, sixth, and junior Josh Binsfeld, ninth).

In addition to Bachman and Wyffels, five Dogs placed in the top ten in two events. Fuchs-Thielen placed in the top ten in four events: fourth in the 100-meter dash, sixth in the long jump, seventh in the triple jump, and tenth in the 200-meter dash. Placing twice in the top ten were: Burris (also seventh in the discus), Mages (also fourth in the high jump in his first meet of the season), Mehr, and Millner.

"We had a good meet as a team," said coach Darrel Carstens. "We're still not at full strength, which makes me even prouder of the performances of many, who had to step up to cover areas. We also had individuals work into events for the first time in order to cover areas we were not healthy at and they did a good job."

Among the injured was senior captain Troy Fuchs-Thielen.

This week, the Dogs competed at Benson on Tuesday. They will run, throw, and jump at Maple Lake on Thursday.

Team scores
1. Holdingford 577.5
2. ACGC 570
3. Morris 484.5
4. Paynesville 451
5. MACCRAY 382
6. St. John's Prep 349
7. Yellow Medicine East 335
8. BOLD 334.5
9. Ortonville 296
10. Osakis 266
11. Renville County West 228.5

Individual Results
110-meter hurdles: Aaron Bachman, sixth, 17.7; Scott Millner, 11th, 18.5;
300-meter hurdles: Bachman, fourth, 45.3; Millner, eighth, 46.5;
100-meter dash: Lee Fuchs-Thielen, fourth, 11.9; Millner, eighth, 12.0;
200-meter dash: Fuchs-Thielen, 10th, 24.5; Doug Mages, 18th, 25.9;
400-meter dash: Chad Wyffels, fifth, 54.9; Keith Klein, 17th, 59.5;
800-meter run: Wyffels, first, 2:08.5; Chris Utsch, 15th, 2:21.8;
1,600-meter run: Matt Mehr, sixth, 5:20.8; Sean Glenz, seventh, 5:05.1;
3,200-meter run: Mehr, fifth, 11:04.6; Dugan Flanders, 10th, 11:19;
400-meter relay: Bryce Fischbach, Michael Houske, Aaron Burris, and Alex Jewell, 10th, 52.4;
800-meter relay: Fischbach, Klein, Bachman, and Mages, eighth, 1:45.5;
1,600-meter relay: Jason Wendroth, A.J. Benson, Alex Svejkovsky, and Utsch, ninth, 4:06.2;
3,200-meter relay: Wyffels, Wendroth, Benson, and Utsch, 9:09.2;
Discus: Derek Burris, seventh, 119' 1"; Jon Scheierl, 18th, 92' 3";
Shot put: Burris, sixth, 39' 4"; Josh Binsfeld, ninth, 37' 11";
High jump: Mages, fourth, 5' 8"; Travis Flannigan, 16th, 5';
Long jump: Fuchs-Thielen, sixth, 18' 6"; Mages, ninth, 17' 7";
Triple jump: Fuchs-Theilen, seventh, 38' 1"; Wyffels, 17th, 34' 3";
Pole vault: Bachman, third, 12'; Glenz, 12th, 8'.