The Becker boys and girls track teams competed in their final conference meet of the year Tuesday.

 

 

 

The Becker boys made it four-in-a-row by capturing another GRC outdoor track championship in Foley on Tuesday. 

 

This meet was hard fought and came down to the wire as the Bulldogs were in fourth place half way through the meet — 30 points behind then-leader Zimmerman.  From that point on though, the Bulldogs dominated as they pulled away in the final nine scored events to win the championship in their last year in the GRC. 

 

Becker finished with  132,  Mora was second with 108 followed by Foley (107) Zimmerman (106), Albany (88), Cathedral (65) Little Falls (52) and Milaca (38).

 

Dominating the hurdles once again was David Myers, who set two new records with all conference finishes in the 110M hurdles (15.04) and 300M hurdles (39.96).  

 

Kevin Andres also added two all conference performances by winning the 200 meters in 22.8 and the 400 meters in a time of 49.96.  

 

“Both David and Kevin have been undefeated this year in the conference in these four races,” said Head Coach Paul Schmidt.  

 

Jordan Gruenes made all conference status with his win in the 800 meters (2:01.54) and Sam Ricker also made all conference finishing second in the 1600M.  

 

“Sam has been nursing a quad injury which prevented him from running his top time and also kept him out of the 3200M, said Schmidt.  “Hopefully, he will be able to be healed up by the section prelims June 1.”  

 

Jack Belde on the filed event side had a stellar day as he captured all conference honors in the high jump (second, 5'11") and  in the long jump (19' 5.75").  Belde also placed fourth in the triple jump with a leap of 39'3.25 inches.

 

The other first place finish was the boys 4x400M relay of Myers, Gruenes, Belde and Andres who gained all conference honors by winning this event with a time of 3:33.43.

 

The 4x800M team of Gruenes, Basil Ricker, Noah Fakhreddine and Jacob Nelson placed second with a time of 8:45.  Ricker also placed fourth in the 1600M with a time of 4:47.  Caden Dewall grabbed  eighth place in the 400M with a personal best time of 55.09 and Michael Schmitz placed fifth in the 110M hurdles with a time of 17.54. He also took sixth in the 300M hurdles with a time of 45.62.  

 

Fakhreddine ran a great race in the 800M, finishing third with a time of 2:06.  Cade Stommes added an eighth place finish in the pole-vault and the boys 4x200M team of Braden Weber, Landon Goeble, Kabir Bahkta and Caden Dewall placed fifth.

 

 

The Granite Ridge Conference Track and Field Championship meet was at Foley with the Falcons coming into the event as heavy favorites. They fulfilled that promise with Becker  and Albany tying for the runner-up.

 

To earn all conference honors, each athlete must place first or second in and individual event or first in a relay.  Honorable mention is third in individual or second in relay.  If the standard for an event is achieved, then that athlete is awarded all conference as well.  

 

Team scores: Foley 205, (tie) Becker and Albany 90, Little Falls 89, Zimmerman 73, Mora 57, St Cloud Cathedral 51 and Milaca 45.

 

Becker had eight athletes earn all conference awards and another honorable mention!   They are Cassidy Pleoger (100M, 200M, 4x100M relay), Lexi Dehmer (4x800M relay and 800M), Liz Mackedanz (4x800M relay and 400M), Lexi Rose (4x800M relay and 3200M), Dani Nuest (4x800M relay and honorable mention 1600M), Paige Maunu (4x100M), Abby Maruska (4x100M relay) and Sarah Woelfel (4x100M relay). 

 

Plus, Natasha Berthiaume was honorable mention in the 3200M.

 

The 4x800M relay of Dehmer, Mackedanz, Rose and Nuest had a goal time of 9:59 and improved on that to run 9:53.75 for a season best, placing second and meeting the standard. 

“This team has really improved during the last few meets and as young as they are, will continue to improve,” said Head Coach Trish Reimer-Kealy.

 

The 4x100M relay team of Maunu, Maruska, Woelfel and Pleoger improved their exchanges and ran 52.53 for a season best time, meeting the standard. 

 

Pleoger also was all conference in two other events — the 100M where she placed second (13.23) and the 200M where she placed sixth (28.0).  Maruska placed seventh in the 200M with a PR time of 28.38. 

 

Dehmer ran a season best time of 2:25.94 to place second in the 800M.  This is the fourth year she has been all conference in this event. 

 

Nuest placed third in the 1600M with a time of 5:36.11, giving her honorable mention in that race.

 

Senior Victoria Kolbinger placed fifth in the 1600M with a time of 5:48.09.  Along with the 1600M, Kolbinger ran the 3200M and placed fourth.  

 

Also in the 3200M, Becker had seventh graders Rose and Natasha Berthiaume run very well.  Rose ran a PR time of 12:23.17 to earn all conference for second place.  Berthiaume came in with a 12:42.62 for third place and honorable mention. 

 

Callie Doucette placed seventh in the 300M hurdles in a PR time of 52.17 and eighth in the 100M hurdles with a PR time of 17.31.

 

The 4x200M relay team of Maunu, Doucette, Regan Hausmann and Keeley Holm ran a season best time of 1:55.76 to come in sixth place.

 

Becker’s 4x400M team of Maruska, Mackedanz, Dehmer and Nuest captured  third place with a time of 4:22.79.

 

Field events got points from Jessica Gruenes in the pole vault with a PR of 7'2 for eighth place. Grace Schendel achieved a PR in the discus with a throw of 92'6, placing her fifth.

In the long jump,  Maunu placed sixth with a PR jump of 15'9.

 

 

Becker’s next meet is the Last Chance meet Tuesday at Becker. The following week, the boys and girls will be at the Section 8AA meet.