LHS students, teachers and fans came together Tuesday, March 21, for the annual March Mayhem basketball fundraiser in the Classic Gym.
 “March Mayhem is the primary fundraiser that student council has each year,” said student council adviser Jason Berghorst.
“Funds raised at March Mayhem pay for events that the student council puts on through the year including Homecoming, Snow Week, speakers and programs for students, recognition projects, and various other schoolwide events.”
Camden Janiszeski, senior class representative, explained, “The primary goal of March Mayhem was to raise money for the student council, but it also served as a fun way to get the community involved in an event and get the students to have a fun event to end the winter sports seasons.”
“As a council we just want to see students participating and having fun,” said Averill Sehr, student council president.
Berghorst explained, “Juniors and seniors sign up to play and are then drafted by senior basketball players who serve as the coaches. Student council members serve as announcers, take tickets, operate the scoreboard and sell concessions. Teachers and administrators volunteer to be refs.”
The tournament was made up of six teams with six players and two coaches on a team.
Teams played two eight-minute halves, and the winning team moves on in the bracket.
 Five total games were played Tuesday night, with the champion winning bragging rights and JJ’s gift cards.
With ticket sales and concessions Berghorst said March Mayhem raised around $900 this year.
He also reiterated that (March Mayhem) brings students from different teams, activities and friend groups together in a positive way.

The Luverne track and field team opened their 2023 season traveling to Brookings to compete in the Ruth Marske Invitational Monday, March 27.
The meet was held indoors at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on the SDSU campus.
The Cardinals were one of 23 teams invited to the invitational and the only team representing Minnesota.
The Luverne boys’ track and field team placed sixteenth out of 20 teams while the girls’ team placed thirteenth out of 19 teams.
For the boys Ankeny  took first place with 106 team points, followed by Sioux Falls Lincoln 78, Brandon Valley 56.5, Watertown 49, Spirit Lake 48, Sioux Falls Jefferson 42, Aberdeen Central 38, Pierre T.F. Riggs 35, Sioux City North 27, Lawton-Bronson 27, Lennox 23, Sioux City East 23, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 18, Okoboji Milford 15, Madison 11, Luverne 10.5, North Union 10, West Sioux Hawarden 4, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 2 and Sioux City West 1.
For the girls, Waukee Northwest took first place with 131.5 team points, followed by Brandon Valley 86, Sioux Falls Lincoln 63, Aberdeen Central 54, Sioux City East 35, Watertown 33, Sioux Falls Jefferson 31.5, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 26, Spirit Lake 24, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 22.5, Sioux City West 21, Madison 16.5, Luverne 15.5, Pierre T.F. Riggs 12.5, Sioux City North 12, Okoboji Milford 10, Lennox 10, Brookings 10 and Lawton-Bronson 10.
 
Events results are as follows:
Boys
Long Jump - 60 athletes
DJ Rock 18-06¼ placed 21
Darius Dolo 15-02 placed 50
 
Pole Vault - 31 athletes
DJ Rock 12-00 placed 4
Anyuon Atem 9-00 placed 19
Leif Ingebretsen J9-00 placed 21
Tyler Rolfs J9-00 placed 22
 
High Jump - 47 athletes
Isaac DeBates 5-06 placed 21
 
Triple Jump - 36 athletes
Gavin DeBeer 37-01¾ placed 13
Anyuon Atem 34-00½ placed 24
 
Shot Put - 82 athletes
Eli Woodley 47-09¾ placed 6
Keaton Ahrendt 42-06¼ placed 16
Ryker Johnson 40-11 placed 22
Adam Ask 36-05½ placed 49
 
4X800 Meter Relay - 19 teams
Dylan Ommen, Sage Viessman, Marcus Papik, Eli McLendon 9:53.22 placed 17
 
