Wildcat track team starts season at Mt. Marty meet

YANKTON, S.D. - The Hartington-Newcastle track team got the new season underway at the Lancer High School Opener at Mount Marty University’s Ruth Donohue Fieldhouse.

No team total was kept at the meet.

“I thought we ran well,” HNHS boys coach Blair Kalin said. “We have good young runners and we did not know what to expect with no season last year. I am excited to see the depth and team improvement from the first meet. This should be a fun group to work with.”

Leading the way for the boys were Lane Heimes and Jake Peitz as both excelled in the field events while the latter also excelled with his fleet feet on the track.

Peitz was second in the 200-meter dash (24.47), McIntosh ended up ninth in the 400-meter run (59.37).

He also tossed the seventh-best shotput throw of the day at 38-02.

Heimes had a second-place finish in the high jump (5-8) while fellow Wildcat Shay Dickes took fifth place. Heimes and teammate Aiden Gratzfield also were the top Wildcats in the pole vault with a 9’6” effort.

Santiago ran the 11th-best time in the 800-meter run.

The 4x400-meter relay team of Heitman, McIntosh, Peitz and Seth Pinkelman ended up in fifth place and the 4x800 relay team of Pinkelman, Dalton Rice, Ky Rice and Santiago were sixth.

Heitman was 10th in the long jump with Carson Sudbeck making a 13th-best effort ad Dickes in 15th.

The girls, led by head coach Laura Noecker, also had some strong performances to look back on.

“I was happy with getting these girls into the finals of the shot put,” Noecker said. “They were all smiles. If you look at our roster, we have around 65 percent of it that has never run in a high school track meet.

“With 10 freshmen and seven sophomores, I’m so excited about our future.”

Keanna Korth was also a standout performer with a winning heat in the 60-meter hurdles and a thirdplace overall finish running a 10.86.

Emma Wubben brought home a third-place finish in shot put with teammates Laura Howell and Olivia Grutsch going for eighth and ninthplace throws. Karli Bruning ended up 13th.

Top results for the Lady Wildcats includes Alivia Morton and Daisy Sage finishing 10th and 12th in the 400-meter run, Jessica Opfer ended up ninth in the 1,600-meter run and 13th in the 800-meter run and Abby Anderson ran 15th-best in the 1,600 run.

Morten also took third in the high jump ahead of teammate Mani Lange who was fifth. Caroline Nelson had the top Wildcats mark in the girls pole vault.

Lange took fourth in the long jump with teammates Kendra Anderson and Alexus Hans went 14th and 15th.

Hans was also the top triple jumper for the team.

“Our kids got to this meet and were really nervous,” Noecker said. “I think it was just the facility alone. We coached them to look at this early indoor meet as just a well-organized practice and not a competition.

“Our field events kids got a chance to get their marks solidified. Vaulters looked good as well as our high jumpers who all placed high in their respective events.”

Lane Heimes was impressed with the team’s performance.

“We put some good numbers up on the scoreboard,” Heimes said. “I did pretty good in the high jump and the pole vault. It was good to get out there and practice before our first outdoor meet. We are all grateful we can have a season. 

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