Girls tracksters take seventh behind running success

The Sauk Centre Streeters girls track and field squad gained valuable experience before the Section 6A True Team Meet, using several standout performances to snag seventh place out of 13 teams at the New London-Spicer Invitational May 4 at New London-Spicer High School in New London. 

“The team is getting better and they’re starting to get that attitude that they know they can be competitive,” said Jim Metcalf, coach.

The heroes of the day for Sauk Centre came from individual and relay events alike. The 4x400 relay team of Mackenzie Ritter, Olivia Marsh, Stella Schirmers and Pyper Vogt placed third with a solid time of 4 minutes and 31.12 seconds, tied for the highest finish for the Streeters alongside Alicia Jennissen’s 33-5 attempt in the shot put. It was Vogt’s 4x400 debut. 

Schirmers also recorded a sixth-place finish in the 400-meter dash with a personal-record time of 1:06.13.

“She brings in a winning attitude with her,” Metcalf said. “I’m really happy with what Stella and that 4x400 relay has done.”

Many other Streeters landed in the top 10 in their respective events, including a fifth-place showing from the 4x800 grouping of Julia Wehrman, Marsh, Alivia Nathe and Francesca Rivers; sixth-place spots from Nya Thieschafer in the long jump and the 4x200 squad of Ritter, Nya Thieschafer, Nina Thieschafer and Vogt; and seventh-place results from Marsh in the 800 and Rivers in the 1600. 

Success was far from guaranteed facing off against several programs who the Streeters have not yet seen this season.

“When we saw the teams at New London-Spicer, we were like, ‘Okay, we don’t know how good these teams are,’” Metcalf said. “It’s fun to compete with teams we haven’t seen yet.”

Sauk Centre earned 30 points as a team as Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball ran away with the team title at 158.5. 

The Streeters will take part in the West Central Conference Meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at Montevideo High School in Montevideo. 

Section 5A True Team

Unfortunate timing spelled a delay to the Section 5A True Team, as an incoming thunderstorm led to the event being moved back a day to May 10.

Only one event, the 4x800 relay, was completed before athletes were directed to go indoors. 

Team scores: 1. Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball 158.5, 2. Litchfield 98.5, 3. Minnewaska Area 92.33, 4. Annandale 82.33, 5. Paynesville 75, 6. New London-Spicer 72.5, 7. Sauk Centre 30, 8. Glencoe-Silver Lake 29, 9. Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 25.33, 10. Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 11.5, 11. Melrose 9, 12. Hancock 8, 13. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and 14. St. Cloud Christian 3. 

Individual results: 100: 13. Nya Thieschafer 13.74, 17. Nina Thieschafer 14.11 and 28. Victoria Marthaler 14.88. 200: 9. Nya Thieschafer 28.23, 12. Nina Thieschafer 28.92 and 37. Kiara Klinkhammer 34.28. 400: 6. Schirmers 1:06.13, 15. Lindyn Anderson 1:10.29 and 22. Maizie Jennissen 1:12.48. 800: 7. Marsh 2:39.03, 15. Julia Wehrman 2:48.55 and 25. Hailey Thompson 3:14.72. 1600: 7. Rivers 6:07.72, 10. Nathe 6:15.00 and 12. Alyssa Tegals 6:18.11. 3200: 11. Raya Sebek 13:46.26, 18. Abigail Mohs 14:59.24 and 21. Samantha Eekhoff 15:30.29. 300 hurdles: 8. Ritter 51.95 and 24. Marthaler 1:01.30. 4x100: 10. Vogt, Brooke Rieland, Anderson and Brianna Middendorf 58.67. 4x200: 6. Ritter, Nya Thieschafer, Nina Thieschafer and Vogt 1:56.71. 4x400: 3. Ritter, Marsh, Schirmers and Vogt 4:31.12. 4x800: 5. Wehrman, Marsh, Nathe and Rivers 11:09.45. High jump: 14. Schirmers 4-2 and 22. Rieland 4-2. Pole vault: 20. Rivers 6-0. Long jump: 6. Nya Thieschafer 15-0, 17. Nina Thieschafer 13-4 and 20. Anderson 13-0. Triple jump: 10. Middendorf 29-7, 18. Ava Friedrichs 28-3 and 22. Avery Crider 27-4. Shot put: 3. Alicia Jennissen 33-5, 21. Carmen Loxtercamp 26-11 1/2 and 26. Claire Bushard 25-4. Discus: 12. Loxtercamp 84-00, 14. Alicia Jennissen 84-00 and 18. Bushard 80-00.