PREP TRACK AND FIELD: Eagles sweep own track meet

WINDOM — Competing under near-ideal weather conditions Monday, Windom effectively utilized its superior depth to win both divisions of the six-team Eagle Invitational high school track and field meet.

Winning six of the 18 events, the Windom girls racked up 145 points to convincingly claim the team title, while the Eagle boys — despite winning just three events — accumulated a winning total of 146, taking first-place team honors by a 48-point margin.

The combination of Westbrook-Walnut Grove/Red Rock Central was second in both divisions, scoring 98 points in each.

Mountain Lake Christian was a close third in the boys’ team chase with 95 points, followed by Southwestern United (80), Martin County West (67) and Wabasso (20).

In the girls’ meet, MCW edged SWU, 79.5 to 79 for third, while Wabasso was a close fifth with 76.5 points. MLC scored 30 points to complete the girls’ standings.

Windom’s Meredith Hentges was a triple winner for the girls as she took first place in the both the 400-meter dash (1:03.96) and the 800-meter run (2:29.86).

Hentges also ran a leg on the winning Eagle 4x400-meter relay team, which was clocked at 4:31.82.

Megan Muller, Kelcey Olson and Emily Turner ran the other legs on the mile relay for the Eagles.

Turner, who finished second in the 800 (2:32.10), won the 1,600-meter race by more than 21 seconds, churning a time of 5:39.60.

Olson added an individual victory in the pole vault, clearing the bar at 8-6.

Windom’s sixth first-place came from Hannah Steele, who led a 1-2 Eagle finish in the shot put, as her (37-4) and Danielle Antes (33-2½) teamed together to score 18 points for the hosts.

Steele (116-8), Antes (101-1) and Holly Larson (97-3) displayed more Windom depth (and 18 more points) with a 2-3-4 finish in the discus, behind the winning throw of 119-0 by SWU’s Katey Granstra.

SWU’s Mara Eichenberger had a huge day for the Wildcats, racking up 28 individual points with victories in both the 100 (13.98) and 200 (28.03), while finishing second in the 400 (1:05.32).

Regina Steffen supplied 18 additional points for SWU with a first-place performance in the long jump (14-0) and a second-place finish in the 300-meter low hurdles (53.53).

Jennifer Schmidt cleared the high jump bar at 5-0, winning that event by six inches and giving the Wildcats a total of five first-place performances in the girls’ competition.

W-WG/RRC’s Hailey Osland won the triple jump (30-7) and was second in the long jump (13-10) to score 18 points for the Chargers.

Freshman Melanie Kedl contributed 22 individual points for W-WG/RRC with seconds in both the 100 (14.34) and 200 (29.36) and a third in the 400 (1:07.71).

Chloe Arfsten (7-6) placed second in the pole vault, scoring eight points for the Chargers, who also won the 4x200-meter relay (1:59.50) with the team of Alexa Byers, Tegan Derickson, Arfsten and Maddie Frank.

W-WG/RRC’s Julianna Pederson was second in the 1,600 (6:01.07) and Windom’s Miki Bolin placed second in the triple jump (29-9).

MLC swept the 3,200-meter run as the trio of Whitney Klassen (12:56.20), Bridgette Swanson (14:34.60) and Bailey Swanson (14:45.90) finished 1-2-3, providing the Bears with 24 points in that event.

Stevens, Holmen, Schmitz each win twice

W-WG/RRC’s Blake Stevens, MLC’s Jordan Holmen and SWU’s Marty Schmitz each won a pair of individual events to highlight the list of top performances in the boys’ meet.

Stevens won both the 110-meter high hurdles (16.80) and 300-meter intermediates (45.71).

Holmen placed first in the triple jump (37-9) and won the 100-meter dash (12.31).

Schmitz, who also ran a leg on SWU’s winning 4x200-meter relay team (1:41.36), placed first in both the long jump (17-7) and high jump (5-10) to lead the Wildcats.

Windom’s first-place performances came from John Curley (800-meter run, 2:06.03), Brady Ysker-Giefer (discus, 114-10) and Zach Holt (shot put, 36-6).

MLC’s Spencer Harder, who finished second in the 100 (12.47), won the 200-meter dash, clocked at 25.24.

Windom’s Travis Mattson (25.37) and Douglas Taab (25.56) finished 2-3 in the 200, giving the Eagles 14 points.

MLC’s Micah Klassen won the 3,200 (11:47.10) and SWU’s Adriano Martins claimed victory in the 400 (57.97).

MCW’s Adam Kleine clocked a fine time of 4:47.53 to win the 1,600, as both Curley (4:53.72) and MLC’s Taylor Klassen (4:54.41) also ran well under five minutes, in one of the most competitive races of the meet.

W-WG/RRC’s Derek Christians won the pole vault (10-0) and MLC won both the 4x800 (9:16.90) and 4x400 (3:51.89) relays.

Running for the Bears on the 4x8 was Caleb Bargen, Taylor Klassen, Brennan Holmen and Cody Klassen.

The foursome of Bargen, Taylor Klassen, Ben Raabe and Brennan Holmen won the meet-ending 4x4 for MLC.

Running with Schmitz on SWU’s first-place 4x200 team were Jameson Collin, Mitchel Van Weston and Martins.

Van Weston scored 17 additional individual points by placing second in the long jump (17-7), third in the 800 (2:14.58) and finishing in a tie for fourth in the high jump (5-2).

Collin was second in the high jump (5-8), while Martins placed second in the triple jump (34-3) and fifth in the 800 (2:20.00).

Windom received second-place finishes from Holt (discus, 112-4) and Brannon Peterson (pole vault, 9-6) and third-place performances from Blake Warner and Parker Scott (tie, high hurdles, 20.00); Taab (100, 12.54), Ysker-Giefer (shot put, 36-3) and Mattson (high jump, 5-4).

W-WG/RRC picked up second-place points from Levi Brummer (shot put, 36-4), Levi Bunting (300 hurdles, 48.35) and Christians (400, 58.54), while getting thirds from Chue Yang (pole vault, 8-6), Brummer (discus, 103-5) and Yang (3,200, 13:32.90).

Tags: track and field, mountain lake christian, southwestern united, southwest star concept, round lake-brewster, red rock central, westbrook-walnut grove, sports, prep, windom