TRACY - Blessed with mild weather over the first few weeks of the spring sports season, area track and field athletes had to grin and bear a chilly afternoon and evening during the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Panther Invite Tuesday in Tracy.
The temperature hovered close to 40 degrees when the meet started at around 4 p.m. and was accompanied by a stiff breeze. The temperature dipped into the 30s as the day turned to night, and the final couple of events were held under the lights.
Even with the unfavorable conditions, some area athletes still managed to achieve or approach personal bests. The Marshall Tigers had the best day of all the teams, getting first place in both the boys' and girls' competitions.
Article Photos
Photo by Matt Dahlseid
Marshall’s Rose Andersen, left, Fulda’s Tiffany Gehl, center, and Canby/Minneota/Lincoln HI’s Leah Jessen race side by side in the girls 1,600-meter run during Tuesday’s TMB Panther Invitational in Tracy.
The Tiger boys tallied 137 team points, edging Montevideo by five points. Murray County Central came in third with 110 points, followed by Fulda (58), Canby/Minneota/Lincoln HI (42), Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (39) and Lakeview (21). The Marshall girls ran away with the team competition with 169 points, with Fulda finishing second with 96 points. C/M/L and MCC finished in a tie for third with 85 points, followed by TMB (46), Montevideo (39) and Lakeview (28).
With his team used to competing in unseasonably-warm weather so far this season, Marshall boys head coach Mike Jacobs was a bit concerned with how his athletes would handle the cold conditions. It turns out they handled it just fine.
"It's kind of a shock with the spring we've had so far with so much warm weather to come out here," Jacobs said. "We were out here by 3 p.m., so injuries were a concern as the meet drew on out here in this cold, but I thought our kids performed well.
Fact Box
Girls Team Scores: 1. Marshall 169; 2. Fulda 96; t3. Canby/Minneota/Lincoln HI 85; t3. Murray County Central 85; 5. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 46; 6. Montevideo 39; 7. Lakeview 28; 8. Willmar 1.
Girls Individual Results
4x800m Relay: 1. Marshall 10:21.57; 2. CML 1:44.13; 3. Montevideo 10:50.67; 4. Fulda 10:58.37; 5. MCC 11:22.35; 6. TMB 11:29.34.
110m Hurdles: 1. Zanini (F) 16.71; 2. Taylor (LV) 18.08; 3. Thomas (MCC) 18.25; 4. Maes (MAR) 18.63; 5. Weidert (CML) 18.96.
100m: 1. Buysse (MAR) 12.91; 2. Soupir (MAR) 13.50; 3. Wenzel (F) 13.75; 4. Merritt (CML) 14.00; 5. Muldoon (MCC) 14.01.
4x200m: 1. Montevideo 2:00.53; 2. MCC. 2:00.75; 3. Lakeview 2:01.03; 4. Fulda 2:01.43; 5. Marshall 2:03.52; 6. TMB 2:04.65.
1,600m: 1. Gehl (F) 5:44; 2. Jessen (CML) 5:49; 3. R. Andersen 5:56; 4. Cheadle (Fulda) 6:10; 5. Dinius (CML) 6:53.
Discus: 1. Zanini (F) 122-0; 2. Crowell (MAR) 106-9; 3. Scarset (MCC) 95-4; 4. Przymus (TMB) 88-3; 5. Behrends (MCC) 86-4.
High Jump: 1. Nordgaard (CML) 5-0; 2. Gervais (TMB) 4-10; 3. West (MAR) 4-8; 4. Wasberg (MCC) 4-6; 5. Van Iperen (MCC) 4-6.
4x100m Relay: 1. Marshall 55.37; 2. Fulda 56.25; 3. MCC 58.32; 4. Montevideo 58.40; 5. Lakeview 1:00.53.
400m: 1. Van Iperen (MCC) 1:05.78; 2. Moen (CML) 1:06.59; 3. Vogl (MAR) 1:06.62; 4. Bose (MCC) 1:06.43; 5. Gervais (TMB) 1:08.44.
Shot Put: 1. Zanini (F) 36-6; 2. Cuperus (F) 31-4.5; 3. Crowell (MAR) 31-1.5; 4. Van Moer (LV) 29-0.5; 5. Longworth (MONTE) 27-8.5.
300m Hurdles: 1. Merritt (CML) 49.51; 2. Iverson (TMB) 55.82; 3. Schmitz (MONTE) 56.27; 4. Buysse (MAR) 56.88; 5. Diggins (MONTE) 57.71.
