Conference Champs for the First Time in 40 Years
The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva boys' track team captured Tuesday's Gopher Conference track title, the first for the district since 1978. Brady Agrimson won three events and three relays took gold as the Panthers ran away with the meet in Mapleton.
Longtime NRHEG coach Duey Ferber said, "What a fantastic night for our boys. First conference championship since 1978. The boys wanted this one. They left everything on the track. Very proud to be their coach."
Agrimson was first in the 110 high hurdles (15.31 seconds), 300 intermediate hurdles (41.82) and the high jump (5-feet-8-inches). Winning relays included the 4x800 with Daniel Nydegger, Jerret Utpadel, Jacob Schuller and Teddy Gushwa, the 4x200 with Schuller, Utpadel, Mason Ferber and Ryan Hannegrefs and the 4x400 consisting of Nydegger, Gushwa, Utpadel and Schuller. Hannegrefs won the triple jump (43-feet-6-inches).
USC/Alden Conger was a distant second place. Maple River finished third, followed by WEM, Blooming Prairie, Bethlehem Academy and Medford.
The Panthers girls took second place behind Maple River. Ferber said, "Girls were extremely happy to place second in the conference meet tonight. We didn't have any All-Conference, but we had some awesome performances."
NRHEG had a bundle of second place finishes for the girls, including the 4x800 team of Journey Utpadel, Hailey Westrum, Tori Vaale and Madisyn Bueltel, Caitlin Goette in the 400, Bueltel in the 3200, Darian Pearson in shot put and Hannah Budach in discus.
Following Maple River and NRHEG in the girls' team standings were WEM and USC/AC tying for third. Then came Bethlehem Academy, Blooming Prairie and Medford.