100 Meter Hurdles - 44 athletes
Micah Andersen 21.21 placed 36
 
100 Meter Dash - 98 athletes
Lucky Dara 11.83 placed 34
Gavin DeBeer 12.31 placed 60
Zach Terrio 12.57 placed 68
Treven Bell 13.36 placed 91
Trayton Sayavong 13.52 placed 93
 
1600 Meter Dash - 65 athletes
Camden Janiszeski 4:43.87 placed 6
Owen Janiszeski 4:44.44 placed 9
Ryan Fick 4:49.33 placed 13
Carsen Tofteland 5:14.39 placed 34
Sage Viessman 5:27.88 placed 41
 
4X100 Meter Run - 37 teams
DJ Rock, Tyler Rolfs, Zach Terrio, Lucky Dara 47.43 placed 28
Treven Bell, Trayton Sayavong, Coulter Thone, Ashton Hood 49.58 placed 36
 
400 Meter Dash - 83 athletes
Zach Terrio 56.27 placed 20
Dylan Ommen 1:02.09 placed 55
 
300 Meter Hurdles - 50 athletes
Isaac DeBates did not place
 
800 Meter Run - 81 athletes
Leif Ingebretsen 2:24.10 placed 43
Marcus Papik 2:28.66 placed 52 
Eli McLendon 2:36.12 placed 65
 
200 Meter Dash - 100 athletes
Lucky Dara 23.97 placed 16
Darius Dolo 24.90 placed 41
Micah Andersen 25.75 placed 66
Coulter Thone 25.76 placed 67
Ashton Hood 26.53 placed 79
 
4X400 Meter Relay - 24 teams
Ryan Fick, Camden Janiszeski, Owen Janiszeski, Carsen Tofteland 3:55.09 placed 17
 
Girls
Long Jump - 53 athletes
Augusta Papik 13-11 placed 19
Makena Nelson 13-05¾ placed 27
 
High Jump - 42 athletes
Olivia Lund J4-04 placed 27
Maria Rops 4-00 placed 27
 
Shot Put - 76 athletes
Jocelyn Hart 39-06½ placed 3
Jadyn Hart 36-10¼ placed 8
Hannah Sneller 26-03¾ placed 53
Andrea Luitjens 23-06¼ placed 64
 
Pole Vault - 26 athletes
Corynn Oye J6-06 placed 15
Brynn Boyenga did not place
Josie Anderson did not place
 
Triple Jump - 29 athletes
Kendra Thorson 29-01¼ placed 15
Abby Boltjes 24-10½ placed 26
 
4X800 Meter Relay - 18 teams
Tiana Lais, Reinha John, Roselynn Hartshorn, Cassi Chesley 10:55.25 placed 7
Kayla Bloemendaal, Grace Ingebretsen, Josie Anderson, Brynn Boyenga 12:01.42 placed 14
 
100 Meter Hurdles - 52 athletes
Augusta Papik 19.41 placed 22
 
100 Meter Dash - 97 athletes
Morgan Hadler 15.076 placed 68
Kendra Thorson 15.080 placed 69
Abby Boltjes 16.11 placed 83
Skylar VanderSteen 16.12 placed 84
Valeria Cazares 16.16 placed 85
 
1600 Meter Dash - 55 athletes
Jenna DeBates 5:28.60 placed 5
Grace Ingebretsen 6:04.71 placed 24
Ella Schmuck 6:19.43 placed 33
 
4X100 Meter Run - 34 teams
Makena Nelson, Isabella Oye, Anna Banck, Sarah Stegenga 54.33 placed 18
Morgan Hadler, Skylar VanderSteen, Corynn Oye, Hailey Como 58.21 placed 31
 
400 Meter Dash - 70 athletes
Tiana Lais 1:05.01 placed 13
Kayla Bloemendaal 1:08.39 placed 26
Roselynn Hartshorn 1:10.73 placed 36
 
