By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
NRHEG High School Evelyn Nydegger picked up right where she left off last spring.
And it wasn't a bad day as a whole for the Panther girls' track and field squad, which opened the season finishing third in the nine-team Hayfield Invitational.
Pine Island and GMLOS tied for first with 162.5 points, followed by NRHEG with 120, Kenyon-Wanamingo 67, Medford 65, Blooming Prairie 38, Hayfield 28, Randolph 25 and Lyle/Austin Pacelli 24.
"The girls performed very well in the cold and wind," said NRHEG coach Duey Ferber. "The Hayfield meet has lots of competition from schools we don’t usually see. We had some of our leaders step up and get things done tonight."
Among those to step up were Nydegger, who won the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 52.21 seconds while taking second in the 110 high hurdles in 17.39 and second in the triple jump at 32-7.5.
Sophomore Quinn VanMaldeghem was second in the 1600 with a time of 6:03.37 and second in the 800 in 2:38.61. She teamed with her sister Camryn, Nydegger and Sierra Misgn for second in the 4x400 relay in 4:40.27. Malonna Wilson was second in the discus at 97 feet and Anika Ladlie cleared 4-10 for second in the high jump. Holly Bartness, Chloe Riewer, Gabby Schlaak and Ladlie combined for second in the 4x100 relay in 55.68.
Other Panther places: Camryn VanMaldeghem, third, 400, 1:06.41; Julieann Wobbrock, third, 3200, 14:31.21; Wilson, third, shot put, 33-6; Misgen, Riewer, C.VanMaldeghem and Zoe Wilson, third, 4x200 relay, 1:59.81; Ella Jeno, Bartness, Clara Buendorf, Wobbrock, fourth, 4x700, 12:31.01; Schlaak, fifth, 100 hurdles, 18.51 and sxith, high jump, 4-8; Ellie Clark, fifth, 300 hrdles, 55.88; Kylie Olson, fifth, shot put, 28-8; Riewer, sixth, long jump, 15-2 and eighth, 100, 14.36; McKenzie Mueller, eighth, shot put, 27-1.
The Panthers compete in the Maple River Invitational Thursday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m.