Prep track: Sartell attains 'DBT' at true team

STILLWATER Written on everybody's wrist on the Sartell track and field team are the initials: "DBT."

That's short for "Double Blocks Trifecta," which was the goal for the Sabres on a splendid Saturday at Stillwater Area High School.

Get both the girls' and boys' teams on the winners' block after the state Class 2A true-team championships and it would be a wonderful and historic day for the Sabres.

DBT it was.

The Sartell's girls defended as state champions and the Sabres' boys team finished tied for third. It's the third straight year Sartell has had both teams finish in the top three at state true-team in school history.

"This is what Sartell track and field is about," said a joyous Jeff Kellerman, the Sabres' head coach. "Right here in Stillwater, Minnesota, on this track. This is what we pride ourselves in. There are so many good athletes here and so many great programs here. To be as consistent as we have here three years in a row is remarkable."

Speaking of remarkable, the Holdingford boys' program put an exclamation point on its season with its first state championship, winning the Class A title. That puts them two behind the Husker girls, who have won three state titles but didn't qualify for true-team this year.

"All across the board, we had a lot of great performances," said Holdingford head coach Kelly Kobernusz, whose boys' team took fourth in 2013. "It (the title) means a lot."

Said Holdingford senior Brody Davidson: "It was probably the greatest team effort we've put together."

The other area entrant in the state meet was the Rocori's girls. The Spartans had their best finish at state true-team since 1991 by taking second. Sartell had 396.5 points. Rocori had 383.5.

Take note because Rocori only qualified for state as a wild-card entrant, also finishing second to Sartell in the section meet.

"I think we learned a lot about the level of competition here and what it means to be down here and do this," said Rocori head girls coach Jim Meyer, whose program won a state title in 1987. "I'm happy. This showed us what it's like here. It's good to learn what the level is and what it takes."

In Class 2A boys, Totino-Grace won its seventh straight state championship with 446 points. Mankato East was second with a 387, followed by Sartell and Willmar, which each had 343. Hutchinson took fifth at 341.5. Nine teams compete in each class and division.

Going into the final track event, the 1,600-meter relay, Sartell was in fifth place. The pole vault results hadn't been announced, however, and that was just enough to get the Sabres on the blocks. Trever Nordlund took third (13 feet) and Sam Krauel was sixth (12-0).

Sartell's boys have been to the state true-team meet 23 times in the past 25 years and have taken second six times, including 2013.

The girls, meanwhile, have won state titles in 1992, '93, '94, 2005, '06, '13 and now '14.

"I'm really glad to be a part of this," Sartell senior Sophie VanSurksum said. "I'm just so happy. I don't want it to be done. I want to do it again. It's such a great feeling."

Here's what's unique about true-team. The Sabres won the state title by taking first in exactly one event, the 3,200-meter relay. But Sartell's cumulative total of being consistently good in every event added up.

"I'm glad," the Sabres' Emily Schmidt, one of seven seniors who competed. "I can graduate now."

Rocori's firsts came from Erin Huls, who won the 100 and 300 hurdles with times of 15.6 seconds and 45.06 seconds, respectively.

The Spartans stayed in the hunt all evening and actually closed their gap with Sartell from last week's section meet. And, they did it with a young team. Two seniors competed.

Kellerman, meanwhile, said Sartell's boys team was the youngest he has had to finish in the top three.

It was a nice day for Holdingford, too.

The Huskers had all sorts of top performances and got a huge lift from three starters on the baseball team: Jeremy Springer, Mitch Messman and Nick Catton, who all contributed key points after playing six baseball games last week.

"It's awesome," Holdingford senior Zach Juaire said. "I was really nervous the whole meet, just sitting there, listening to scores. I'm just so excited that we got it. I'm at a loss for words right now."

Holdingford's firsts came in the 400 relay (45.93) and the 1,600 relay (3:35.15). Logan Smith, a junior, won the 400 (52.66). And, Logan Storm took first in the pole vault by clearing 11-6.

As good a day as it was for the Central Lakes Conference (Willmar competed as well), it was also a fine afternoon for the Central Minnesota.

Holdingford scored 437 points to beat CMC opponent Maple Lake (377) in boys. The Irish took second.

"We are ecstatic that we won this," Davidson said. "We couldn't have done it without our coaches. They're the best."

Kellerman had plenty of praise for his staff, too.

"I wouldn't trade any one of them for anybody," he said. "They are so invaluable to what we do here."

At Sartell, that's DBT.

Class A

Boys team results – 1. Holdingford 437; 2. Maple Lake 377; 3. Luverne 361; 4. Pine Island 343; 5. Mankato Loyola/Cleveland 336; 6. Jackson County Central 319.50; 7. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 306; 8. Moose Lake-Willow River 259.50; 9. West Marshall 192.