Pole Vault: 1. Paulzine (F) 8-0; 2. Miller (MAR) 7-0; 3. Peterson (TMB) 7-0; 4. Muldoon (MCC) 7-0; 5. Baumhoefner (F) 6-6.
800m: 1. VanKeulen (MAR) 2:35; 2. Jessen (CML) 2:36.72; 3. Verschaetse (MAR) 2:36.76; 4. Van Iperen (MCC) 2:38.72; 5. Hoffbeck (TMB) 2:41.50.
200m: 1. Buysse (MAR) 26.35; 2. Homandberg (MCC) 28.85; 3. Hoffman (LV) 29.05; 4. Soupir (TMB) 29.34; 5. Schaar (TMB) 29.38.
Long Jump: 1. S. Andersen (MAR) 15-2; 2. Cheadle (F) 14-10; 3. Griffin (MAR) 14-3; 4. Merritt (CML) 14-2; 5. Schmidt (MCC) 14-1.
Triple Jump: 1. Schaeffer (MAR) 32-10; 2. Nordgaard (CML) 32-2; 3. Verschaetse (MAR) 29-3; 4. DuVall (MONTE) 29-2; 5. Christianson (MAR) 29-1.
3,200m: 1. R. Andersen (MAR) 13:04; 2. Grengs (CML) 14:05; 3. Sisk (CML) 14:13; 4. Schmdit (MCC) 15:57; 5. Schnoor (MCC) 16:20.
4x400m: 1. Marshall 4:26.41; 2. MCC 4:29.23; 3. C/M/L 4:34.82; 4. TMB 4:40.03; 5. Montevideo 4:47.15.
Boys Team Scores: 1. Marshall 137; 2. Montevideo 132; 3. Murray County Central 110; 4. Fulda 58; 5. Canby/Minneota/Lincoln HI 42; 6. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 39; 7. Lakeview 21; 8. CCS 16.
Boys Individual Results
4x800m Relay: 1. Marshall 8:50.46; 2. Fulda 9:18.16; 3. C/M/L 9:21.25; 4. Montevideo 9:25.69; 5. MCC 9:45.72.
110m Hurdles: 1. Spaeth (MONTE) 16.94; 2. West (MARSH) 17.53; 3. DeZeeuw (MONTE) 17.86; 4. Reeves (MONTE) 18.09; 5. Whitehead (MCC) 18.44.
100m: 1. Bofferding (MAR) 11.00; 2. Thony (MCC) 11.02; 3. Scotting (MCC) 11.72; 4. Kraus (CML) 11.77; 5. Swedzinski (CML) 11.88.
4x200m Relay: 1. Montevideo 1:35.52; 2. MCC 1:42.02; 3. Fulda 1:43.78; 4. TMB 1:47.26; 5. C/M/L 1:48.00.
1,600m: 1. DeAustin (MAR) 4:38; 2. Burgett (CCS) 4:39; 3. Lavoy (TMB) 5:03; 4. Varpness (MONTE) 5:06; 5. Solheim (MCC) 5:09.
Long Jump: 1. Thony (MCC) 19-5; 2. Douglas (MONTE) 18-9; 3. Dovre (LV) 17-10; 4. Marshall (MAR) 17-8; 5. Donner (TMB) 17-3.
4x100m: 1. Montevideo 47.39; 2. C/M/L 47.47; 3. Fulda 48.46; 4. Marshall 49.83; 5. TMB 50.20.
Shot Put: 1. Nepp (MCC) 45-5; 2. Kack (MAR) 44-5; t3. Nelson (TMB) 41-1; t3. Dibble (F) 41-1; 5. Beech (MCC) 40-6.
300m Hurdles: 1. Testa (MONTE) 42.00; 2. Pavek (CML) 43.44; 3. Dovre (LV) 46.12; 4. Spaeth (MONTE) 47.01; 5. Nelson (TMB) 48.81.
Discus: 1. Nepp (MCC) 137-11; 2. Dibble (F) 136-0; 3. Beech (MCC) 125-7; 4. Thier (F) 124-8; 5. O'Malley (MONTE) 113-2.
800m: 1. VanKeulen (MAR) 2:05.94; 2. Burgett (CCS) 2:05.96; 3. Larson (MAR) 2:14.97; 4. Nelson (MONTE) 2:17.26; 5. Lavoy (TMB) 2:18.53.
