By Greg Grabianowski

Sports Editor

BELMOND—Both Olivia Merrill of North Union and Reagan Murphy of Bishop Garrigan were double winners at the Top of Iowa Conference girls track meet held on Thursday, May 2.

Merrill won the shot put with a heave of 35’ 11¾” and flipped the discus 113’ 7” for a gold medal while Murphy took the 200-meter dash in 26.97 and the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.11.

By Greg Grabianowski

Sports Editor

BOONE—Led by runner-up medalist Abby Brooks, the Algona Bulldog girls golf squad finished second in the North Central Conference tournament played at Cedar Pointe Golf Course on Monday, May 6.

The red-and-black compiled a team total of 396 topped only by Clear Lake’s team score of 391 as the eight conference schools battled on the course.

BELMOND—A first place showing by the Bishop Garrigan shuttle hurdle relay squad highlighted the performances of the Golden Bear and North Union boys track teams at the Top of Iowa Conference meet on Thursday, May 2.

The quartet of Sam Plathe, Owen Murphy, Kyle Bormann and Tate Foertsch crossed the finish line in first place with their time of 1:06.98.

LIVERMORE—A great round by senior Abby Brooks led the Algona Bulldog girls golf squad past the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears in a cross-town battle on the golf course on Thursday, May 2.

The red-and-black squad compiled a team score of 197 to top the Golden Bears’ total of 219 in the non-conference match played at the beautiful Spring Valley Golf Course.

EAGLE GROVE—North Union was the runner-up at the Top of Iowa Conference boys golf meet played here on Monday, May 6.

Henderson fired identical rounds of 39-39 for an 18-hole total of 78 as the two rounds included a total of nine pars to earn the runner-up medal.

Bishop Garrigan finished in fifth place in the eight-team field with a team score of 354 just ahead of North Union’s total of 365 as Lake Mills earned another conference title with a winning team score of 328.

FORT DODGE—Freshman Nathan Manske of Algona placed second overall at the annual North Central Conference boys golf tournament played on Monday, May 6 at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

Manske started the day with 35 on the front nine that featured seven pars and a birdie and a 39 on the back nine that included two pars and one birdie for his 18-hole total of 74 that was topped only by Humboldt’s Carson Arndt’s 38-34—72.

LIVERMORE—Bishop Garrigan senior Avery Lichter carded the second best score on Monday, May 6 at the Top of Iowa Conference girls golf tournament.

Lichter recorded a score of 44 on the front nine at the beautiful Spring Valley Golf Course and turned in a 43 on the back nine holes for an 18-hole total of 87 that was topped only by Garner-Hayfield/Ventura’s Audrey Overgaard’s score of 84.

MANLY—Colin Rasch had the only gold medal performance on Monday, May 6 for the North Union Warrior boys track team at the Central Springs Relays.

Rasch won the event as he tossed the steel ball 48’ 9” and the green-black-and-silver finished in fifth place in the team standings with 47 points. The lone second place went to Preston Guerdet in the 200-meter dash in 24.59.

HAMPTON—Algona put up good battle, but Clear Lake had too much talent and depth as the Lions claimed the 2024 North Central Conference girls’ track title on Thursday, May 2.

The black-and-gold finished the evening with a team total of 172.5 points as the Bulldogs took second with 135.5 points and won four events.

Sophomore Natalie Johnson was a double winner for the red-and-black as she won the 100-meter dash in 12.89 and took the 200-meter dash with a time of 27.24.

EMMETSBURG—After a 48-hour delay due to some lovely Iowa weather, the West Bend-Mallard Wolverine girls track squad finished in third place with 85 points at the Twin Lakes Conference meet held on Thursday, May 2.

The lone gold medal winner for the purple-and-gold was Maddie Fehr in the 100-meter dash with a winning clocking of 13.13.

EMMETSBURG—The West Bend-Mallard Wolverine boys track team competed in the Twin Lakes Conference meet held on Thursday, May 2.

The purple-and-gold ended up in 11^th place overall in the meet with a team score of 16 points as Alta-Aurelia won the conference title with a team total of 118 points.

The Wolverines took fifth in three different events including the 110-meter high hurdles with Logan Grimm’s time of 16.77.

FAIRMONT—Senior thrower Olivia Merrill was a double winner for the North Union Warrior girls track squad at the 67^th running of the Sentinel Relays held on Friday, May 3.

Merrill flipped the discus 113’ 2” to earn the gold medal in that event and tossed the shot put 35’ 11” for another gold medal for the green-black-and-silver.

SIOUX RAPIDS—Getting event wins from Maddie Fehr and Kierstin Montag, the West Bend-Mallard Wolverine girls track squad finished as the runner-ups at the Sioux Central Co-Ed Relays on Monday, May 6. The meet was called after the 400-meter hurdles due to lightning.

Montag took first in the high jump with a best of 5’ 0” while Fehr crossed the finish line for the purple-and-gold in the 200-meter dash in 29.31.

EMMETSBURG—By just one single point, Estherville-Lincoln Central edged the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bear girls track squad for the team title at the Lady E-Hawk Relays held on Monday, May 6 by the score of 102-101.

The black-and-gold won four events as Abbie Capesius won the 400-meter dash in 1:04.15 along with Reagan Murphy in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.94.

MANLY—Senior Olivia Merrill won both of the throwing events for the North Union Warrior girls track squad at the Central Springs Relays on Monday, May 6.

Merrill heaved the shot put a season-best 39’ 4” to win a gold medal and threw the discus 110’ 10” to take that event for the green-black-and-silver. The Warriors ended up in fourth place in the team standings with 78 points.