By John Rittenhouse
Nineteen Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth athletes qualified for section competition during the Sub-Section 10A Track and Field Championships in Pipestone Thursday.
Ten Patriot boys and nine girls accomplished the feat of placing in the top four during individual or relay events at the sub-section meet, which is what needs to be done to advance to the sectional.
The Section 3A meet will be staged in Benson today. Meet time is 4 p.m.
H-BC-E's boys placed second in the sub-section in team competition for the third straight year. The Patriots scored 135.5 points, finishing behind champion Luverne (176).
The Patriot girls tallied 119.5 points to place third in a six-team field.
"This definitely was a very good meet for us," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "Whenever we perform well as a team at this meet it's a bonus."
H-BC-E will be sending three boys to the section meet as sub-section champions.
Chris Fransman cleared 6-0 to win the high jump competition in Pipestone, and Chris Willers ran 400 meters in 52.9 to take top honors in that event.
Brad Haak, who placed fourth in the high jump by clearing 5-6, won the 800-meter run in 2:05.58.
The three champions also helped form section-qualifying relay teams for H-BC-E.
Haak and Willers teamed up with Lee Walraven and Lee Jackson to place second in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 3:40.71.
Haak, Fransman, Walraven and Chris Reid finished third in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:37.33, and the 400-meter squad of Reid, Jesse Leuthold, Lyle DeBoer and Fransman placed third in 47.67.
Willers, Tyler Bush, Matt Buck and Jackson placed fourth in the 3,200-meter relay in 9:01.55.
Reid had a good day individually for H-BC-E, placing second in the 100-meter dash (11.66) and third in the long jump (19-11 1/2).
DeBoer placed third in a pair of events, clearing 5-8 in the high jump and covering 38-9 3/4 in the triple jump.
Walraven and Bush placed third in the 200-meter dash and 3,200-meter run with respective 25.47 and 11:27 efforts.
Leuthold and Clint Roozenboom qualified for the section meet by placing fourth in individual events.
Leuthold ran 100 meters in 12.37. Roozenboom tied for fourth place by clearing 8-6 in the pole vault.
The Patriot girls will send a pair of individual sub-section champions to Benson.
Erin Boeve, who placed third in the long jump (16-2 1/2) and fourth in the 200 (29.39), won the 100 in 13.56.
Bev Wurpts won a sub-section title by running 1,600 meters in 5:47.13.
Wurpts and Boeve also were members of a pair of section-qualifying relay teams for H-BC-E.
Wurpts, Janelle Jenniges, Brittney Olson and Brittney Rozeboom placed second in the 3,200-meter relay in 10:39.49, and Wurpts, Jenniges, Cassi and Shanna Tilstra placed third in the 1,600-meter relay with a time of 4:24.67.
Boeve, the Tilstras and LaDonna Sandstede placed fourth in the 800-meter relay with a time of 1:55.81.
The Tilstras and Patriot Connie Lewis just missed winning sub-section titles while placing second in individual events.
Lewis covered 30-8 1/2 in the triple jump, and Cassi Tilstra ran 400 meters in 1:07.28.
Shanna Tilstra, who cleared 4-6 in the high jump to place third, was second in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:37.95.
Jenniges and Olson also qualified for section competition as individuals.
Jenniges cleared 6-6 in the pole vault, and Olson ran 400 meters in 1:09.29.
Here is a look at the team standings and the rest of H-BC-EÕs top eight finishers from the sub-section meet.
Boys' standings: Luverne 176, H-BC-E 135.5, Southwest Christian 123, Pipestone-Jasper 108.5, Murray County Central 100, Edgerton 33.
Girls' standings: Luverne 177.5, P-J 138, Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth 119.5, Murray County Central 107, Edgerton 65, Southwest Christian 54.
H-BC-E boys
Fifth place: Buck, 35-3, triple jump.
Sixth place: Jackson, 1,600, 5:12.57.
Seventh place: Buck, shot, 35-0 1/2; Fransman, long jump, 18-4; DeBoer, 110 hurdles, 19.71; Kevin Van Batavia, 1,600, 5:20.74; Bush, 400, 58.67; Nathan Fick, 3,200, 11:46.95.
Eighth place: Leuthold, discus, 93-5; Bush, triple jump, 30-11; Willers, shot, 35-0; Roozenboom, 300 hurdles, 50.02; Leuthold, 200, 25.95; Buck, 3,200, 11:49.65.
H-BC-E girls
Fifth place: Jenniges, 800, 2:44.13; Sandstede, 200, 30.11; 400 relay (Sandstede, Olson, Lewis and Melinda Feucht). 57.18.
Sixth place: Lewis, long jump, 30-4; Feucht, 110 hurdles, 19.73; Brittney Rozeboom, 3,200, 14:31.6.
Seventh place: B.Rozeboom, triple jump, 28-2; Sarah Rozeboom, 110 hurdles, 19.8; Kelsey Hansel, 400, 1:13.91.
Eighth place: Lewis, shot, 30-4; Feucht, 300 hurdles, 57.71; Stacy Bush, 3,200, 15:25.77.