Last Thursday was a beautiful day to compete, and the NRHEG girls’ track and field team made the most of it.
The Panther girls finished first among four squads in the NRHEG Invitational in New Richland, winning with 110 points. Medford was a distant second with 59, Blooming Prairie had 53, Maple River 44.
NRHEG dominated, winning nine events and taking second in eight more.
Firsts: Hailey Schuller, 100 hurdles, 17.2 and 300 hurdles, 53.2; Caitlin Goette, 400, 1:10.5; Kelly Harden, 800, 14:56; Maddie Wagner, long jump, 14-0; Sophia Fischer, shot put, 32-2.75; Emily Eder, discus, 94-1; 4x200 relay, 1:56.3 (Schuller, Goette, Maddie Wagner, Marnie Wagner).
Marnie Wagner was second in the 100 in 13.9 and second in the 200 in 28.2 while Maddie Wagner cleared 5-0 for second in the high jump. Other seconds were by Emily Prigge, 800, 2:55; Mia Williams, 3200, 17:10; Olivia Christopherson, 300 hurdles, 56.2; 4x100, 56.7 (Christopherson, Sydney Schlinger, Goette, Katie Cliff); 4x400, 4:48.5 (Harden, Hailey Westrum, Emily Prigge, Annie Prigge).Other places for the girls: Maddie Wagner, third, 100, 14.0; Annie Prigge, third, 1600, 6:51.1; 4x800, third, 11:42.1 (Harden, Prigge, Prigge, Westrum); Schuller, third, long jump, 13-0; Christopherson, third, triple jump, 26-2.75; Maggie Maloney, third, triple jump, 26-2.75; Eder, third, shot put, 32.1.5; Westrum, fourth, 1600, 7:06.4; Katharine Lewer, fifth, 1600, 7:41.6; Alexis Anderson, fifth, 100 hurdles, 20.0; Katie Crabtree, fifth, discus, 76-8.
“It was a good night for a meet, warm but windy,” said coach Duey Ferber. “We saw some good performances by all. Times and distances weren’t that great because of the wind. Nine first places equals a good night!”