STAR JOURNAL REPORT

The Rhinelander High School track and field teams competed in their third meet of the year Tuesday when the Hodags were at Northland Pines High School for the Great Northern Conference Indoor Meet.

The RHS girls finished fifth in the seven-team standings. Medford won the team title with 164.5 points, followed by Antigo (103), Northland Pines (96), Mosinee (81), the Hodags (65), Tomahawk (56) and Lakeland Union High School (37.5).

The best showings for RHS came in the 200-meter dash when junior Ellen Padgett and sophomore Erika Jorgensen finished second and third, respectively, in times of 29.94 and 30.24 seconds. Padgett added a fifth-place finish in the 55 dash (8.07).

At right, the Hodags’ Ellen Padgett, shown reaching the finish line, placed fifth in the 55-meter dash and second in the 200 dash at Tuesday’s GNC Indoor Meet

Hodags junior Danielle Doughty, who came in third in the 55 hurdles (11.28), added a fifth-place finish in the 200 hurdles (37.07) with senior teammate Payton Hartman ending up sixth in 38.24.

Other RHS girls who scored points in the individual track events included senior Gracie Quinn finishing fifth in the 1600 run (6:37.32) and sophomore Alexandra Fugle and freshman Valerie Dalka in the 3200 run placing fifth and seventh, respectively, in times of 16:02.64 and 16:13.81.

Hodags junior Lexie Rick had the team’s best showing in the field events by placing third in the shot put (31 feet, 7.5 inches).

Other RHS girls scoring points in the field events included sophomore Natasha Wacker coming in seventh in the triple jump (22-10) and freshman Lisa White placing eight in the long jump (13-05.5).

The Hodag girls recorded top-three finishes in two of the three relays. Padgett, freshman Isabella Anderson and sophomores Samantha Siefert and Mattia Beske placed third the 4×200 (2:02.71). Fugle, White, Quinn and Hartman came in third in the 4×800 (12:01.08). RHS was sixth in the 4×400 (5:08.18).

RHS BOYS 7TH

The Hodag boys finished no higher than fourth in any of the events as they ended up seventh in the seven-team varsity standings.

Medford had the top team score of 161, followed by Northland Pines (138.5), Lakeland (86), Antigo (76), Mosinee (75), Tomahawk (40) and RHS (34.5).

Hodags freshman Daniel Ritchie came in fourth in the 800 run (2:19.08) and added a sixth-place finish in the 1600 run (5:10.38).

In front at right, the Hodags’ Daniel Ritchie placed fourth in the 800-meter run and sixth in the 1600 run at Tuesday’s GNC Indoor Meet.

RHS sophomore Josh Francisco, who tied for fourth in the 55 dash (7.22), added a fifth-place finish in the long jump (18-3) with freshman teammate Drake Martin coming in sixth in 17-11.

Other Hodag boys scoring points in the individual events included sophomore Anthony Kowalski placing sixth in the 400 dash (1:00.21), freshman Nickolas Kriesel finishing seventh in the triple jump (32-3), freshman Chase Hunt ending up eighth in the 200 dash (26.62) and sophomore Brock Lieder coming in eighth in the high jump (5-4).

The RHS boys competed in two of the three relay events. Francisco, Kriesel and freshmen Peyton Erikson and Drake Martin placed fourth in the 4X200 (1:48.06). Lieder, Kowalski and juniors Alex Monk and Reuben Guzik finished sixth in the 4×400 (4:16.73).

The Hodags’ next meet is an invitational scheduled April 13 at Medford.