Girls in True Team state tourney

“Congratulations to the girls team for advancing to the True Team State meet which will be held Saturday, May 19 in Stillwater,” said an overjoyed Coach Sarah Hemish.
For the first time in team history the Canby-Minneota girls are going to the state as a team.
This tournament is not to be confused with the regular Minnesota State Tournament to be held in June.
“The true team series was originated in 1987 by the State Track and Field  Coaches Association, to address the need in Track and Field for a True TEAM competition,"
 wrote officials of the Minnesota State High School League.
 They added, “In previous years, a team with a few elite athletes could win the 'Team Championship' in a large meet.  The coaches felt the Team Championship should be won by the best TEAM."
In True Team competition, each team is allowed two entries in Class 1A and 2A (three entries in Class 3A) in individual events and one entry in each relay event.  Every entry is placed and scored according to their order of finish, with the idea that a team’s second or third entry becomes just as important as their first entry.
Minnesota is the only State which holds True Team competition in Track and Field.
Monday at Slayton, Canby-Minneota scored scored 687.5 points with Southwest Minnesota Christian of Edgerton second at 618.
Others were: Redwood Valley 605.5; 4. Pipestone Area 580; 5. Windom Area 548.5; 6. Lakeview 518; 7. Hills-Beaver Creek 447; 8. Murray County Central 408; 9. Fulda 397; 10. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 352; 11. Westbrook-Walnut Grove352; 12. Adrian 295; 13. Ellsworth 50.
They did it on the strength of their extreme “depth” in many events and the ability to place in the top six.
For instance, the meet started with Canby-Minneota’s 4x800-meter relay team finishing third and Lizzy Gillingham pulled into fourth in the 100-meter dash at :13.9.

In addition to “depth”, the C-M tracksters had some memorable and even astounding performances at Slayton.
The 4x200-meter relay raced to a top time of 1:54.4 and captured the title.
Grace Drietz was second in the 1600-meter (mile) run and came back to win the 800-meter (half mile) run in 2:28.7. She beat her next best rival, Amika Brands of Southwest Minnesota Christian by about five seconds.
Kalli Jelen took second in the 300-mter hurdles at :51.1 — just behind Stephanie Pickthorn of Lakeview at :49.3.
Faith Traen was fourth in the 3200-meter run in 12:50 with Mogan Gehl of Fulda winning at 11:34.8.
The 4x400-meter relay team from C-M finished second Lizzy Gillingham jumped to third in the long jump with a leap of 15-6 — behind winner Michelle Neece at 16-4 1/2.
Maya Wente of C-M was fourth in the triple jump at 32-6 and Norah King took second in the discus with a throw of 110-10 and third in the shotput at 35-4.
4x800-METER RELAY: 1.Southwest MN Christian, 10:34.3; 3. Canby-Minneota, 10:47.5.
100-METER HURDLES: 1. Michelle Neece, Pipestone :15.5; 6. Kameron King, C-M, :18.3.
100-METER DASH: 1. Michelle Neece, Pipeston, :13.1; 4. Lizzy Gillingham, :13.9.
4x200-METER RELAY: 1. Canby-Minneota, 1:54.4.
1600-METER RUN: 1. Morgan Gehl, Fulda, 5:20.1; 2. Grace Drietz, C-M, 5:24.8.
164X100-METER RELAY: 1. Lakeview, :54.5; 5. Canby-Minneota, :55.3.
400-METER DASH: 1. Taryn Rank, Hills-Beaver Creek, :63.5; 5. RyAnn Hansen, C-M, :65.1.
300-METER HURDLES: 1. Steph Pickthorn, Lakeview, :49.3; 2. Kalli Jelen, C-M, :51.1; 4. Kameron King, C-M, :52.7.
800-METER RUN: 1. Grace Drietz, C-M, 2:28.7; 6. Abby Rost, C-M, 2:39.2.
200-METER DASH: 1. Michelle Neece, Pipeston, :26.95; 6. Lizzy Gillingham, C-M, :28.5.
3200-METER RUN: 1. Morgan Gehl, Fulda, 11:34.8; 4. Faith Traen, C-M, 12:50.2.
4x400-METER RELAY: 1. Tracy-Milrohy-Balaton, 4:21; 2. Canby-Minneota, 4:24.8.
LONG JUMP: 1. Michelle Neece, Pipestone, 16-4 1/2; 3. Lizzy Gillingham, 15-6.
TRIPLE JUMP: 1. Stephanie Pickthorn, Lakeview, 33-8 1/2; 4. Maya Wente, C-M, 32-6,
HIGH JUMP:  1. Hannah Schjenken, Redwood Valloey, 5-0.
POLE VAULT: 1. Lina Vue, Westbrook-WG 8-6; 6. Lauren Jessen, C-M, 6-6.
SHOT PUT: 1. Delaney Smith, Windom 41-0 1/4; 3. Norah King, C-M, 34-4.; 5. Mackenzie Janiszeski, 32-0.
DISCUS: 1. Delaney Smith, Windom,111-10; 2. Norah King, C-M, 110-6; 5. Lauren Jessen, C-M, 96-5.