GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD

New track and field throws coach Paul Olson gives a boost to improving Lumberjacks

Alex Faber — Thu, 22 May 2025 15:05:05 GMT

The Lumberjacks have had three different throwing coaches over the past three years.

The last one had never thrown a shot put before he coached the team.

Rance Bahr, the head coach of the Bemidji High �� girls wrestling team, ventured his way to the track last fall. With a mid-season coaching vacancy, he stepped up to coach the throwers while never having participated in the sport himself.

“He literally had never thrown a shot put in his life,” said BHS senior Kohen Donat, one of Bahr’s former wrestlers and a current BHS thrower. “His teaching was just shown as videos online, which we already did on our own.”

While he was well-liked amongst his throwers, the more technical aspects of the events were clearly never going to be Bahr’s forte.

This year, however, Bemidji’s throwers are under new leadership.

Paul Olson has stepped in as the Jacks’ throws coach, bringing a wealth of personal experience into his new role.

“Rance was such a good coach, but he just didn’t know everything,” senior Elizabeth Youso said. “He was still a great coach, and so is Paul. He’s just cracked down on the technique way more than any of the coaches I’ve known over the years.”

Olson threw the shot put and javelin at his high school in Lisbon, North Dakota. His head coach, Joe Howell, whose status as a legend has been cemented in the North Dakota High �� Coaches Association Hall of Fame, led a highly successful program that dominated its region for decades.

It was under this tutelage that Olson grew as a competitor, rising to the level of his more physically gifted opponents.

“I learned from a great coach,” Olson said. “Another thing, too, I’m 5-foot-6, so I had to do everything right. I had to be in the position, so I studied the positions and how to maximize my leverage, because I’m not 6-foot-5, and (I don’t) have the physiological tangibles.”

Olson already has some coaching experience under his belt, spending last season at the middle school. His new position with BHS, though, has allowed him to hone in on throwing. Specifically, working with athletes who have been competing in the shot put and discus for years.

“Middle school, we kind of have people do a bunch in other events too,” Olson said. “We have a little carryover now, but these throwers have been throwers for four years, so they’ve been ingrained in the system and been doing it.”

The Bemidji throwers have made plenty of strides under Olson this season. In Donat’s words, the throwers have seen their personal records “just skyrocket,” a sentiment confirmed by his teammates.

“The way that he goes about things is a lot different,” senior Tanner Whipple said. “He kind of goes, I would say, more in detail, but he kind of explains habits better, and he kind of sees things that didn’t really happen before. It’s a pretty good change, I’d say.”

Yuso said: “He’s more relaxed, but he definitely will put you to work. He definitely knows his technique, and that has helped almost every single one of us throwers this year. And he’s just been a really great coach.”

Wednesday afternoon at the Bemidji Invitational, a handful of Lumberjacks flexed that development by achieving new personal records. Whipple captured first place in the shot put, tossing a personal record of 50 feet 3/4 inches.

Kolton Meyer was right behind him in second place with his own personal record of 47 feet 2 inches. Meyer also notched a PR in the discus with a distance of 141 feet 2 inches, good for second place.

Donat kept the shot put personal records coming in fourth place, notching a throw of 41 feet 10.25 inches. Gabriel Zwack, who finished sixth in the shot put, also posted a personal record throw (36 feet 3 3/4 inches).

The Bemidji girls also shined. Samantha Cox took home first place in the discus with a PR of 99 feet 3 inches, followed by Youso’s 84 feet 5 inches for second. Cox also placed first in the shot put (31-2.5).

Eighth-grader McKenzie Ghinter tallied personal records in both the shot put (fourth, 28-7.25) and the discus (eighth, 67-4).

Though many of the Lumberjacks are seeing strong improvements and setting personal records this season, Olson was quick to credit the students and the previously established culture within the program.

“There’s been huge leaps, but that’s down to the kids being attentive, asking questions, trying to implement the coaching and applying it,” Olson said. “That makes it really easy for me, just having that drive and wanting to get better and wanting to be better. They know it takes attentiveness to detail, organization.

“All their coaches in the past, too, and (head coaches Brian Berntsen and Steve Sneide) holding that standard, too, it’s great to come into.”

Additionally, the collection of seniors on both the boys and girls sides has provided some ready-made leadership to help out Olson in this first season.

“Also, it’s setting an example, natural leaders,” Olson said. “I was really lucky to come in my first year and have them.”

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Lumberjacks post 64 top-five finishes at home meet versus Thunderhawks, Spuds

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 22 May 2025 03:30:35 GMT

BEMIDJI — With sections right around the corner, the Lumberjacks came away with plenty of top-end finishes in their home meet on Wednesday afternoon.

The Bemidji High �� track and field team put together 64 top-five finishes. Team scores were not tallied at the event.

The Bemidji boys collected half of those top-five finishes. Dawson Degelder paced the Lumberjacks in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.82 seconds, good for second place. Taylen Schemerhorn was hot on his heels, placing fourth with a time of 11.95. Schemerhorn also impressed in the 200, capturing third place (23.94).

Caleb Knott secured a first-place finish for the Jacks in the 800, earning a time of 1:58.34. Bemidji collected the top-three finishes in the 1600, led by William Ames’ time of 4:42.28 in first place. Tanner Johnson (4:42.57) and Blake Dewitt (4:49.76) finished second and third, respectively.

