The Hill City Ranger boys track and field team won the Southern Hills Invitational Track Meet last Friday in Hot Springs.
Hill City finished nine points ahead of 2nd place Douglas. The girls team also had a great day, finishing fifth out of fourteen
teams. The Ranger athletes continued to impress and improve, with many personal and season best marks.
In
the girls track events, Jessica McDonald ran to a 2nd place finish in the 200 meter dash (29.0) with Mariah Asheim close behind
(6th-29.7). In the 800 meter run, Stephanie Qualm was 3rd place with a season best 2:37.8. Qualm anchored the 2nd place
4x800 meter relay team that also included Asheim, Alise Kelting and Mackenzie Swanson. The girls ran great, finishing in
10:38.4. The Rangers 4x400 won the event with an exciting all-aroud race. Asheim, Qualm, Kelby Weiderhold and McDonald combined
to win the event (4:25.5).
The Lady Rangers picked up several team
points in the field events. There were two placers in the high jump, McDonald (3rd-4’6”) and Weiderhold (4th-4’4”).
Stephanie Burleson was 2nd in the Shot Put with another great throw.
For
the Ranger short sprinters, Chance Clason won the 100 meter dash (11.8) and Andy Coy won the 200 meter dash (23.7). Coy (2nd-51.6),
Hudson Koel (3rd-52.3) and Adrian Salinas (5th-55.4) picked up 18 points in the 400 meter dash. Coy qualified for the state
meet in his first 400 meter race of the year. It was Koel winning the 800 meters later in the day with a 59 second last
lap (2:04.5) as Salinas tied for 4th (2:14.5) in the same race. In the 110 hurdles, Jacob Allen came within a tenth of a
second to punching his ticket to the state track meet in the event. Allen won the race (16.0) and Colton McLauhglin ran his
best race of the year finishing tied for 5th (18.7). In the grueling 300 hurdle race, Allen tied for 3rd (44.0) and freshman
Kyle Alexander ran another solid hurdle race (5th- 45.9). The Ranger boys were 6th in the 4x200 meter relay, 4th in the
Medley relay and second in the 4x800 relay. The Ranger 4x400 relay team of Koel, Clason, Quenzer and Coy sealed the team title
with a 3:37.7 win in the last event of the day.
The Ranger throwers
had a great day, with Trevor Rosskneckt leading the way, posting a third place finish in the discus (129’ 4 1.2”)
to go along with a 5th place in the Shot Put (38’8”). Also placing in the Shot Put was Quint Wooldridge (38’5”)
All three of these marks were personal best throws for these guys. In the jumps, Allen picked up a 2nd ( Triple Jump- 39’6”)
and a 4th (Long Jump- 18’6 3/4”) to add more points to the Ranger team totals.