Girls team results – 1. Luverne 394.50; 2. Osakis 391.50; 3. Lake City 360.50; 4. Blue Earth Area 356.50; 5. International Falls 331.50; 6. Pine Island 309.50; 7. Maple Lake 309; 8. Mesabi East 245.50; 9. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 231.50.

Boys results

3,200-meter relay – 1. Maple Lake 8:32.56; 4. Holdingford 8:44.78.

110 hurdles – 1. Jon Harmening (JCC) 16;18; 2. Grant Bullert (Hold) 16.18; 7. Mathew Vasilj (Hold) 16.91.

100 – 1. John Edhe (Luv) 11.26; 2. Chris Burg (Hold) 11.50; 11. Jeremy Springer (Hold) 11.96.

800 relay – 1. Luverne 1:33.19; 6. Holdingford 1:37.31.

1,600 – 1. Mitchel Acker (Pine) 4:33.04; 3. Abraham Skwira (Hold) 4:41.13; 8. Marcus Rick (Hold) 4:51.62.

400 relay – 1. Holdingford 52.66; 400 – 1. Logan Smith (Hold) 52.66; 7. Brody Davidson (Hold) 55.15.

300 hurdles – 1. Hermening (JCC) 42.50; 3. Mathew Vasilj (Hold) 44.05; 14. Zach Ryan (Hold) 47.52.

800 – 1. Acker (Pine) 2:02.22; 3. Skwira (Hold) 2:04.72; 10. Rick (Hold) 2:09.88.

200 – 1. Kyle Groven (Pine) 23.27; 4. Burg (Hold) 23.60; 12. Ben Douvier (Hold) 25.07.

3,200 – 1. Bailey Crook (DGF) 10:26.37; 10. Nick Hiltner (Hold) 11:05.56; 13. Jacob Thell (Hold) 11:15.78.

1,600 relay – 1. Holdingford 3:35.15.

Long jump – 1. Cody Bakka (ML) 20-7.5; 3. Bullert (Hold) 19-11.5; 6. Springer (Hold) 18-11.

Triple jump – 1. Michael Tollefson (DGF) 40-5.5; 3. Bullert (Hold) 39-10.75; 6. Springer (Hold) 37-11.75.

High jump – 1. Andrew Schonnesen (ML) 6-2; 4. Bullert (Hold) 36-0; 10. Vasilj (Hold) 5-6.

Class 2A

Boys team results – 1. Totino-Grace 446; 2. Mankato East 387; 3. (tie) Sartell and Willmar 343; 5. Hutchinson 341.5; 6. St. Croix Lutheran 308; 7. Perham 269; 8. Cloquet 256.5; 9. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 239.

Boys individual results

3,200 relay – 1. Totino-Grace 8:17.67; 6. Sartell 8:41.87.

110 hurdles – 1. Jon Tollefson (SCL) 14.19; 6. Jake Lieberg (Sar) 16.48; 14. Ethan Kiffmeyer (Sar) 17.55.

100 – 1. Robbie Grimsley (Hut) 11.21; 7. Shawn Sullivan (Sar) 11.68; 11. Dan Daffinrud (Sar) 11.86.

800 relay – 1. Hutchinson 1:33.37; 4. Sartell 1:35.73.

1,600 – 1. Keeghan Hurley (Per) 4:17.76; 9. Blake Anderson (Sar) 4:33.78; 15. Sam Fandel (Sar) 4:57.43.

400 relay – 1. Mankato East 44.56; 2. Sartell 45.36.

400 – 1. Ben Schwartz (East) 51.26; 8. Devin Douvier (Sar) 53.00; 11. Tim Lewandowski (Sar) 53.95.

300 hurdles – 1. Jon Tollefson (SCL) 40.28; 3. Lieberg (Sar) 42.35; 14. Kiffmeyer (Sar) 45.47.

800 – 1. Keeghan Hurley (Per) 2:01.09; 10. J.P. Schlecht (Sar) 2:08.00; 15. Zach Whitley (Sar) 2:11.20.

200 – 1. Grimsley (Hut) 23.02; 7. Sullivan (Sar) 23.73; 11. Daffinrud (Sar) 24.17.

3,200 – 1. Isaiah Barlow (Hut) 9:53.73; 6. Anderson (Sar) 10:08.52; 14. Ryan Fernholz (Sar) 10:43.17.

Long jump – 1. Nic Seiler (East) 20-3; 10. Grant Olson (Sar) 18-8; 16. John Schmidt (Sar) 17-9.5.

Triple jump – 1. Lieberg (Sar) 42-11.25; 4. Kiffmeyer (Sar) 40-2.25.

High jump – 1. Jacob Buller (SCL) 6-4; 3. Lieberg (Sar) 6-2; 5. Tom Bearson (Sar) 5-10.