300 Meter Hurdles - 35 athletes
Reinha John 55.38 placed 16
 
800 Meter Run - 74 athletes
Elizabeth Wagner 2:31.37 placed 6
Maria Rops 2:46.67 placed 28
Olivia Lund 3:12.06 placed 57
 
200 Meter Dash - 95 athletes
Isabella Oye 28.57 placed 26
Sarah Stegenga 29.35 placed 41
Anna Banck 29.85 placed 51
Hailey Como 30.75 placed 62
Valeria Cazares 33.71 placed 80
 
4X400 Meter Relay - 24 teams
Elizabeth Wagner, Cassi Chesley, Jenna DeBates, Ella Schmuck 4:30.78 placed 13

Rock County residents witnessed northern lights in southern Minnesota Thursday night, March 23.
An aurora borealis is caused by a solar storm that emits electrified gas and particles that reach magnetic field lines at the north pole.
The particles and energy interact with gases in the atmosphere, producing different colored light in the sky. According to NASA, oxygen appears green and nitrogen glows blue and purple.
Auroras are more commonly seen in northern Minnesota and near the Arctic Circle, but Thursday’s geomagnetic storm was strong enough to produce stunning displays visible in southwest Minnesota.
Star Herald staff member Heather Johnson received an alert from an app on her phone that the “KP Indexes were high and viewing in this area was likely.”
So, she packed up her family and captured several images at Blue Mounds State Park around 10:30 p.m.
Her northern lights post on the Star Herald Facebook page has since then reached nearly 13,000 people and garnered 52 comments and 63 post shares, including one by Explore Minnesota on its page Saturday.
Some in the comments shared their own northern lights captured near Kenneth and Hardwick.
According to NASA researchers, northern lights sightings in southern Minnesota may be more frequent between now and July 2025.
They say the sun’s 11-year solar cycle has periods of “fluctuating flare activity,” and we’re approaching a “solar maximum of more sunspots and increased solar activity” leading up to 2025.
Johnson said she uses an app called “My Aurora Forecast and Alerts,” which prompted her on Thursday to get outdoors for optimal viewing.

Township and county officials are asking for patience this spring as melting snow and thawing conditions are making gravel roads nearly impassable.
“The roads are … muck,” said Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
“We’ve had so much snow, and now with it melting, it’s affecting the drivability of our roads.”
He said he’s hearing complaints from all parts of the county, and the problem will get worse before it gets better.
“It’s universal. There isn’t a single area that’s the problem. I don’t know how we approach it, except to ask people to be patient,” Oldre said.
“We’ve implemented load limits and we hope people haul in the morning when it’s frozen and don’t haul when it warms up. … I know that isn’t always possible if you’re expecting deliveries.”
Those necessary deliveries, along with some poor judgment and short tempers, are pitting neighbors against each other and prompting complaints to public officials.
Generally, heavy hauling — such as grain, feed and manure — should be done in the morning while roads are still frozen.
Generally, most farmers are honoring morning hauling schedule (for manure, grain and other commodities) while roads are still frozen, but some don’t have options.
Swine operators, for example, haul on packers’ schedules.
“We try to do it in the morning when the roads are frozen, but the packers have dock times when they want them delivered,” said Tom Baustian, who has a hog finishing operation on 70th Avenue.
“We’re trying to get pigs delivered this week that were canceled last week when it snowed, so now they’re overweight and we’ll get docked,” he said Friday.
Baustian hauls 80,000-pound semi loads on a schedule set by the packers.
“In seven days I had 11 semi trucks of pigs loaded out and four semi loads of feed brought in.”
The result, of course, was a nearly impassable township road.
Baustian, a Springwater Township Board member, called Reker Construction to deliver crushed concrete to his road and a few others in similar shape. He ordered 65 loads.
“We’re having them spot apply it where it’s most needed,” Baustian said. “We’re trying to keep the roads halfway safe until things dry out.”
Baustian said he hopes township residents let the board know of other areas needing help.
“If we don’t know about it, it’s kind of hard to get it fixed,” he said.
He said he, too, is urging people to be patient and follow alternate paths where possible.
For example, he typically pumps hog manure pits in the spring, but the tanker trucks used to haul the liquid manure are particularly hard on gravel roads.
“They have those really big tires, not like semis that spread the weight out better,” Baustian said. “I’m hoping to plant oats, and when I get them off this summer, I’ll put manure on then.”
Meanwhile, people traveling the roads in cars and pickup trucks are getting stuck trying to navigate the deep ruts left by heavy equipment.
Rock County Commissioner Gary Overgaard said tempers are flaring.
“People are losing their cool. It’s getting out of hand,” he said Friday. “We just have to realize we’re all in the same boat. We have to use some common sense.”
He said people’s livelihoods depend on gravel roads, but some roads may need to be closed in order to protect both the roads and the motorists.
“The truck traffic is causing ruts, and people in their cars are getting hung up and they’re losing parts of their cars,” Overgaard said. “It’s a tough deal.”
He said he’s getting requests from residents to have gravel put on their roads, but that would require heavy equipment that will further damage roads.
“You’re going to make tracks just getting gravel to where you want it,” he said. “People’s patience is wearing thin, because they want to get out yesterday.”
He said as long as the snow is piled up on the sides of the road with nowhere to melt but on the road, the problem will persist. "It’s just going to take time.”
Hills-Beaver Creek and Luverne school districts have alerted families that buses will travel only on blacktop roads until conditions improve.
That means families must bring their children to meet buses or drive them directly to school.
Overgaard was relieved to hear this, because he was afraid the county would need to declare that policy.
Now, he’s concerned about other steps commissioners may need to impose.
“These are steps we have to take,” he said. “Because if we keep driving on these roads, we’re going to destroy them.”

