USC boys’ track team rolls

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 24, 2003

WELLS &045; A week earlier, the United South Central boys’ track and field team was not at full strength when it was edged by four points by Blue Earth Area.

On Tuesday, the Rebels had everyone in the lineup and things were a little different.

The Rebels dominated the seven-team USC Invitational, totaling 156 points to 110 for Blue Earth Area. Maple River was third with 95.

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&uot;We’ve come a long way in the past couple of weeks,&uot; said USC coach Kent Viesselman. &uot;There are still a lot of places we can improve, but we are definitely headed in the right direction.&uot;

The Rebels won five events Tuesday. Justin Youngblom took the 3200 meters, Adam Kruger won the shot put, Jon Voigt the pole vault and Steven Wood the 300 intermediate hurdles.

The other first was by the 4×100 relay team of Shea Kaiser, Callan Pitcher, Voigt and Bob Schmitz.

&uot;I think one of the keys to our improvement as a team is the consistency shown by the individuals mentioned above,&uot; said Viesselman. &uot;Not just in the events they won, but all of them are consistent high placers in several events. Every bit as important is the rapid improvement of three of our younger guys. Matt Mueller, Eric Youngblom and Erik Melby have all really improved and continue to improve on a weekly basis.&uot;

Other USC places: Wood, second, 110 hurdles; Pitcher, fifth, 110 hurdles and second, 300 hurdles; Kaiser, second, 100, second, 400 and second, long jump; Voigt, third, 100 and third, 200; Justin Youngblom, second, 1600; Mueller, fourth, 1600; Chris Vondracek, fourth, high jump; Kruger, second, discus; Schmitz, fifth, 200 and fifth, 800; Spencer Niebuhr, fourth, pole vault; Eric Youngblom, fourth, 3200; Jake Stenzel, fifth, 3200; 4×800 relay, third (Melby, Mueller, Eric Youngblom, Stenzel); 4×200 relay, third (Stenzel, Trent Leesch, Simon Christensen, Vondracek); and 4×400 relay, fourth (Vondracek, Melby, Christensen, Wood).

The Rebels host the Lions Invitational next Tuesday.