Track & field: MSA, NLA compete in Section 4A True Team meet

Area schools Math and Science Academy and New Life Academy/Bethany Academy sent their track and field teams to Arlington last Tuesday for the Section 4A True Team Championships at Sibley East High School.

In the meet, the New Life Academy/Bethany Academy boys track team took sixth place with 308 points in the 10-team meet and the Math and Science Academy boys took ninth place with 220 points. In the girls meet, MSA placed eighth with 226 points and the NLA/BA girls earned ninth place with 175.5 points. Maple Lake won both True Team titles with 569 points in the boys meet and 546 points in the girls meet.

The True Team meet, originated by the Minnesota State Track and Field Coaches Association, is exactly that: a team meet. True Team meets take into account results from the whole team, awarding points based on performance to all participants in a given event.

Each school had a number of highlights at the True Team section meet.

The New Life/Bethany Academy had nine girls and 10 boys participating in the meet.

“We weren’t able to fill all of our allocated events for the meet, but the coaches and I felt we performed pretty well considering how good the competition was,” NLA/BA head coach Tim Otto said.

For the NLA/BA boys cooperative, senior Dan Otto won both hurdle events and placed second in the high jump to lead the way for the Eagles. Otto had a time of 16.01 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, a time of 41.68 in the 300-meter hurdles and cleared a height of 5 feet, 8 inches in the high jump garnering 59 points for the Eagles in the three events. Also, sophomore Mark Schreiner placed second in the 300 hurdles with a time of 42.49, was fourth in the 110 hurdles with a time of 17.13 and took fifth place in the high jump with a leap of 5-6.

In addition, Sam Hagan earned sixth place in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 9.34 seconds, Ryan Peterfeso had a strong performance in the 3200-meter run taking seventh place with a time of 10:57.86, senior Dan Sleper had a personal-best time in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:54.16 for seventh place and junior Matt Michaud earned a sixth-place finish in the discus throw with a distance of 109 feet, 8 inches and took 13th in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.88. Also, junior Sam Dufault placed 10th in the 200 with a time of 24.96 and earned seventh place in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 8.5 inches, sophomore Dan Neimeir and Michaud took eighth and ninth place in the shot put, respectively, with throws of 34-09.5 and 34-01, and, in the discus toss, Michaud earned sixth place with a heave of 109-08.

For the NLA/BA girls, freshman Sarah Olfelt had another great performance in the 1600 placing fourth with a time of 5:49.40 and eighth grader Tori Rogness finished in sixth place in the 800 with a time of 2:35.27 to lead the way for the Eagles at the meet. Also, freshman Amy Maslonka took eighth place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 14.17, eighth grader Sydney Morrison took 10th in the 400 with a time of 65.24, Abby Gorter was seventh in the long jump with a leap of 13-10 and ninth in the triple jump with a distance of 28-05.25

The Math and Science Academy Dragons set three new school records at the meet. MSA’s Jacob Siekmeier set two of them. The junior finished in first place in the 800-meter run at the True Team section meet with a new school record time of 2:06.06. He also set the new school record in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4:34.37, taking first place. Also, senior Brady Hannula set a new school record in the 400-meter dash, taking fifth place with a time of 54.20.

In addition, MSA sophomore Shawn Ramberg took 10th place in the 1600 with a time of 5:00.35, senior Spencer Lee placed 14th in the 300-meter hurdles with a 52.04 time and freshman Noah Stout was 12th in the 400 with a time of 57.79.

Top finishes by MSA in the girls meet came from Greta Siekmeier in the 1600-meter run, Ellie Haland in the 3200-meter run and the Dragons’ 3200-meter relay team.

Greta Siekmeier, a freshman, took third place in the 1600 with a personal-best time of 5:38.24. In the 3200-meter run, Haland – a seventh grader – placed fourth with a time of 12:44.50. In the 3200-meter relay, the Dragons’ Ines Siepmann, Julia Ing, Atte Kadoma and Elise Lohmann earned third place with a time of 10:59.22.

In addition, MSA seventh grader Julia Clark earned 14th place in the 1600-meter run with a 6:23.87 time, Greta Siekmeier was ninth and Lohmann was 11th in the 800 with times of 2:39.55 and 2:42.76, respectively, Alyssa Schroeder and Sarah Shimota were 15th and 16th in the 200-meter dash with times of 32.24 and 32.60, respectively, and junior Maddie Ames placed 10th in the shot put with a toss of 22-03.25 and 10th in the discus with a throw of 66-0.

“The teams competed well against strong competition and continue to progress every week,” MSA head coach Cami Paulson said.

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