Representatives from Rock County’s 11 townships and five cities who currently vote with mail ballots met Monday night to consider a return to in-person voting.
More than 50 people gathered at the Rock County Library to review election concerns and discuss possible solutions associated with the local voting integrity.
It is the responsibility of township and municipal leaders to coordinate elections, which are overseen by the county.
County officials are advocating the return to in-person voting as a solution to the verbal harassment and threat to personal safety experienced by the county personnel during the 2022 general election.
The three county election workers were present at Monday’s meeting to answer questions, and County Commissioner Greg Burger defended their work.
“We can’t battle this (national) election integrity issue,” he said.
“The integrity of our elections in Rock County is due to the people that are sitting here — staff that are sitting here. We are just trying to solve the problem of keeping our staff and keeping them safe.”
Mail ballots are a popular option for townships and communities that have embraced a system that allows them to research candidates and review issues as they view the ballot.
They also save time and miles by not having to travel to the polling place on Election Day.
“Our township specifically has done a fantastic (job) with voting via mail-in,” said Kyle Hemme, a Denver Township supervisor.
“We enjoy it and we have very good turnout percentagewise.”
He said eliminating mail ballots won’t eliminate political complaints and harassing phone calls.
“I think the best thing is to stay with mail ballots — you are going to have negative feedback no matter which way you go,” Hemme said Monday.
Historically, mail-in districts have had significantly higher percentage of returns than in-person balloting in Rock County.
However, the percentage difference was less in 2022 as more voters chose to cast in-person ballots during the latest election.
In Rock County for the 2022 general election, 77.6 percent of mail ballots were returned, while in-person voting experienced a 72.6 percent turnout.
County Administrator Kyle Oldre said voter integrity outweighs voter turnout percentages.
During the 2022 general election all the questions centered around mailed-in ballots which would turn into harassing phone calls.
“What we are striving for is an election that everyone is comfortable with by the end of the day,” Oldre said. “And if that difference is between 77 and 72 percent, and if people are more comfortable with the 72 percent and the integrity of the election, then that’s a win.”
Auditor Ashley Kurtz outlined a plan to consolidate the 16 mail-in districts into seven or eight polling places.
Cost for the additional election machines is from $52,500 to $63,000, and election judges are paid $20 to $25 per hour.
The expenses are divided among the mail-in townships and municipalities.
They currently pay for postage and envelopes for mail-in ballots, but in-person voting is generally more expensive.
Voters can still request mailed absentee ballots if their precincts return to in-person voting, and there is no guarantee that election harassment will stop.
Kurtz said the state Legislature is considering a bill to provide a $100,000 block grant to counties for election-related costs.
“I would think that if the county would end up receiving this money, they would consider using it to purchase the election machines needed,” she said.
Kurtz also offered to organize election judges for the precincts, which, if rosters are shared, would require three to four certified judges at each polling place.
Ultimately commissioners will make the final decision whether or not to keep mail balloting as an option for township and municipal elections or to have in-person voting only.
Commissioners have until Nov. 1 to implement local changes for the 2024 election.