200m: 1. Bofferding (MAR) 22.7; 2. Thony (MCC) 23.58; 3. Lipinski (MONTE) 24.21; 4. Scotting (MCC) 24.35; 5. Swedzinski (CML) 24.45.
Triple Jump: 1. Douglas (MONTE) 40-1; 2. Boock (MCC) 37-5; 3. Spaeth (MONTE) 35-8; 4. Ramerth (F) 35-6; 5. Horner (LV) 35-4.
High Jump: 1. Donner (TMB) 5-6; 2. Peterson (MAR) 5-4; 3. Pavek (CML) 5-4; 4. DeRuyck (MAR) 5-4; 5. Horner (LV) 5-2.
3,200m: 1. Bell (MAR) 10:34; 2. Moran (MAR) 11:20; 3. Suflow (MONTE) 11.24; 4. Drealan (F) 11:32.
Pole Vault: 1. Dan M. (MONTE) 11-0; 2. Kirlin (F) 11-0; 3. Leek (MAR) 10-6; 4. Benjamin (MONTE) 10-6; 5. Lanoue (TMB) 10-0.
4x400m: 1. Marshall 3:39.47; 2. Montevideo 3:52.00; 3. Fulda 3:56.12; 4. MCC 4:01.58; 5. Lakeview 4:04.09.
"I think we've got to be fortunate we didn't pull something. I think we came away pretty healthy, and actually, given the fact that there was a breeze and the cold temperatures, we still had some kids who were right on their personal bests."
Marshall's Beau Bofferding had a strong day with a win in the 100-meter dash, narrowly edging MCC's Jack Thony by 0.02 seconds with his time of 11.00 seconds. Bofferding anchored Marshall's winning 4x400-meter relay team (3:39.47), and he also beat Thony in the 200 dash, winning with a time of 22.7 seconds. Jacobs said Thony pushed Bofferding harder than any other competitor he'd seen this season.
Thony was able to get wins in the 400 dash (52.06) and the long jump 19 feet, 5 inches to power the Rebels to their third-place finish. MCC thrower Tanner Nepp also had a big day, winning the shot put (45-5) and discus (137-11).
Joining Bofferding as winners for Marshall were Chad DeAustin in the 1,600 run (4:38), Grant VanKeulen in the 800 run (2:05.94) and Andrew Bell in the 3,200 run (10:34). The Marshall 4x800 relay team also took first with its time of 8:50.46. Jacobs was also pleased with Andre Kack in the shot put, as he threw a career-best toss of 44-5 to take second behind Nepp.
TMB's only winner of the day was Eric Donner, who won the high jump by clearing the bar at 5-6.
"It was kind of cold, so he didn't jump quite as well as he did in Luverne last week, but man, he's looking really good," said TMB head Marie Hanson. "He's getting faster, too, in his races and getting a little powerful."
Like the Marshall boys, the Tiger girls had several standout performances on Tuesday.
Sprinter Sarah Buysse earned victories for Marshall in the 100 (12.91) and 200 (26.35), and anchored the Tigers' winning 4x400 relay team, which finished more than three seconds ahead of its nearest competition with a time of 4:26.41.
Marshall's 4x800 relay team won the event with a time of 10:21.57, which girls head coach Marie Sample said was two seconds faster than the team's best time last season. Marshall also won the 4x100 relay (55.37) and got individual wins by Rose Andersen in the 3,200 run (13:04), Sarah Andersen in the long jump (15-2), Caitlyn Schaeffer in the triple jump (32-10) and Haley VanKeulen in the 800 (2:35).
Sample said her athletes' successes allowed them to have a good time in the chilly weather.
"I think they're having fun. I know they're having fun, and I'm having fun being here with them," Sample said. "When I got up in front of them on the bus I said, 'I really enjoy being here with you guys and I'm so proud of your for all your hard work,' and I said, 'Let's make this pay off today.' I say that every time we come off the bus and they've been coming out and leaving it all on the track."
C/M/L had a pair of athletes earn top honors on Tuesday. Riley Nordgaard took first in the high jump (5-0) and second in the triple jump (32-2), and Morgan Merritt added a first-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles (49.51). MCC's Crystal Van Iperen had the fastest time in the 400 dash (1:05.78) to help the Rebels to their tie for third as a team.
TMB's top finisher was Sammie Gervais, who took second in the high jump (4-10). Lakeview got a second-place finish in the 4x200 relay (2:00.53).