REBELS HAVE STRONG SHOWINGS AT EARLY TRACK MEETS

March 26 Early Bird Invitational

Despite temperatures in the upper thirties, the Rebels were able to host the Early Bird Invitational on Thursday, March 26th. This four-team meet is more of a time trial, as it consists only of individual open events and no relays. This allows the coaches to have multiple student-athletes participate and get times under common weather conditions.

The Murray County Central girls’ track and field team opened their season with an impressive collection of performances, highlighted by event wins, multiple top-three finishes, and a strong showing from a young roster.

Leading the way for the Rebels was eighth grader Charley Holm, who sprinted to a firstplace finish in the 100-meter dash with a time of 14.19. Holm also made her presence known in the field events, placing second in the long jump (13’1”) and tying for first in the pole vault at 6’6”.

Fellow Rebel Kenslee Bobeldyk, a seventh grader, turned in a standout all-around performance. She placed fourth in the 100 meters (14.99), fifth in the 200 meters (32.81), and added a sixth-place finish in the 400 meters with a personal best time of 1:15.40.

In the middle-distance events, eighth grader Isabela Schreier delivered a strong double performance, finishing third in the 400 meters (1:12.67) and fourth in the 800 meters (2:52.60). Distance runner Holland Vogel also had a notable meet, taking second in the 1600 meters (6:43.07) and adding a runner-up finish in the triple jump (25’6”).

The Rebels showed depth in the distance events, with Sophia Hamersma, Ainsley Pieske, and Cassie Scandrett finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively, in the 1600 meters. Pieske and Scandrett also contributed solid efforts in the 800 meters.

In the field events, seventh grader Olivia Heard made a strong debut, placing fifth in the shot put (21’2”) and fourth in the discus (70’4”). Antonina Godlewska added a pair of top-15 finishes in both throwing events, including a personal best in discus.

Pole vault proved to be a major strength for Murray County Central, as Chloee Kremer tied Holm for first place at 6’6”, while Kora Kremer secured third place with a clearance of 5’6”.

Additional strong performances included Alaina Bonnstetter and Madi Stelter tying for eighth in the long jump, while Kremer added a fourth-place finish in the triple jump.

The Murray County Central boys track and field team opened their season in dominant fashion, piling up event wins and showcasing depth across sprints, distance, and field events.

Senior standout Lucas Kuball led the charge with a remarkable all-around performance, capturing four event titles. Kuball sprinted to victories in the 100 meters (12.00), 200 meters (24.50), and 400 meters (55.09), while also soaring to first place in the long jump with a leap of 20’3”. His efforts highlighted a powerful start to the season for the Rebels.

MCC’s sprint group showed impressive depth behind Kuball. Brayden Gilb placed third in the 100 meters (12.73) and fourth in the 200 meters (26.16), while Parker Olson added a fifth-place finish in the 100 and sixth in the 200. Luke Iverson and Kolten Nielsen also contributed top-eight finishes in the 100, underscoring the Rebels’ strength in short sprints.

In the 200 meters, MCC placed five athletes in the top six, including Alexander Betz, who took third (25.99), followed closely by Gilb, Iverson, and Olson.

The Rebels continued their dominance in the 400 meters, sweeping the top two spots with Kuball and Betz (55.69). Beckett Stelter added a fourthplace finish, while Gilb, Henry Carlson, and Olson all placed in the top eight, giving MCC a commanding presence in the event.

Distance events also proved to be a strength. Betz claimed the 800-meter title in 2:10.99, while Stelter (3rd) and Carlson (4th) added strong finishes. In the 1600 meters, Micah Janssen led the Rebels with a thirdplace finish, followed by a tight pack of teammates, including Henry Hause, Carter Larson, and Connor Pieske, all placing in the top six.

MCC found success in the hurdles as well, with Tyler Reith capturing first place in the 110-meter hurdles (19.75), while Evan Braun added a fourth-place finish.

The Rebels were equally strong in the field events. Gabriel Wolske delivered a standout performance by winning the discus (110’9”) and placing second in the shot put (40’4”). Broox Platt added a third-place finish in the shot put, while several teammates contributed additional scoring efforts.

In the jumps, MCC dominated the high jump with Brayden Gilb and Max Mathiason tying for first at 5’4”, while Ayden Like added a third-place finish. The Rebels also swept the pole vault, led by Iverson’s first-place clearance of 8’0”, followed by Austin Reese (2nd) and Deacon Pieske (3rd).