Nearly 100 people participated in Thursday night’s informational meeting in Beaver Creek related to the proposed $29 million Hills-Beaver Creek School District bond referendum vote on April 11.
They listened to information about plans to build a new elementary school near the golf course in Beaver Creek, and they toured the elementary building for an up-close look at why a new school is needed.
At the end of the evening, Superintendent Todd Holthaus said he felt it was a productive evening.
“People had good questions,” he said. “They were trying to understand the project and the process.”
Representatives from the school district, project architects, construction managers and the district’s financial advisers were available to answer questions.
Several questions were from citizens concerned about the district’s financial health and if it could afford a new school.
Some concern stemmed from the H-BC 2011 bond and later statutory operating debt that required another operating referendum.
“That’s fair,” Holthaus said, assuring the audience that the district is now fiscally healthy.
“The district has a healthy reserve, and we’ve had clean audits by outside agencies. … In short, the district is in good financial state, and our construction fund will not be comingled with our operating fund.”
Some wanted to know if the cost estimates factored in site work to prevent cost overruns. The answer is that construction costs include these possibilities.
Others asked whether inflation and rising interest rates and availability of building materials would affect the project.
Project managers responded that they used past experience, historical costs and current trends to anticipate those costs.
For example, a 5-percent inflationary rise is factored into the bond amount, and the construction project will be managed to meet the budget.
 
Proposal anticipates decline in student enrollment
The review by the state indicates a decline in student enrollment of 8 to 13 percent annually, beginning with the 2025-26 school year.
If enrollment continues to decline and class sizes drop significantly below 20 students per grade, the district will likely face operational cost deficits prior to paying off the proposed bond issue, which expires in 2046.
The district expects to reduce some operational costs because the new building will be more energy-efficient.
The enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year at H-BC for kindergarten through 12th grade is 344 students.
 
Location of new elementary school would be next to golf course
The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board signed a purchase agreement to buy almost 15 acres as the site for a new elementary school in Beaver Creek.
The agreement with Spring Brooke LLC is for 14.45 acres located in the Spring Brook Addition.
Purchase price is $377,665, and the agreement is contingent on a successful bond referendum vote on Tuesday, April 11.
The property is west of the SpringBrooke Events, Golf & Grill along Golf Course Lane in Beaver Creek.
Construction would take place in 2024 and 2025.
 
Voters will be asked two questions on April 11:
•Question 1: Authorize the H-BC School District to build a new elementary school for grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade for $26.5 million.
•Question 2: Authorize the H-BC School District to make upgrades and an expanded parking area at the Hugo Goehle gymnasium site, demolish the former high school on East Second in Hills, and construct a new parking area at the current secondary school, also in Hills. Cost is $3.475 million.
Question 2 cannot pass without voters agreeing to Question 1.
 
Information was mailed and is available online
An informational brochure was mailed to district residents explaining the projects involved in the bond referendum and where and how residents can vote.
A copy is available online at www.hbcpatriots.com under the “2023 Referendum” tab.
An impact calculator is also available for residents to gauge how the referendum may affect various property classifications.
Generally, taxes on a $150,000 home would increase $324 per year if both referendum questions pass.
Thursday’s meeting was the first of two hosted by the district.
The second was Tuesday night at the secondary school in Hills after the Star Herald had gone to press. That information will be covered online and in the April 6 print edition.

