By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
Will Tuttle was in midseason form and the rest of the NRHEG High School boys' track and field team followed suit.
Tuttle, a senior and a returning state entrant, swept the hurdle races as the NRHEG boys opened the season with a third-plac finish in the Hayfield Invitational last week.
Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Southland finished first with 201 points. Following were Pine Island with 184.5, NRHEG 100, Blooming Prairie 56, Lyle/Austin Pacelli 43.5, Medford 33.5, Kenyon-Wanamingo 32.5, Hayfield 18 and Ranolph 13.
Tuttlle took two of the Panthers' three firsts, winning the 110-meter high hurdles in 16.04 seconds and the 300 intermediate hurdles in 41.69.
The other NRHEG gold went to Jacob Karl, who won the 3200 in 11:38.79.
Other Panther places: Levin Kitzer, second, 110 hurdles, 17.02 and sixth, 300 hurdles, 47.58; Charlie Fuller, second, triple jump, 37-9; Owen Bartlett, third, triple jump, 37-4; Lavon Jewison, third, high jump, 5-6; Kitzer, Harbor Cromwell, Tuttle, Jaylin Raab, third, 4x100 relay, 46.59; Cromwell, Raab, Gavin Sletten, Wyatt Tuttle, third, 4x400, 4:00.01; Raab, fourth, long jump, 18-11 and fifth, 100, 12.3; Cromwell, fourth, pole vault, 9-0; Parker Bunn, fifth, 300 hurdles, 46.76 and seventh, 100 hurdles, 19.71; Gavin Lewison, fifth, high jump, 5-4; Kitzer, sixth, 300, 47.58; Sletten, eighth, 800, 2:37.29.
"The boys looked good tonight to take home a third-place finish," said Panthers coach Duey Ferber. "Will looked in midseason form. Some of the younger guys stepped up and scored points for us tonight."
The Panthers compete in the Maple River Invitational Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m.