By John RittenhouseFourteen members of the Luverne boys’ track program qualified for section competition during the Sub-Section 10 Track and Field Championships in Pipestone Thursday.Twelve LHS boys earned passes into the section meet by placing in the top three in individual events or as members of relay teams during sub-section competition.Under a new qualifying format that compares times and distances with athletes representing all four sub-sections that make up Section 3A, four more LHS individuals and one relay team (which includes two athletes that did not earn automatic berths into the section meet) earned the right to compete at the section level.Luverne will host the Section 3A meet today. Meet time is 2 p.m.The Cardinals were unable to win the team championship at the sub-section event for the second straight year. Luverne placed second in the seven-team field with 133 points, finishing 25.5 points behind champion Southwest Christian (158.5 points).Three LHS athletes won a combined five sub-section titles during individual competition in Pipestone.Tim Rust had an outstanding meet for LHS. Rust won the 100- and 200-meter dashes with respective 11.19 and 23.39 times, and took top honors by clearing 13-6 in the pole vault.Tyler Elbers secured a sub-section title by clearing 6-1 in the high jump. Justin Van Wyhe won the triple jump with a distance of 42-7 1/2.Jake Hendricks and Van Wyhe placed second during individual competition. Hendricks ran 400 meters in 52.3, and Van Wyhe covered 19-9 3/4 in the long jump.Luverne’s 800-meter relay team consisting of Ben Cornish, Jordan Siebenahler, Andy Stegemann and Ben Uphoff finished second with a time of 1:38.46.Cornish earned an automatic berth in section competition by clearing 10-9 to place third in the pole vault.Another automatic berth went to the 3,200-meter relay team consisting of Scott Goebel, Nick Otten, Thomas Pinkal and Ruston Aaker, which placed third in 8:45.62.Ryan Wynia (fourth in the pole vault by clearing 9-6), Otten (fifth in the 1,600 in 4:52.45), Aaker (fourth in the 400 in 54.75) and Cornish (sixth in the 100 in 11.88) advance into section competition based on time and distance comparisons.The 400- and 1,600- meter relay teams also qualified for the section meet by time comparisons. Cornish, Chris Ashby, Siebenahler and Van Wyhe placed fourth in the 400 with a time of 47.61. Hendricks, Goebel, Otten and Aaker placed fourth in the 1,600 in 3:38.81.Here is a look at the rest of Luverne’s individual performances and the team results from the sub-section meet.Boys’ standings: SWC 158.5, Luverne 133, MCC 94, H-BC-E-E 92.5, Fulda 91.5, Pipestone 64, Adrian 62.Individual resultsFifth place: Matt Rosin, discus, 121-2.Sixth place: Stegemann, 400, 55.54; Goebel, 800, 2:13.16.Seventh place: Siebenahler, 200, 25.0; Pinkal, 3,200, 11:21.76; Nick Van Wyhe, shot, 42-4 1/2; Tony Willers, discus, 120-0.Eighth place: Willers, shot, 40-6 1/4.