Luverne Elementary School students are learning about brain health and emotional wellness with help from a series of children’s books.
Kindergarten- through second-grade students are reading, “In My Heart, A Book of Feelings” by Jo Witek.
It explores how emotions — happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness — make us feel physically, inside, with language that empowers little readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions.
Third-graders received “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud, which teaches young readers about the power of positive thinking and behavior.
The message is that showing kindness and appreciation of others goes a long way to making this world a happier place for everyone, including ourselves. 
Fourth- and fifth-graders received the book, “A Flicker of Hope,” by Julia Cook, which emphasizes different ways to ask for help, and how to build hope for others.
It’s about a little candle that feels overwhelmed by dark clouds that get heavy and make her feel like giving up.
“Bad grades, being teased by classmates and wondering who her real friends are – makes it so all she can see is darkness,” the book description reads. “But, as Little Candle is reminded she has purpose and her own unique gifts, her dim light begins to shine brighter.”
In terms of resilience and wellbeing, hope is a critically important predictor of success, and “Flicker of Hope” reminds children that dark clouds can be temporary and that asking for help is always okay.
The 550 books, costing roughly $5,000 total, were donated by Carson’s Cause, a fund set up through the Luverne Area Community Foundation in memory of 21-year-old Carson Ehde, who died last fall after struggling with brain health.
His mother, Lori Sorenson, and girlfriend, Gracie Rozeboom, worked with elementary counselor Marie Atkinson-Smeins to help guide children’s dialogue about brain health to better prepare them for selfcare and helping others in the future.
“These are great books by award-winning authors, and they do a really nice job reaching students at their level,” Atkinson-Smeins said.
“We’re grateful for the generous donation and we hope the students and their families benefit from the message.”
She read the books with students, who were able to keep the books, as part of a broader lesson on emotional wellness and brain health activities.
For example, students learned stretching and breathing exercises and made “Moody Cow Jars” to learn tools for coping with strong feelings.
Carson’s Cause will donate another $5,500 to the elementary school this fall when Climb Theatre tailors classroom performances to brain health and appropriate ways for students to talk about it and help each other.
“We dream of a day when caring for our brains is no different from treating allergies, injuries or any other physical ailment,” Sorenson shares on the Carson’s Cause website.
“We hope a new generation of kids will grow up recognizing common brain ailments, knowing how to talk about them and having access to straightforward treatment — without shame, stigma or obstacles of an inadequate health care system. Had Carson and other suicide victims of his era been equipped in this way, we wonder if their outcomes could have been different.”
More information is at www.luvacf.org/carsonrsquos-cause and on Facebook under “Carson’s Cause.”

The Luverne track and field team opened their 2023 season traveling to Brookings to compete in the Ruth Marske Invitational Monday, March 27.
The meet was held indoors at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex on the SDSU campus.
The Cardinals were one of 23 teams invited to the invitational and the only team representing Minnesota.
The Luverne boys’ track and field team placed sixteenth out of 20 teams while the girls’ team placed thirteenth out of 19 teams.
For the boys Ankeny  took first place with 106 team points, followed by Sioux Falls Lincoln 78, Brandon Valley 56.5, Watertown 49, Spirit Lake 48, Sioux Falls Jefferson 42, Aberdeen Central 38, Pierre T.F. Riggs 35, Sioux City North 27, Lawton-Bronson 27, Lennox 23, Sioux City East 23, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 18, Okoboji Milford 15, Madison 11, Luverne 10.5, North Union 10, West Sioux Hawarden 4, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 2 and Sioux City West 1.
For the girls, Waukee Northwest took first place with 131.5 team points, followed by Brandon Valley 86, Sioux Falls Lincoln 63, Aberdeen Central 54, Sioux City East 35, Watertown 33, Sioux Falls Jefferson 31.5, Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 26, Spirit Lake 24, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 22.5, Sioux City West 21, Madison 16.5, Luverne 15.5, Pierre T.F. Riggs 12.5, Sioux City North 12, Okoboji Milford 10, Lennox 10, Brookings 10 and Lawton-Bronson 10.
 
