Despite the recent snowfall, the track team is ready and raring to tackle the outdoor season. After finishing the indoor season during spring break, new challenges stand in front of the team.
Men’s GPAC Championship
“We are a very young team this year, but we have definitely improved a lot. Even though the finish doesn’t show this, there is a vast difference between the way the men looked at the beginning of the season and where they are now,” said Coach Mike Reed about the performance at the championship meet back on Feb. 21.
Freshman Michael Vermeer finished the indoor season with a 9th place finish in the 800M run at a time of 2:06.53.
The 4X400M relay team consisting of junior Kyle Bahrke, freshmen Robbie Cundy and Bryce Becker, and
sophomore Kraig Van Dyke finished 7th with a time of 3:35.49. “We were able to make a lot of improvements this season,” said Bahrke. Van Dyke, Vermeer, sophomore Michael Christians and freshman Daniel Lichter joined together to run the 4X800M. They placed fifth with a time of 8:19.34.
In the field events area, freshman Nick Fynaardt and junior Phil Brinks finished sixth and eighth, respectively, in the shot put. Fynaardt had a toss of 48-04, while Brinks went 46-05.
“We did alright this season, but indoor was a good start to the outdoor season,” said Lichter. Women’s GPAC Championship
“I felt that the women looked really solid overall, and performed well,” said Coach Reed.
Those words ring true of the championship meet held in Crete, Neb. in February.
Junior Rachael Martin finished strong in the 55M with a time of 7.66, placing 7th. “The team did well, and we are going to start focusing on the outdoor season now,” said senior Stacy Kanis who placed 9th in the 200M at 27.24. Freshman Carmen Moss came across the finish line for the one-mile run in 6th with a time of 5:35.43.
Junior Mikyla Dittman led the way in the 600M run, dominating 1st place with a time of 1:40.09. Seniors Ashley Ruppert and Beth Harding competed in the 800M, finishing 3rd and 8th with time of 2:25.29 and 2:39.62, respectively. Fellow senior Nancy Koskamp crossed the end line at 3:11.84 in the 1000M, which put her in 5th place.
Kanis finished 8th in the 55M hurdles at 8.84, while Moss finished the one-mile run in 5:43.57 for 6th place.
Freshmen Megan Harding and Kristen Maakestad, junior Shanna Vetter and senior Ethanie Wallinga were members of the 4X400M team who finished 4th with a time of 4:12.02.
Megan Harding also competed in the high jump and finished in 5th with a jump of five feet even.
The women’s 4X800M relay team, consisting of Ruppert, Beth Harding, Koskamp and Dittman, finished at the championship meet in 2nd place with a time of 9:40.98. They also qualified for the NAIA National Indoor Championship, which were held in Johnson City, Tenn. over spring break. They were able to finish 7th, with their season best time. “Our next goal is to break the school record in the 4X800, and we can do it,” said Beth Harding.
The first outdoor meet scheduled for the track team is here in Orange City on Saturday, March 27.