Long jump was another highlight, as Kuball led a 1-2-3-4 finish for MCC, followed by Olson, Mathiason, and Dylan Gilbertson. In the triple jump, Connor Pieske secured a third-place finish to round out a strong showing in the jumps.

With multiple event wins, numerous personal bests, and contributions from athletes across all grade levels, the Rebels demonstrated both talent and depth in their season opener. The Early Bird Meet provided a promising glimpse of what could be a successful season ahead for Murray County Central.

March 30 Dick Davidson Invitational

On Monday, March 30th, the MCC Track teams hosted six other teams for the Dick Davidson Invitational. Dick Davidson led the Slayton/MCC Track teams for 34 years. During his tenure, he guided 31 individual events and 25 relay teams that placed in the top 9 at the state meet. His teams placed in the MSHSL State top ten 7 times (5 boys, 2 girls), winning boys state in 1978, and the State True Team meet 15 times (11 boys, 4 girls), winning boys state in 1988, 1989, and 1997. He is a member of the Minnesota Cross Country Hall of Fame, Minnesota Track Hall of Fame, and Murray County Central Hall of Fame. Currently, Coach Davidson officiates high school meets and would do that for the one that bears his name.

Leading the way for the Rebels was senior standout Lucas Kuball, who put together an exceptional meet. Kuball claimed first-place finishes in the 200-meter dash (23.98) and 400-meter dash (53.14), while also taking second in the 100 meters (11.69). He added another victory in the long jump with a personal-best leap of 20 feet, 10.5 inches, capping off one of the most impressive individual performances of the day.

The Rebels showed strong depth in the sprint events as Parker Olson placed fourth in both the 100 (12.31) and 200 (24.81) while also finishing second in the 300-meter hurdles (45.92). Brayden Gilb contributed with a third-place finish in the 400 (56.10) and added points in both the 100 and 200.

In the middle-distance races, Murray County Central dominated the 800 meters, sweeping the top five spots. Alexander Betz led the charge with a first-place finish in 2:09.08, followed by Henry Carlson, Micah Janssen, Henry Hause, and Carter Larson. Betz also added a third-place finish in the 1600 meters (5:15.72), while Connor Pieske placed seventh.

The Rebels continued to shine in relay competition. The 4x200 relay team of Kolten Nielsen, Henry Carlson, Beckett Stelter, and Alexander Betz placed third (1:39.57), while the 4x400 relay (Henry Carlson, Tyler Reith, Dylan Gilbertson, Beckett Stelter) squad took second (3:49.23). The 4x800 relay team (Micah Janssen, Henry Hause, Carter Larson, Connor Pieske) added a thirdplace finish.

In the field events, Murray County Central excelled. Dylan Gilbertson captured the triple jump title with a personal-best mark of 40 feet, 7.5 inches. That mark placed him 5th alltime in Slayton-MCC track history! Quite an impressive feat for a sophomore. Dylan added a fourth-place finish in the long jump. Olson and Gilbertson helped the Rebels go 1-2-4 in the long jump, with Olson finishing second and Max Mathiason placing eighth.

The throwing events were another bright spot. Gabriel Wolske won the discus with a throw of 130 feet, 5 inches, while also placing 11th in the shot put. Broox Platt added a secondplace finish in the shot put (3610) and took fifth in the discus. Mason Stoppel and Cyril Zenk also contributed solid efforts in the shot put.

In the pole vault, Murray County Central swept the top two spots as Luke Iverson cleared 10 feet, 6 inches to win, followed by Caleb Rosenbrook at 10 feet. Austin Reese and Deacon Pieske added additional scoring.

On the girls’ side, Murray County Central also turned in several standout performances. The 4x400 relay team of Kenslee Bobeldyk, Jada Jackels, Isabela Schreier, and Charley Holm captured first place with a time of 4:36.99.

Individually, Schreier placed third in the 400 meters (1:05.66), while Holm had an outstanding day, winning the 100 (13.71), long jump (14-10), and placing third in the pole vault. Schreier also added a second-place finish in the long jump.

Holland Vogel brought home a victory in the 3200 meters (14:21.55), while Kenslee Bobeldyk placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 57.78.

Additional contributions came from Chloee Kremer, who placed second in the pole vault, and several young athletes who recorded personal bests throughout the meet.

The Rebels will have the rest of the week off and resume competition after the Easter break.