The Park Rapids boys and girls track and field teams opened the season with a pair of fifth-place finishes at Tuesday's Little Amik I Invitational at Bemidji State University.
In the boys meet, Park Rapids had three runner-up finishes and placed in seven events in tallying 41 points. Roseau captured the boys title with 91 points. Nevis and United North Central also competed in this 17-team indoor meet.
Lydia Lutz won the 3,200-meter run and joined Sophie Shogren, Hannah Wolff and Victoria Lutz on the winning 4 x 800 relay team as Park Rapids compiled 56 points in the girls meet. The Panthers scored points in eight events. Bagley/Fosston won the girls title with 69.50 points. Nevis, led by Paige Walters' first-place showing in the 200 dash, finished seventh with 43.50 points. United North Central also competed.
Park Rapids, Nevis and UNC will return to BSU for the Little Amik II Invitational Tuesday.
Relays lead Park Rapids boys
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Runner-up finishes by the 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 relay teams led the Panthers in the boys meet.
Brock Fritze, Cody Timmons, Sean Hayes and Sterling Lindahl clocked a 1:42.91 in the 4 x 200 relay while Fritze, Timmons, Hayes and Mike McDowell teamed up for a 3:50.81 in the 4 x 400 relay.
McDowell also placed second in the high jump by clearing 5 feet, 6 inches while Timmons placed third in the long jump with a distance of 17-7 and third in the 200 with a time of 24.72.
The 4 x 800 relay team of Zac Haugland, Scott Wolff, Jake Grimes and Forrest Drury finished fifth in 9:42.86. Haugland also finished eighth in the 3,200 run with a time of 12:07.41.
"I was very pleased with the results of the team," said Park Rapids head coach Patrick Deegan, who only had 12 athletes competing. "It was a good test to see where we sit compared to other teams."
Bryon Schuldt finished third in the 800 run with a time of 2:12.99 to account for Nevis' 6 points and Tom Gruchow finished fourth in the 400 dash in 56.23 to account for United North Central's 5 points.
Boys team scores: Roseau 91, Frazee 88, International Falls 64, Pequot Lakes 47, Park Rapids 41, Warroad 37, Virginia 36, Bagley/Fosston 34, East Grand Forks 30, Crookston 27, Coleraine 19, Nashwauk-Keewatin 18, Parkers Prairie 17, Wadena-Deer Creek 16, Nevis 6, United North Central 5.
Lutz, Walters win individual events
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Lydia Lutz clocked a 12:24.61 to win the 3,200 run and the Panthers' 4 x 800 relay team led the field with a time of 10:21.44 to lead the way for Park Rapids in the girls meet.
Rachel Thelen added a runner-up showing in the pole vault by clearing 8-6.
Park Rapids took third in three distance running events. Victoria Lutz clocked a 2:31.46 in the 800 run and joined Tiffany Deitchler, Mandy Schirmers and Chelsea Johnson with a 4:43.56 in the 4 x 400 relay. Morgan Olson took third in the 3,200 run with a time of 13:21.69. Wolff also placed third in the triple jump with a distance of 31-2.75.
Also scoring points for the Panthers were Grace Bateman (seventh in 29.53) and Shogren (eighth in 29.63) in the 200 dash and Nicole Knott in the shot put (eighth at 29-8.50).
"I thought we did really well for the first meet of the year," said Park Rapids head coach Corey Hill. "The competition was incredible and we hung with them."
Walters' winning time of 29.05 in the 200 dash led the way for Nevis.
The Tigers took second in the 4 x 200 relay behind a 1:56.28 by Annessa Feder, Megan Stambaugh, Walters and Riley Hanson. Maggie Lindow tied for third in the long jump with a distance of 14-8.
Feder (fourth in 29.44) and Hanson (sixth in 29.50) placed in the 200 dash, Feder took fourth in the high jump by clearing 4-10, Stambaugh was fifth in the 400 with a time of 1:07.80, and Hanson clocked an 8.17 for sixth place in the 55 dash to round out Nevis' scoring.
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Rebecca Salmen cleared 7 feet to finish eighth in the pole vault for UNC's lone point.
