Panthers open track season at BSU meet

Both Kenny Miller and Corey Hill were impressed with the performances of the Park Rapids boys and girls track and field teams in the season opener Tuesday afternoon.

Kyle Christianson took first place in the shot put as the Panthers placed fourth in the 15-team boys field with 48.50 points. Interna-tional Fields defended its title at the Little Amik I Invitational at Bemidji State University's Rec Center with 117.50 points. Nevis was 14th with 4 points.

In the girls meet, the Panthers didn't win any events, but placed in 12 of them to place third in the team standings with 62.75 points. East Grand Forks claimed the team title with 128.50 points while Nevis placed ninth with 29 points in this 15-team indoor meet.

Both Park Rapids teams will return to BSU Tuesday for the Paul Bunyan Express.

Christianson wins shot put

Christianson's toss of 43 feet in the shot put led the field and led the Panthers to fourth place in the team standings.

Park Rapids placed in nine events and earned 9 points in the pole vault as Nathan Mack cleared 11 feet for second place and Caleb Brown cleared 10-6 for eighth place.

Park Rapids took third in two relays as Justin Blan-ford, Justin MacPherson, Chris Hirsch and Mac Mc-Dowell teamed for a 1:41.28 in the 4 x 200 relay while Blanford, Brown, Mack and McDowell combined for a 3:52.87 in the 4 x 400 relay.

Jerry Warmbold placed in two events, taking fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 35-2 and placing fifth in the 55 hurdles in 9.22.

Blanford added a fourth-place distance of 18-9 1/2 in the long jump, Mike McDowell tied for sixth place in the high jump by clearing 5-4, and Ben Sperle took eighth in the 3,200 run with a time of 12:34.81.

"I couldn't have been any more pleased," said Miller. "I liked what I saw. For our first meet, we competed very well. We still have some holes to fill, but I was very happy with the way things went."

Michael Stine finished sixth in the 200 with a time of 25.30 while the 4 x 200 relay team finished eighth in 1:49.93 to account for Nevis' 4 points.

Balance leads Panthers

Runner-up showings by Kayla Stursa in the 3,200 run, Laura Haugland in the high jump and Sarah Guida in the long jump led a balanced attack as the Panthers finished behind East Grand Forks and defending champion International Falls in the girls meet.

Stursa clocked a 12:46.86 and Haugland followed in 13:43.65 for fourth place as the Panthers scored 13 points in the 3,200 run.

Haugland cleared 4-8 to take second in the high jump while Guida soared 15-7 for second place in the long jump. Guida also took fifth in the triple jump with a distance of 30-8.

Victoria Lutz was third in the 1,600 run with a time of 5:54.68 and Tracey Peterson took third in the 200 dash with a time of 29.29.

Park Rapids placed in all three relays. The 4 x 400 relay team of Greta Ertl, Lutz, Kyja Penning and Hannah Wolff took fourth in 4:53.65. The 4 x 800 relay team of Stephanie LaCoursiere, Penning, Stursa and Abby Hanson finished sixth in 11:56.64. The 4 x 200 relay unit of Katie Damlo, Stephanie Kueber, Peterson and Shannon Taylor took seventh in 2:02.39.

Sarah Ament took sixth in the pole vault by clearing 7 feet while Rachel Thelen tied for seventh place by clearing 6 feet.

Penning rounded out the team score with an eighth-place time of 2:55.47 in the 800 run.

"We had a lot of surprises," said Hill. "We were missing some girls so we ran a lot of younger girls and they competed well. As the meet went on, we kept scoring points and kept climbing past some good teams. We finished right up there. We gave East Grand Forks and International Falls a run for the money. I was excited to see that."

Micah Richards won the 55 hurdles in 10.53 and was fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 30-8 ? to lead Nevis. Jessica Schunk took fourth in the 55 dash in 7.93 and Erin Walters was eighth in the 200 in 30.24. The Tigers' 4 x 200 relay team placed eighth in 1:59.14.

Boys team scores: International Falls 117.50, Roseau 64, Bagley/Fosston 51, Park Rapids 48.50, Deer River 47, Pequot Lakes 42, New York Mills 41, East Grand Forks 39, Wadena-Deer Creek 36, Bemidji JV 36, Crosby-Ironton 24, Clearbrook-Gonvick 21, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 6, Nevis 4, Nashwauk-Keewatin 2.

