by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
The Sartell Boys’ Sabres Track-and-Field True Team took second place in the True Team state tournament May 21 at Stillwater High School.
It was the fifth year in a row the Sabres finished among the top three teams in the Category AA True-Team tournament. In 2012 and 2013 the team took second place both years; in 2014 and 2015 the Sabres took third place both years; and this year they took second again. There were 18 events in the tournament.
Led by head coach Ross Anderson, Sartell scored 454 points. Willmar was the champion with 482 points. Other teams that placed were Mankato East (third) and in the following order fourth-ninth respectively Mankato West, Totino Grace, Detroit Lakes, Cloquet, Winona and St. Croix Lutheran.
Coach Anderson took over the team after long-time coach Jeff Kellerman decided to retire.
Sabres’ track-and-field achiever Jake Lieberg was a stand-out at the tournament, taking first place in the 300-meter hurdle (39.30 seconds, a school record), the high jump (6 feet 2 inches) and the long jump (21.06 feet). Lieberg placed second in the 110-meter hurdle race (15.16 seconds).
The True-Team category began in 1987 by the Minnesota High School Coalition. Qualifications for a True Team and competition are based on depth of athletes rather than top finishes of more traditional tournaments.
For example, in traditional track-and-field meets, only the top nine competitors per event score points. In True-Team competition, each team has two competitors per event for categories A and AA and three competitors in the AAA category. The A through AAA categories are based on the sizes of the schools.
The True-Team state tournament was always held in Blaine until 2006 when the competition was changed to Stillwater High School.
The following are scores of the Sabres who participated and who worked hard to clinch the second-place honor:
200-Meter Dash Eighth place: John Schmidt, grade 10 – 23.55; Ninth place: Logan Jesperson, grade 9 – 23.60
400-Meter Dash Seventh place: Carter Olson. grade 11 – 52.77; 13th place: Ben Fern, grade 12 – 53.53
800-Meter Run Sixth place: Sam Fandel, grade 12 – 2:04.22; Eighth place: Chase Anderson, grade 12 – 2:06.61
1,600-Meter Run Third place: Ryan Fernholz, grade 10 – 4:31.70; 11th place: David Anderson, grade 10 – 4:46.13
3,200-Meter Run Fourth place: Alex Nemeth, grade 9 – 9:57.15; Fifth place: Nick Juntunen, grade 10 – 10:02.65
110-Meter Hurdles Second place: Jake Lieberg, grade 12 – 15.16; Fourth place: Ethan Kiffmeyer, grade 12 – 16.55.
300-Meter Hurdles First place: Lieberg, grade 12 – 39.30; Fifth place: Kiffmeyer, grade 12 – 42.42
4 x 100 Meter Relay Second place: Sartell-St. Stephen – 44.30
4 x 200 Meter Relay Third place: Sartell-St. Stephen – 1:33.20
4 x 400 Meter Relay Fourth place: Sartell-St. Stephen – 3:32.76
4 x 800 Meter Relay First place: Sartell-St. Stephen – 8:17:09. Team members were Anderson, Fernholz, Juntunen and Nemeth.
High Jump First place: Lieberg, grade 12 – 6-02.00; Sixth place: Kiffmeyer, grade 12 – 5-08.00
Pole Vault Third place: Charlie Beckering, grade 12 – 12-00.00; 11th Mitchell Dockendorf, grade 11 – 10-06.00.
Long Jump First place: Lieberg, grade 12 – 21-06.00; Second place: Ethan Stark, grade 11 – 20-07.25
Triple Jump Seventh place: Kiffmeyer, grade 12 – 40-01.00; 11th place: Dockendorf, grade 11 – 38-06.00
Shot Put Second place: Ben Gault, grade 11 – 48-11.00; Fifth place: Dan Ufearo, grade 11 – 45-09.00
Discus Throw Fourth place: Ufearo, grade 11 – 145-00; Sixth place: Jon Kremer, grade 11 – 143-02