Rebels overcome adversity for True Team title
Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 11, 2002
WELLS &045; Midway through the meet, things looked bleak for the United South Central boys’ track and field team.
Adam Kruger, out all week with an injured hand, was able to throw the discus but not the shot put, which cost the Rebels valuable points. A bigger blow came in the 100-meter dash, when the Rebels’ outstanding sprinter Casey Christenson was called for a false start and disqualified.
They overcame all of it.
The Rebels turned in exceptional performances in the final three events, making up a 14-point deficit to edge Maple River for the True Team Section 2A title at Wells Thursday. USC had 623 points, Maple River 614.
With the win, the Rebels qualified for the True Team State Meet Saturday at the National Sports Center in Blaine.
“We had a number of excellent performances,” said USC’s Kent Viesselman. “And the ones early in the meet were every bit as important as the ones down the stretch.&uot;
Christensen came back tough from his 100 mishap to finish first in the 400 and triple jump and second in the 200.
&uot;I was really pleased with his ability to rebound from the setback,&uot; said Viesselman. &uot;That was a sign of real mental toughness and maturity.”
The Rebels caught and passed Maple River in the 3200, pole vault and 4×400 relay.
Justin Youngblom and Eric Stenzel went 2-3 in the 3200, Brandon Alphs was first and Brandon Grunzke sixth in the pole vault, and Shea Kaiser, Steven Wood, Eric Langsev and Jon Voigt won the 4×400.
&uot;Those four kids knew the situation,&uot; said Viesselman. &uot;We had to beat Maple River in that event to win the meet, and they were not to be denied.”
The Rebels were second in the other three relays. Jon Beyer, Chris Vondracek, Jake Stenzel and Voigt ran the 4×800. Kaiser, Callan Pitcher, Beyer and Voigt did the 4×200. Pitcher, Kaiser, Alphs and Bob Schmitz compiled the 4×100.
Other USC places: Trevor Rollenhagen, fourth, 100 hurdles, third, triple jump, and fourth, high jump; Wood, sixth, 100
hurdles and fifth, 30 hurdles; Matt Linder, seventh, shot put and 15th, discus; Josh Courrier, 14th, shot put; Alphs, third, 100 and fourth, long jump; Kaiser, fifth, long jump; Youngblom, second, 1600; Langsev, third, 1600; Kruger, fourth, discus; Schmitz, fifth, 400 and sixth, 200; Dusty Niebuhr, third, high jump; Pitcher, fourth, 300 hurdles; Beyer, sixth, 800.