Events results are as follows:
Boys
Long Jump - 60 athletes
DJ Rock 18-06¼ placed 21
Darius Dolo 15-02 placed 50
 
Pole Vault - 31 athletes
DJ Rock 12-00 placed 4
Anyuon Atem 9-00 placed 19
Leif Ingebretsen J9-00 placed 21
Tyler Rolfs J9-00 placed 22
 
High Jump - 47 athletes
Isaac DeBates 5-06 placed 21
 
Triple Jump - 36 athletes
Gavin DeBeer 37-01¾ placed 13
Anyuon Atem 34-00½ placed 24
 
Shot Put - 82 athletes
Eli Woodley 47-09¾ placed 6
Keaton Ahrendt 42-06¼ placed 16
Ryker Johnson 40-11 placed 22
Adam Ask 36-05½ placed 49
 
4X800 Meter Relay - 19 teams
Dylan Ommen, Sage Viessman, Marcus Papik, Eli McLendon 9:53.22 placed 17
 
100 Meter Hurdles - 44 athletes
Micah Andersen 21.21 placed 36
 
100 Meter Dash - 98 athletes
Lucky Dara 11.83 placed 34
Gavin DeBeer 12.31 placed 60
Zach Terrio 12.57 placed 68
Treven Bell 13.36 placed 91
Trayton Sayavong 13.52 placed 93
 
1600 Meter Dash - 65 athletes
Camden Janiszeski 4:43.87 placed 6
Owen Janiszeski 4:44.44 placed 9
Ryan Fick 4:49.33 placed 13
Carsen Tofteland 5:14.39 placed 34
Sage Viessman 5:27.88 placed 41
 
4X100 Meter Run - 37 teams
DJ Rock, Tyler Rolfs, Zach Terrio, Lucky Dara 47.43 placed 28
Treven Bell, Trayton Sayavong, Coulter Thone, Ashton Hood 49.58 placed 36
 
400 Meter Dash - 83 athletes
Zach Terrio 56.27 placed 20
Dylan Ommen 1:02.09 placed 55
 
300 Meter Hurdles - 50 athletes
Isaac DeBates did not place
 
800 Meter Run - 81 athletes
Leif Ingebretsen 2:24.10 placed 43
Marcus Papik 2:28.66 placed 52
Eli McLendon 2:36.12 placed 65
 
200 Meter Dash - 100 athletes
Lucky Dara 23.97 placed 16
Darius Dolo 24.90 placed 41
Micah Andersen 25.75 placed 66
Coulter Thone 25.76 placed 67
Ashton Hood 26.53 placed 79
 
4X400 Meter Relay - 24 teams
Ryan Fick, Camden Janiszeski, Owen Janiszeski, Carsen Tofteland 3:55.09 placed 17
 
Girls
Long Jump - 53 athletes
Augusta Papik 13-11 placed 19
Makena Nelson 13-05¾ placed 27
 
High Jump - 42 athletes
Olivia Lund J4-04 placed 27
Maria Rops 4-00 placed 27
 
Shot Put - 76 athletes
Jocelyn Hart 39-06½ placed 3
Jadyn Hart 36-10¼ placed 8
Hannah Sneller 26-03¾ placed 53
Andrea Luitjens 23-06¼ placed 64
 
Pole Vault - 26 athletes
Corynn Oye J6-06 placed 15
Brynn Boyenga did not place
Josie Anderson did not place
 
Triple Jump - 29 athletes
Kendra Thorson 29-01¼ placed 15
Abby Boltjes 24-10½ placed 26
 
