Return to Sports Archives

After finishing as the section runner-up behind three-time state true-team champion Mayer Lutheran from 2001-2003, the Dogs have won their true-team section (without Mayer Lutheran) the last two years. The Dogs finished ninth at state last year. They also qualified for state in true team in 1996, finishing sixth.

In true team, each team enters two individuals in running and field events and one team in each relay. Every entry earns team points, with the format geared to judge teams on their overall talent and depth.

Sophomore Tanis Beireis placed second in the pole vault last week, leading a 2-3 finish in the event with eighth grader Anna Kotten. The Dogs had six firsts at true-team sections and nine runner-ups.

In a typical meet, by contrast, only the top six or eight placers will earn team points. At true-team sections (with seven teams), first-place finishers earned 14 points, second place earned 13, etc., with the 14th finisher earning one point. Relays earned 21 points for first place, down to three points for seventh place.

True team track is sponsored by the Minnesota State Track and Field Coaches Association, not the Minnesota State High School League, which sponsors most state meets in Minnesota.

The Bulldogs had six first-place finishers at the meet, nine runners-up, and placed both of their entrants in the top five in nine events. In 13 of the 14 individual events, the Dogs placed both of their entrants in the top ten.

"We had our top performance of the season as a team at this meet," said coach Dave Randgaard. "Both our #1 and #2 girl in a lot of the events had outstanding perfor-mances, which showed our depth in talented athletes."

"We were 'highly motivated' to get another taste of the state meet," added Randgaard. "Once you get there, you want to keep going back. Now, the girls' track team will get their toughest competition of the season at the state meet. This will be a great experience for the team."

Senior Kendra Johnson won both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles at the true-team section meet at ACGC last week.

Senior Kendra Johnson won both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles and tied for second in the high jump. Junior Tara Schmidt won the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash and placed second in the long jump. Both Johnson and Schmidt ran legs on the Dogs' 800-meter relay, which finished second.

Sophomore Kacy Nehowig won the 3,200-meter run and placed second in the 1,600-meter run, and ninth grader Kaitlyn Frenchick won the triple jump and placed second in the 800-meter run and fourth in the 1,600-meter run.

Other runner-up finishes for the Dogs were recorded by: eighth grader Bri Jaeger in the 400-meter run; the 800-meter relay (Johnson, Jaeger, sophomore Kirsten Miller, and Schmidt); the 3,200-meter relay (ninth grader Melanie Koerner, ninth grader Leah Felling, eighth grader Erin Guzy, and sophomore Tanis Beireis); and Beireis in the pole vault.

Beireis was also third in the 3,200-meter run behind Nehowig. This event garnered 26 team points for the Dogs, their best event.

The Dogs also got 25 team points in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and the pole vault. Beireis was second, and eighth grader Anna Kotten third in the pole vault. Eighth grader Kally Felling had personal bests in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 400-meter dash, placing fourth in all three events. The Dogs scored 24 team points in the 400-meter dash and in the 100-meter hurdles and 1,600-meter run.

In addition to the pole vault (25 points), the Dogs' best field events were the high jump (23 points) and the long jump (21 points). Sophomore Randi Schaefer placed in three field events individually, including tying for fourth in the high jump.

The Dogs will compete for the conference title on Thursday at Melrose. Last year, the Dogs upset St. Cloud Cathedral for the WCC North title and expect to battle with the Crusaders again this year.

The Dogs will compete in the state true-team meet at the National Sports Center in Blaine on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. (See the schedule in the shaded box on page 1B.)

Team Scores

Paynesville--	371
Atwater-Cosmos-GroveCity--	307.5
Osakis--	250.5
Yellow Medicine East--	230
Holdingford--	216
Morris--	214.5
St. John's Prep--	180

Individual Results
100-meter hurdles: Kendra Johnson, first, 16.59 (personal best); Anna Kotten, fifth, 17.77 (personal best);
300-meter hurdles: Johnson, first, 49.63; Kotten, eighth, 53.57;
100-meter dash: Tara Schmidt, first, 13.01; Kally Felling, fourth, 13.57 (personal best);
200-meter dash: Schmidt, first, 11:58.5; Felling, fourth, 27.77 (personal best);
400-meter dash: Bri Jaeger, second, 1:02.94 (personal best); Felling, fourth, 1:04.27 (personal best);
800-meter run: Kaitlyn Frenchick, second, 2:37.1; Melanie Koerner, fifth, 2:39.11;
1,600-meter run: Kacy Nehowig, second, 5:39.97; Frenchick, fourth, 5:56.38;
3,200-meter run: Nehowig, first, 11:58.5; Beireis, third, 13:30;
400-meter relay: Kacie Wander, Randi Schaefer, Leah Felling, and Kirsten Miller, third, 56.55;
800-meter relay: Johnson, Jaeger, Miller, and Schmidt, second, 1:52.41;
1,600-meter relay: Leah Felling, Koerner, Frenchick, and Jaeger, fourth, 4:25.13;
3,200-meter relay: Koerner, Leah Felling, Erin Guzy, and Beireis, second, 10:35.7;
Discus: Natalie Leadem, fifth, 97' 8"; Schaefer, eighth, 88' 9";
Shot put: Schaefer, seventh, 28' 8 1/2"; Leadem, eighth, 28' 8";
High jump: Johnson, second, 4' 8"; Schaefer, fourth, 4' 8";
Long jump: Schmidt, second, 15' 1 1/4"; Rachael Wendlandt, seventh, 14' 7 1/2" (personal best);
Triple jump: Frenchick, first, 33' 5 1/2"; Beireis, 14th, 28' 2 1/2";
Pole vault: Beireis, second, 8'; Kotten, third, 7' 6".