MANKATO – The USC/AC boys’ and girls’ track teams swept the top spots at the Gopher Conference Indoor meet.

The Rebels won by comfortable margins on both sides with New

Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva taking second for the girls and fourth for the boys.

Kallie Rollenhagen and Taylor Allis had the two individual victories for the Rebels with Rollenhagen winning the the triple jump by well over an inch with an effort of 32’3 1/3&8221; and Allis taking the 3,200 by six seconds over the Panthers’ Karla Lewer in a time of 13:26.4.

The Rebels also claimed a relay victory in the sprint medley racing to the line in 5:02.09.

NRHEG was led by an outstanding opening meet for Alison Anderson who won four events.

She took the 55-meter race in 7.5 seconds just ahead of Andrea Allis of USC/AC who ran a 7.7.

Anderson was tops in the long jump with a best of 15’3 1/2&8221;, first in the 200 with a mark of 27.8 and part of the Panthers’ 4×200 relay team of Hillary Johnson, Megan Groskrentz and Bryanna Anthony which won with a time of 1:59.0.

Heather Schmidt won the 55-meter high hurdles in 10 seconds

and was the fastest in the low hurdles in 10.2. Groskrentz’s effort of 7-feet, 6-inches in the pole vault rounded out NRHEG’s victories.

&8220;We were extremely pleased with the performances from our girls,&8221; said NRHEG co-head coach Duey Ferber.

&8220;Alison started the season off with a bang with four firsts, and Heather Schmit decided to try the hurdles and won both hurdle events while running them for the first time.&8221;

On the boys’ side, the Rebels came away winners in six events while the Panthers were victorious in two.

Junior Amos Bessler led the way for USC/AC leading a 1-2 finish in the 55-high hurdles winning in a time of 8.6 while Paul Little was second in 9.0.

The same two finished in the identical positions in the 55-intermediate hurdles, while Eric Youngbloom, Andrew Mueller and Jacob Escherich dominated the 3,200 sweeping the top three spots with Youngblom winning by more than a minute in 11:13.1.

The Rebels’ other victories all came in relay events including the sprint medley, the 4×200 and the 4×400.

NRHEG was led by Blake Kerkhoff who won the 200 over USC/AC’s Jacob Elmer with a time of 55.6.

Kerkhoff would finish second in both the 200 and the 55 where he was beaten to the line by one tenth of a second.

Ryan Panuska had the Panthers’ other victory on the night beating out the Rebels’ Brian Wood in the pole vault with an effort of 10-feet.

&8220;It was good personal efforts by Kerkhoff and Panuska with a couple firsts,&8221; said Ferber.

&8220;The pole vaulters had a good meet earning 20 team points with Panuska Orrie Anthony (third) and Nick Beatty (fourth).&8221;