4X800 Meter Relay - 18 teams
Tiana Lais, Reinha John, Roselynn Hartshorn, Cassi Chesley 10:55.25 placed 7
Kayla Bloemendaal, Grace Ingebretsen, Josie Anderson, Brynn Boyenga 12:01.42 placed 14
 
100 Meter Hurdles - 52 athletes
Augusta Papik 19.41 placed 22
 
100 Meter Dash - 97 athletes
Morgan Hadler 15.076 placed 68
Kendra Thorson 15.080 placed 69
Abby Boltjes 16.11 placed 83
Skylar VanderSteen 16.12 placed 84
Valeria Cazares 16.16 placed 85
 
1600 Meter Dash - 55 athletes
Jenna DeBates 5:28.60 placed 5
Grace Ingebretsen 6:04.71 placed 24
Ella Schmuck 6:19.43 placed 33
 
4X100 Meter Run - 34 teams
Makena Nelson, Isabella Oye, Anna Banck, Sarah Stegenga 54.33 placed 18
Morgan Hadler, Skylar VanderSteen, Corynn Oye, Hailey Como 58.21 placed 31
 
400 Meter Dash - 70 athletes
Tiana Lais 1:05.01 placed 13
Kayla Bloemendaal 1:08.39 placed 26
Roselynn Hartshorn 1:10.73 placed 36
 
300 Meter Hurdles - 35 athletes
Reinha John 55.38 placed 16
 
800 Meter Run - 74 athletes
Elizabeth Wagner 2:31.37 placed 6
Maria Rops 2:46.67 placed 28
Olivia Lund 3:12.06 placed 57
 
200 Meter Dash - 95 athletes
Isabella Oye 28.57 placed 26
Sarah Stegenga 29.35 placed 41
Anna Banck 29.85 placed 51
Hailey Como 30.75 placed 62
Valeria Cazares 33.71 placed 80
 
4X400 Meter Relay - 24 teams
Elizabeth Wagner, Cassi Chesley, Jenna DeBates, Ella Schmuck 4:30.78 placed 13
Elizabeth Wagner, Cassi Chesley, Jenna DeBates, Ella Schmuck 4:30.78 placed 13

Free school breakfast and lunch will return to schools this fall under a bill signed by Gov. Tim Walz.
The Free School Meals for Kids was signed March 17 with details still being released on how the state-funded program will work.
All kindergarten through 12th-grade students will receive the regular breakfast and lunch meals for free.
Students will continue to pay for extra helpings and other a la carte items under the program.
Both Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek school district officials have responded favorably to the legislation, which goes into effect July 1.
“Free school breakfasts and lunches are a great benefit for those families in need,” said H-BC Superintendent Todd Holthaus.
However, there is some uncertainty about how the program will affect other state aid to districts.
Luverne Superintendent Craig Oftedahl said districts receive compensatory aid based on the number of students signed up for the free and reduced meal program.
Without this information, Oftedahl said it is uncertain how the aid will continue to be dispensed.
For two years, during the coronavirus pandemic, both breakfast and lunch were free, paid for by federal funds.
The free federal program ended this school year. Since then, many districts have experienced an increase in unpaid breakfast and lunch balances.
Luverne’s unpaid balance has grown to more than $33,000.
Holthaus said his district’s unpaid balance isn’t that large.
“H-BC is quite fortunate in that our families pay for their lunches,” he said. “We also have a number of outside groups donate toward families that have a need and fall behind.”
During the pandemic, school districts were reimbursed monthly for their food service costs.
Under the new program, the state will reimburse districts what federal funds don’t cover.
For officials who supported the free meal program, it helps budget-strapped families and eliminates the stigma students felt under the previous free and reduced meal program.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan attended the March 17 bill signing.
“By providing free breakfast and lunch to all students, we are removing the stigma in the lunchroom, helping family pocketbooks, investing in the health and well-being of our children, and ensuring that no student goes hungry for any reason,” she said.