Individual results

4 x 800 relay: 1, International Falls, 8:59.36.

55 hurdles: 1, Asfeld, W-DC, 8.21. 5, Warmbold, Park Rapids, 9.22.

55 dash: 1, Hedlund, IF, 6.94.

400 dash: 1, Asfeld, W-DC, 53.47.

1,600 run: 1, Leverington, Roseau, 4:50.50.

4 x 200 relay: 1, Bagley, 1:39.87. 3, Park Rapids (Blanford, MacPherson, Hirsch, Mac McDowell), 1:41.28. 8, Nevis, 1:49.93.

800 run: 1, Debock, DR, 2:04.37.

200 dash: 1, Asfeld, W-DC, 23.62. 6, Stine, Nevis, 25.30.

3,200 run: 1, LaBlanc, IF, 10:26.13. 8, Sperle, Park Rapids, 12:34.81.

4 x 400 relay: 1, International Falls, 3:46.48. 3, Park Rapids (Blanford, Brown, Mack, Mac McDowell), 3:52.87.

High jump: 1, Foster, PL, 5-10. 6 (tie), Mike McDowell, Park Rapids, 5-4.

Pole vault: 1, Gelo, IF, 12-6. 2, Mack, Park Rapids, 11-0. 8, Brown, Park Rapids, 10-6.

Long jump: 1, Rud, NYM, 20-1 ?. 4, Blanford, Park Rapids, 18-9 ?.

Triple jump: 1, Rud, NYM, 43-9 ?. 4, Warmbold, Park Rapids, 35-2.

Shot put: 1, Christianson, Park Rapids, 43-0.

Girls team scores: East Grand Forks 128.50, International Falls 71.50, Park Rapids 62.75, Bagley/Fosston 50, Pequot Lakes 39, Nashwauk-Keewatin 36.75, Wadena-Deer Creek 36.50, Crosby-Ironton 34, Nevis 29, Bemidji JV 21, Clearbrook-Gonvick 20, Roseau 18, Deer River 18, New York Mills 15, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 5.

Individual results

4 x 800 relay: 1, East Grand Forks, 10:33.19. 6, Park Rapids (S. LaCoursiere, Pening, Stursa, Hanson), 11:56.64.

55 hurdles: 1, Richards, Nevis, 10.53.

55 dash: 1, Kjolhaug, C-G, 7.69. 4, Schunk, Nevis, 7.93.

400 dash: 1, Hustle, Bagley, 1:06.33. 6, Goetz, Park Rapids, 1:08.56.

1,600 run: 1, Heisler, Bemidji, 5:47.35. 3, Lutz, Park Rapids, 5:54.68.

4 x 200 relay: 1, Bagley, 1:59.13. 2, Nevis, 1:59.14. 7, Park Rapids (Damlo, Kueber, Peterson, Taylor), 2:02.39.

800 run: 1, Skoglund, IF, 2:32.66. 8, Penning, Park Rapids, 2:55.47.

200 dash: 1, Kjolhaug, C-G, 28.43. 3, Peterson, Park Rapids, 29.29. 8, Walters, N, 30.24.

3,200 run: 1, Aune, EGF, 12:33.83. 2, Stursa, Park Rapids, 12:46.86. 4, Haugland, Park Rapids, 13:43.65.

4 x 400 relay: 1, East Grand Forks, 4:36.61. 4, Park Rapids (Ertl, Lutz, Penning, Wolff), 4:53.65.

High jump: 1, Skoglund, IF, 5-0. 2, Haugland, Park Rapids, 4-8.

Pole vault: 1, Strege, N-K, 9-0. 6, Ament, Park Rapids, 7-0. 7 (tie), Thelen, Park Rapids, 6-0.

Long jump: 1, Berger, EGF, 16-5. 2, Guida, Park Rapids, 15-7.

Triple jump: 1, Berger, EGF, 32-10. 4, Richards, Nevis, 30-8 ?. 5, Guida, Park Rapids, 30-8.

Shot put: 1, Olson, EGF, 36-6 ?.