Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth's Greg Van Batavia heads into a turn during the 800-meter run at the Tri-State Relays in Luverne Saturday. Van Batavia placed second in the event to help the Patriot boys place third as a team in a seven-team field.
By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth track teams mixed it up with some area competition at the Tri-State Relays in Luverne Saturday.
The cold, windy day challenged all athletes on hand, and the Patriots seemed to hold their own by winning a combined five meet championships.
H-BC-E's boys battled their way to a third-place finish in a seven-team field by scoring 100.5 points.
The Patriot girls tallied 47 counters to place fifth out of seven teams.
The boys' team picked up four of H-BC-E's five meet championships, and Chris Reid played a role in three of the wins.
Reid won the 100-meter dash in 11.57 and the long jump with a distance of 19-9 1/4.
Reid, Lee Jackson, Tyler Bush and Brad Haak teamed up to win the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:41.53.
Jackson, Bush, Greg Van Batavia and Haak won the 3,200-meter relay with a time of 8:54.49.
Haak, Van Batavia and Jesse Leuthold placed second in individual events for the Patriots.
Haak cleared 5-6 in the high jump, Van Batavia ran 800 meters in 2:18.24 and Leuthold sprinted 200 meters in 24.8.
The boys' 400-meter relay team of Tyson Metzger, Van Batavia, Jackson and Leuthold placed second in 50 seconds.
The Patriot girls received a meet title from the 3,200-meter relay team.
Cassi Tilstra, Mya Mann, Brittney Rozeboom and Bev Wurpts led the 3,200 field with a time of 10:56.68.
The girlsÕ 400-meter relay team of Melinda Feucht, Kelly Mulder, Rozeboom and Danielle Fransman placed second with a 57.97 effort.
The Patriot teams will compete in Sturgis, S.D., Saturday and at the Arrow Relays in Pipestone Tuesday.
Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E's place-earners and the team standings from the Tri-State Relays:
Boys' standings: Luverne 220.5, Canby-Minneota 116.5, H-BC-E 100.5, Canton 68.5, Adrian 61, Southwest Star Concept-Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster 50, Edgerton 15.
Girls' standings: Luverne 212.5, SSC-SV-RL-B 131, Canton 97.5, C-M 95, H-BC-E 47, Adrian 46, Edgerton 43.
H-BC-E boys
Third place: Kale Wiertzema, 3,200, 11:47.84; 800 relay (Reid, Leuthold, Bush and Haak), 1:38.5.
Fifth place: Derek Haak, 3,200, 12:27.19.
Sixth place: Ryan Ranschau, discus, 100-4; Metzger, 200, 26.64.
H-BC-E girls
Third place: Mulder, high jump, 4-4.
Fourth place: 800 relay (Feucht, Tilstra, Fransman and Mann), 2:02.9; Wurpts, 1,600, 5:58.39.
Fifth place: Tilstra, 400, 1:06.55; Feucht, 300 hurdles, 58.33.
Sixth place: Tilstra, high jump, 4-2.