For the Tribune

OWATONNA – The Albert Lea boys’ and girls’ track and field teams combined for a sixth-place finish in Friday’s Owatonna Co-Ed Invitational.

Monday, April 15, 2002

OWATONNA – The Albert Lea boys’ and girls’ track and field teams combined for a sixth-place finish in Friday’s Owatonna Co-Ed Invitational.

The host team won with 189 points, followed by Park Center with 160, New Prague 159, Hastings 133, Winona 133, Albert Lea 103 and Austin 74.

Lon Nelson, first-year head coach of the ALHS boys’ squad, said he and assistant coach Mike Kropp were very pleased with the showing.

&uot;We’re young, but I was amazed at how well we challenged the more experienced teams,&uot; said Nelson. &uot;This group wants to make their mark and today was a step in the right direction.&uot;

Coach Kropp noted that Mike Veldman and Trent Miller had career best throws in the shot put with tosses of 43-5 and 35-4, respectively.

The lone first-place finish for the Tigers was in the high jump. Tyler Young and Ben Woodside competed for the boys.

Young and Veldman were half of the discus relay team that finished second. The Tigers were also second in the 4×400-meter relay with Andrew Irvine, Joe Squires, Emily Bartusek and Amy Ravenhorst.

Individual placewinners for the boys: Sean Harms, fifth, 1600; Squires, fifth, 400; Irvine, sixth, 400; Matt Olsen, eighth, 800; Taylor Zimmerman, fifth, 3200.

Placing for the girls: Bartusek, second, 400; Katie Stenseth, third, 1600; Beth Kolling, fourth, 100; Ravenhorst, fourth, 400 and eighth, 100; Angie Schuhmacher, seventh, 800; Stephanie Overgaard, eighth, 300.

The next action for both teams is Tuesday’s Panther Invitational at New Richland.