Girls track team gets season underway with NEIC Indoor at Luther

The Waukon Indian girls track team got its 2005 season of competition underway this past week with the Northeast Iowa Conference Indoor at Luther College in Decorah Tuesday, March 22. A squad already low in numbers compared to previous years was diminished even further for this meet due to a variety of circumstances.

Despite the limited Indian participation, veteran head coach Don Steffens noted some highlights and pleasant surprises from the charges he did have competing in Tuesday’s event. “Overall, this was a good first outing for us,” he said. “It gave us a chance to compete and also to see what the other teams in our conference have with their squads this year. We’ve had very limited practice due to state tournaments and the weather, but I thought we competed fairly well.”

The Tribe’s highest finish at the meet was a lone victory secured by the distance medley relay team of senior Leah Nichols, freshman Erika Schwartzhoff, and juniors Ruth Rolling and Sarah Hammel. That crew teamed up to top the entire field in a time of 4:42.64.

Hammel and Rolling were also involved in one of the Indians’ two runner-up finishes at the meet, joining forces with sophomores Jenna Schoeberlein and Alex Langland to finish second in the 4x800 relay with a clocking of 11:26. “We had a couple outstanding middle distance efforts from Ruth Rolling and Sarah Hammel,” Coach Steffens commented. “Ruth did a very nice job for her first time competing, running a solid half mile and then coming back with an excellent quarter mile to help us win the distance medley. Sarah Hammel had a pair of outstanding half miles in both of those races also.”

The Tribe’s other runner-up finish came in the shot put from senior Stephanie Snitker, who heaved the shot 34’3” to place second overall. Fellow senior Ashley Johnson also earned a placewinning in the event, placing fifth with a personal best toss of 32’1-1/2”.

“We had double placings in the shot,” Coach Steffens said. “This was the first time Stephanie had competed since she was a freshman, and she ended up second overall. She actually had one throw in the 36- to 37-foot range that she scratched on, so she’s going to be a good one. Ashley Johnson also threw her personal best to place, that was a real happy surprise for us.”

Other notable pleasant surprises for the veteran coach were accomplished by the other end of the experience spectrum, as several freshman efforts resulted in placewinnings for the Orange and Black at the season-opening event. “We had some very good efforts out of some of our freshman athletes that resulted in high placings for them - that was a very pleasant surprise for us,” Steffens remarked.

A quartet of Indian freshmen teamed up to bring home a third-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay event. Varsity newcomers Haley Jeppson, Allison Eickelberg, Laura Treangen and Brianne Bjerke joined forces to clock in at 43.51 seconds in that hurdle event. Jeppson also earned a fourth-place finish in the 55 meter hurdles with a time of 9.73 seconds.

Fellow freshman Lisa Dahlstrom turned in her own placewinning performance in the high jump. She leaped 4’4” to claim fourth place in that event. “I was very pleased with Lisa’s effort in the high jump, that was another happy surprise for us,” said Steffens.

Indian results (placewinnings noted) at the Northeast Iowa Conference Indoor follow:

Shot put - 2. Stephanie Snitker 34’3”; 5. Ashley Johnson 32’1-1/2”; Hannah Jones 24’3-1/2”.

High jump - 4. Lisa Dahlstrom 4’4”.

Long jump - N/A.

3000m - 4. Ashley Waters 12:43.81; 5. Leanna Hammel 12:44.29; Sarah Riese N/A.

4x800 - 2. Sarah Hammel, Ruth Rolling, Jenna Schoeberlein, Alex Langland 11:26.

Shuttle hurdle relay - 3. Haley Jeppson, Allison Eickelberg, Laura Treangen, Brianne Bjerke 43.51.

Distance medley - 1. Leah Nichols, Erika Schwartzhoff, Ruth Rolling, Sarah Hammel 4:42.64.

55m dash - Alyssa Cooper 8.68; Allison Eickelberg 8.82.

400m - Mara Mathis 74.89; Jennifer Lacewell 75.48.

4x200 - 4. Leah Nichols, Erika Schwartzhoff, Rachel Berns, Laura Treangen 2:06.46.

55m hurdles - 4. Haley Jeppson 9.73; Brianne Bjerke 10.69.

800m - Amy Harvey 3:01.98; Nicole Smed 3:09.61.

200m - Laura Treangen 32.51; Jennifer Lacewell 33.03.

1500m - Sarah Riese N/A.

4x400 - 5. Leah Nichols, Rachel Berns, Mara Mathis, Ashley Waters 4:52.23.

A schedule change will keep the Indians from competition until Thursday, April 7 at the Decorah Invitational. A meet at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids originally scheduled for this Friday, April 1 has been moved to April 7, and the Indians will not be able to compete in that meet due to their prior commitment to the Decorah Invitational.