Saint girls back-to-back; boys 2nd at Osage co-ed
By Kristi Nixon
Note: A different version of this story appears in the print edition of the Enterprise Journal due to deadlines.
OSAGE — The St. Ansgar girls track and field team won back-to-back outdoor meets to start the season while the Saint boys finished runner-up to Charles City at Friday’s makeup Osage co-ed meet.
Coach Phil Baldus’ Saints won with 178 points to out-distance the runner-up host Green Devils (124). Riceville girls were fifth in the six-team field with 32 while without a few of the Wildcats’ usual top performers.
“Coach (Keely) Schwiesow and I knew it could be a good year with all the returning letterwinners and state meet competitors,” Baldus said. “The girls showed that this week. They have worked hard and had success – they bought in to what we were trying to do.
“It was nice to finally get outside and compete.”
Riceville’s Lily Retterath was runner-up in the high jump and Camdyn Orth took third in the discus behind Kruse and Power with a PR by six feet. Both Shayla Greeley and Claire Zweibohmer were not at the meet.
Brooklyn Wolthoff, Annie Schroeder (100), Tori Koenigs (800 and 1500) and Kennedy Linkenmeyer (shot put) all PR’ed for the Wildcats.
“We were a little short-handed tonight, and we had to make some last-minute changes to a few relays,” Riceville girls coach Bryan Tabbert said. “I’m proud of the girls for stepping up and rolling with those changes.”
Osage had its share of winners, including the 4×200 relay, Michael Johnson in the 110-meter hurdles, Sevryn Dodd in the 400 hurdles, with both running legs on the winning shuttle hurdle relay.
“For our first outdoor meet of the year, we did some things very well and some things we need to improve on,” Osage coach Scott Hoppel said. “No rest for the weary with meets this coming Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Very impressive showing by the shuttle hurdle relay and Michael Johnson in the 110 high hurdles. A couple of surprises were first place finishes by the 4×200 and Sevryn Dodd in the 400 low hurdles.”
