Lions claim runner-up honors at home meet

Algona was the class winner of the eight-team field at the Lions Relays held Tuesday, April 14, in Clear Lake.  The Bulldogs ran away with the team title, amassing 196 points. Runner-up Clear Lake had 81 and Osage was third with 66.

The Lions had a pair of winners in field events.  Alex VanderPloeg topped the high jump entries by clearing 6’0” and Chandler Diercks remained unbeaten this season in the long jump, despite some hip pain.  He won with a mark of 22’1.5”.

Other top individual performances included Parker Crispin in the 100 hurdles.  He was second in 16.33.

The Lions were also runners-up in two relay events.  

The shuttle hurdle team of  Parker Truesdell, Vander Ploeg, Crispin and Chase Bacon was clocked in 1:01.62.  The Distance Medley team of Cooper Merrill, Bacon, Tavian Coleman and Zach Lester ran a 3:59.97.

Other top six finishes included:

•Long jump: Truesdell, third, 18’7.75”

•High jump: Coleman, fourth, 5’8”

•100: Zach Tatum, fourth, 11.65

•400: Coleman, fourth, 56.04

•400 hurdles: Truesdell, third, 1:00.39

•4x100: third, Tatum, Dustin King, MaKean Bang, Diercks

•4x400: sixth, Lester, Brock Adams, Vander Ploeg, King

•4x800: fifth, Lester, Cody Matz, Karter Anderson, Lucas Kirchoff

Junior varsity

Cooper Merrill was a double winner in the junior varsity division of the Lions Relays.  Merrill bested the field in the 100 meter dash in a time of 11.59.  He also won the 200 in 23.44.

Alex Vander Ploeg placed first in the 110 hurdles in a time of 17.68.

Dylan Crotty and Tyler Barker went two-three in the 400 meter dash in 1:00.20 and 1:02.78 respectively.  

The 4x100 relay  placed second in a time of 50.15.  Relay members included:  Eggers, Aaron Kelso, Ryan Atkinson and Tanner Huey.  The 4x200 with Eggers, Speed Toyne, Huey and Kelso was also second in 1:41.35.

Other top six finishes included:

•Long jump: Luke Eggers, second, 16’6.75”; Will Kirschbaum, fourth, 15’10”

•100: Tanner Huey, third, 12.45

•110 hurdles, Cody Matz, fourth, 19.31

•1600: Kirschbaum, sixth, 6:06.19

•400 hurdles: Crisstian Jacobs, fifth, 1:19.95

•4x400: fourth, Dylan Crotty, Eggers, Kirschbaum, Noah Van Horn

•4x800: fourth, Dalton Grell, Dalton Menenga, Jacobs, Andy Hiscocks

•Shuttle hurdle: third,  Matz, Van Horn, Lyle Jumamoy, Torian Lee

•1600 Medley: fourth,  Grell, Toyne, Barker, Matz, 4:25.92

Indian Relays

The Lions were without their leading scorer, Chandler Diercks, Friday night at the Indian Relays at Forest City.  The team still fared well, placing sixth in the 13-team field with 105-points, just one more than fourth place GHV and Eagle Grove.  West Fork won the team title with 136, followed by Saint Ansgar with 131 and Humboldt with 120 points.

The Lions were impressive in the sprints, with Cooper Merrill winning the 200 in 23.58 and Dustin King taking honors in the 400 meter dash in 53.42.  Merrill was also third in the 100 in a time of 11.35.  Parker Truesdell was second in the 400 meter hurdles in 1:00.40.

In field events, Alex Vander Ploeg finished second, clearing 5’10”. 

The Lions were runner-up in the 4x100, with Zach Tatum, Merrill, Makean Bang  and Chase Bacon clocking a 45.67.  The 4x100 weight man relay  with  Ace Walton, Michael Leaman, Cody Matz, Ethan McHenry came in first in a time of 54.18.  Clear Lake’s 4x200 relay was disqualified.

The Lions’ 4x100 hurtle hurdle team was a winner in 1:02.16.  The relay included Truesdell, Vander Ploeg, Parker Crispin and Bacon.  

Other events in which the Lions scored points included:

•200: Tavian Coleman, fourth, 24.10

•800: Karter Anderson, sixth, 2:17.62

•110 hurdles: Parker Crispin, third, 16.13; Chase Bacon, fourth, 16.94

•Long jump: Truesdell, third, 18’4.5”; Zach Tatum, fifth, 17’10”

•4x400: sixth, Coleman, Brock Adams, Vander Ploeg,  King, 3:48.38

•4x800: third, Zach Lester, Cody Matz, Lucas Kirchoff, Anderson

•1600 sprint medley: third, Zach Tatum, Adams, King, Lester