By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth track teams traveled to Windom for a five-team meet Tuesday.
The low-key event featured unlimited entries in open competition, and each school could enter two teams in each relay event.
H-BC-E took advantage of the situation by doing some experimenting and testing its athletes.
"We treated it like it was a very good practice meet," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. "It was an excellent workout for the kids, and we had some excellent performances on the way."
The Patriot teams produced a total of five meet titles during the event.
H-BC-E's boys fielded the winning 400- and 3,200-meter relays, which turned in respective 46.72 and 8:50.29 times.
Chris Reid, Brad Haak, Chris Willers and Chris Fransman ran the 400, while Haak, Willers, Tyler Bush and Greg Van Batavia teamed up in the 3,200.
Fransman also posted a win in the high jump, clearing 6-2.
Reid placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.1.
The 1,600-meter relay team of Reid, Fransman, Willers and Haak placed second with a time of 3:40.44.
H-BC-E's girls posted a relay victory and a win in an open event.
Shanna Tilstra placed first in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:06.41.
The 1,600-meter relay team of Cassi Tilstra, Bev Wurpts, Brittney Olson and Janelle Jenniges produced the winning time of 4:24.96.
Wurpts, Erin Boeve and Connie Lewis placed second in individual events.
Wurpts ran 1,600 meters in 5:54.94, Boeve covered 16-1 1/4 in the long jump and Lewis was measured at 32-1 in the triple jump.
Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-EÕs place-earners from the meet in Windom.
The Patriot squads will participate in the Tri-State Relays in Luverne Saturday.
Patriot boys
Fifth place: 800 relay (Lee Walraven, Cayd Boltjes, Trevor Boltjes and Derek Klaassen), 1:54.9; Nathan Fick, 3,200, 11:55.92; Weightmen co-ed relay (Klaassen, Kelsay Hansel, Ryan Ranschau and Rosie Lewis), 1:00.9.
Sixth place: Willers, shot, 35-11; 3,200 relay (Kale Wiertzema, Derek Haak, Travis Broesder and Robert Swayze), 11:04.8.
Patriot girls
Third place: Lewis, shot, 27-4; 3,200 relay (Wurpts, Olson, Boeve and Melinda Feucht), 10:59.76; 800 relay (LaDonna Sandstede, Lewis, Cassi and Shanna Tilstra), 1:58.9; Boeve, 200, 28.34.
Fourth place: S.Tilstra, high jump, 4-8; 3,200 relay (C.Tilstra, Jenniges, Sarah Rozeboom and Rachel Kvaale), 11:10.2; Brittney Rozeboom, 800, 2:49.67; 800 relay (B.Rozeboom, Jenniges, Olson and Boeve), 1:59.3.
Fifth place: Olson, high jump, 4-6; 400 relay (Sarah Rozeboom, Hansel, B.Rozeboom and Sandstede), 59.13.
Sixth place: Angie Bush, 100 hurdles, 22.41; Kvaale, 800, 2:52.75.