By John RittenhouseEight Luverne area athletes earned berths in the Minnesota State Hershey’s Track and Field Meet during district competition in Pipestone Saturday.Twelve local athletes participated in the District 11 Meet in Pipestone, and eight moved on by placing first or second in their events.Paige Nath and Paige Olson qualified for the state meet, which will be staged in Owatonna July 10, in three events each.Competing in the 9-10 age division, Nath won district titles in the standing long jump, 50- and 100-meter dashes.Olson won the softball throw and placed second in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in the 13-14 division.Hayden Bauman won district championships in the boys’ 9-10 division 50- and 100-meter dashes.Kayla Raddle took top honors in the 1,600-meter run in the girls’ 13-14 division, and Abby Elbers won the 13-14 division title in the standing long jump.Luverne also fielded the championship relay team in the girls’ 13-14 division. Sydney Bosshart, Alyssa Stegenga, Sarah Schneekloth and Abby Elbers formed the team.Schneekloth (third in the softball throw) and Elbers (third in the 200) placed in individual events in the 13-14 division without advancing to the state meet. Salinda Fletcher finished fourth in the girls’ 11-12 400-meteter dash.Blake Stegenga, Devin Nelson and Sadie Fletcher competed at the district meet without placing.
