by Les Knutson
Sports Reporter
Gold-medalist performances by senior Cheyenne Schaffer (high jump) and freshman Morgan Gehl (1,600-meter run) sparked the Heron Lake-Okabena / Fulda girls to a strong fourth-place team finish in this year’s Red Rock Conference high school track and field meet, held last Thursday (May 17) at Mountain Lake’s Munson Field.
Schaffer repeated as conference champion in the high jump, being the only one of 13 competitors to clear the bar at heights of 4-8 and 4-10.
Gehl took the lead early and cruised to an impressive 28-second victory in the mile, running 1,600 meters in 5:23.66.
Later, Gehl and Schaffer finished second and third, respectively, in the 800-meter run, clocking fine times of 2:28.03 and 2:33.72 after sharing the lead with Southwest Minnesota Christian senior Annika Brands throughout the first lap. Brands won the 800 with her time of 2:26.98, holding off Gehl’s strong finishing effort.
Gehl and Schaffer each ran 66-second splits for the Coyotes on the meet-ending 4 x 400-meter relay, with Gehl’s stellar anchor leg bringing HLOF from fifth to third in the event.
Running the two legs between Schaffer and Gehl were eighth-grader Skylar Fisher and junior Lene Kvame, who were each multiple-event contributors for the Coyotes, as well.
Southwest Minnesota Christian / Edgerton won the conference championship with a whopping total of 182 points. Hills-Beaver Creek, paced by four first-place finishes (40 points) by freshman Taryn Rauk (100, 200, 400, long jump), finished a solid second with 136.5 points.
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