Pole vault – 1. Calvin Deike (East) 13-6; 3. Trever Nordlund (Sar) 13-0; 6. Sam Krauel (Sar) 12-0.

Shot put – 1. Kai Barber (TG) 55-1.5; 9. Ben Gault (Sar) 44-5.5; 11. Sam Locke (Sar) 43-9.75.

Discus – 1. Evan Erickson (Clo) 158-4; 9. Sam Locke (Sar) 121-1; 17. Gault (Sar) 109-3.

Girls team results – 1. Sartell 396.5; 2. Rocori 383.5; 3. Mankato East 354; 4. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 323.5; 5. South St. Paul 318.5; 6. Detroit Lakes 308.5; 7. Totino-Grace 302; 8. Willmar 286.5; 9. North Branch 257.

Girls individual results

3,200 relay – 1. Sartell 9:57.03; 5. Rocori 10:10.61.

100 hurdles – 1. Erin Huls (Roc) 15.06; 2. Sophie VanSurksum (Sar) 15.31; 3. Emily Rapp (Roc) 15.51; 4. Maddie Meier (Sar) 15.57.

100 – 1. Morgan Shindelar (PEM) 12.65; 5. Brynn Sauer (Roc) 13.21; 7. Palmer Frantti (Roc) 13.28; 10. Emily Schmidt (Sar) 13.49; 12. Katie Stuttgen (Sar) 13.57.

800 relay – 1. South St. Paul 1:46.72; 3. Sartell 1:48.87; 7. Rocori 1:50.77.

1,600 – 1. Rhianna Rinke (NB) 5:07.53; 4. Jayda Woods (Roc) 5:18.91; 8. Kristin Mehr (Roc) 5:26.60; 12. Mackenzie Dockendorf (Sar) 5:33.06; 15. Allie Juntunen (Sar) 5:42.55.

400 relay – 1. Mankato East 51.23; 2. Sartell 51.59; 5. Rocori 51.76.

400 – 1. Sophie Schmitz (Wil) 58.99; 5. Frantti (Roc) 1:00.76; 6. Shelby Hall (Sar) 1:01.25; 7. Margaret Lahr (Roc) 1:01.93; 16. Anna Lindstrom (Sar) 1:04.68.

300 hurdles – 1. Huls (Roc) 45.06; 2. Meier (Sar) 46.31; 3. VanSurksum (Sar) 47.02; 6. Rapp (Roc) 48.59.

800 – 1. Sophie Schmitz (Wil) 2:20.64; 3. Woods (Roc) 2:25.15; 5. Dockendorf (Sar) 2:26.51; 9. Elle Anderson (Roc) 2:29.57.

200 – 1. Lindsey Heinecke (DL) 26.31; 2. Huls (Roc) 26.45; 6. Sauer (Roc) 27.18; 11. Chelsea Nies (Sar) 27.55; 14. Emily Schmidt (Sar) 27.89.

3,200 – 1. Sarah Conlon (SSP) 11:30.23; 7. Mehr (Roc) 12:07.06; 10. Halie Kaufman (Sar) 12:17.90; 11. Anna Lindell (Sar) 12:23.91; 12. Anna Maria Tomovic (Roc) 12:27.20.

1,600 relay – 1. North Branch 4:07.53; 3. Sartell 4:10.38; 4. Rocori 4:10.99.

Long jump – 1. Allison Berg (DL) 17-4; 2. Huls (Roc) 16-4.5; 7. Stuttgen (Sar) 15-10.5; 9. Kia Grindland (Sar) 15-9; 13.Morgan Hennen (Roc) 14-8.

Triple jump – 1. Karlie Gilbeck (PEM) 34-7.25; 4. Grindland (Sar) 33-7; 6. Anna Neeser (Sar) 33-2.5; 9. Eleanor Holthaus (Roc) 31-8.75.

High jump – 1. Hayley Rau (PEM) 5-2; 5. Morgan Holthaus (Roc) 4-10; 9. Neeser (Sar) 4-8; 12. Grindland (Sar) 4-8; 17. E. Holthaus (Roc) 4-2.

Pole vault – 1. Mikayla Johnson (NB) 10-6; 3. Dockendorf (Sar) 10-0; 7. Hall (Sar) 8-0; 10. Rapp (Roc) 7-6; 12. Carson Keefauver (Roc) 7-6.

Shot put – 1. Shay Nielsen (DL) 42-3; 4. Haley Anderson (Sar) 36-0; 8. Emily Waletzko (Roc) 34-0; 9. Kristin Castellano (Sar) 33-6; 10. Holly Duhoux (Roc) 32-5.25.

Discus – 1. Nielsen (DL) 126-8; 4. Anderson (Sar) 111-7; 5. Duhoux (Roc) 109-2; 9. Elisabeth McCabe (Sar) 103-3; 13. Waletzko (Roc) 89-7.