Deven Bentler led the way in the 3200, securing fifth place (11:19.73).

In the 300-meter hurdles, Marshall Spicer paced the Jacks with a time of 46.60, good for fifth.

Noah Wilson, Schemerhorn, Benji O’Leary and Degelder teamed up to take home first place in the 4x100-meter relay, earning a time of 44.03. BHS also snagged first place in 4x400, as the team of Knott, Brennen Hill, Kyle Millar and Johnson finished with a time of 3:37.36.

The quartet of Logan Phonethep, Trevor Larson, Jeron Huseby and Rhys Sneide placed second in the 4x200, while Trenten Fredriksen-Holm, Degelder, O’Leary and Sneide also tallied second in the 4x400. Dewitt, Ames, Owen Riley and Dylan Gunkel ended up third in the 4x400 (3:37.69). Dewitt, Hill, Millar and William Lohse teamed up for second in the 4x800.

In the shot put, Tanner Whipple ran away with first place (50-0.75). He was followed by teammate Kolton Meyer in second (47-2). Kohen Donat also managed a top-five finish, placing fourth (41-10.25). Meyer also had a strong day in the discus, finishing second (141-2).

A pair of Lumberjacks finished in the top five in the high jump. Matthew Haack snagged second place (5-8) and Breyland Eliasson wound up in fourth (5-6).

In the pole vault, Austin Heim took home first place (11-0). Crockett Puschinsky finished just a few spots behind in third (10-0). Isaac Lauderbaugh made his way into the top five as well, placing fifth (8-6).

All top-three spots in the long jump belonged to Jacks. Jayden Bondy led the way in first (19-0), followed by Sneide (17-10.5) and Cedrick Johnson (17-9). John Breczinski placed fifth (16-10.25). Sneide and Bondy also had great showings in the triple jump, placing first (41-1.5) and second (38-11.5), respectively. Finnegan Fairchild snagged fourth in the triple jump.

The Bemidji girls finished the day with 32 top-five finishes. Addison Hill secured first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.24. Aerie Hill finished just a few spots behind in third (13.43).

Naomi Johnson led BHS with a time of 27.91 in the 200, placing fourth.

Liv Thompson and Chloe Derby finished first (5:07.19) and second (5:21.68), respectively, in the 1600. All three competitors in the 3200 were Lumberjacks: Claire Story (first, 12:53.41), Abigail Olson (second, 12:53.62) and Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm (third, 13:46.14).

Finley Zothman took home second place in the 100-meter hurdles (17.74). Lola Van Engelenhoven finished shortly after in third (17.77). Aubrey DeWitt paced Bemidji in the 300-meter hurdles, snagging second (51.81). Zothman slotted in shortly after (fourth, 55.26).

In the 4x100-meter relay, Maja Sandelowsky, Johnson, Kaia Christopher and Karris Termont finished second (53.30). BHS also captured second in the 4x200, courtesy of Christopher, Clara Bieber, Fiona Untiedt-Welle and Brielle Warriner (1:57.60). Kambria Lee, Braelyn Ruport, Halle Hofstad and Jerzey Everhart placed third (2:04.89) in the same event.

Bemidji took home yet another second-place finish in the 4x400; Liv Thompson, Mya Thompson, Anika Harmsen and Raeghan Baird finished with a time of 4:18.29. The quartet of Hannah Quinn, Ruport, Theonna Spicer and Mateya Mistic finished less than 30 seconds later in fifth (4:45.87). In the 4x800, Baird, Mya Thompson, Harmsen and Claire Story secured second place (10:17.03). Rylee Story, Ivy Blumenshein, Adeline Runnigen and Fredriksen-Home snagged fourth in the same event (11:04.65).

Samantha Cox earned first place in the shot put (31-2.5). Elizabeth Youso and McKenzie Ghinter also impressed, placing third (29–6) and fourth (28-7.25), respectively. Cox also led in the discus (99-3), followed by Youso in second (84-5).

Kendel Barry finished second in the high jump (5-0), with Julia Barry right below in third (4-8). Emma Coulombe also placed in the top five, ending in fifth (4-4).

Jillian Haugen led Bemidji with a second-place finish in the pole vault (7-0), while Kelli Carlson finished third (6-0). In the long jump, Bemidji’s best finish came courtesy of Evie Bjornrud in fourth (14-8).

Bieber added another first-place finish for BHS in the triple jump (33-2.5). Katelyn Coulombe managed to place fifth (29-5).

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Lumberjacks secure 11 1st-place finishes at Moorhead Invite

Pioneer Staff Report — Tue, 13 May 2025 02:46:08 GMT

MOORHEAD — The Lumberjacks finished atop a bevy of events on Monday evening.

The Bemidji High �� track and field team came away with 11 first-place finishes at the Moorhead Invite, taking on the hosting Spuds and Fargo North.

The boys and girls teams both finished second, with the former collecting a score of 216.5 and the latter finishing with 169.5.

Taylen Schemerhorn picked up a first-place finish in the 200-meter dash, finishing with a time of 23.72 seconds. Jeron Huseby was hot on his heels in second place, finishing less than one second behind (24.01). Schemerhorn also captured third place in the 100 meters (11.62). On the girls side, Naomi Johnson grabbed fourth in the 200 (27.90).

Caleb Knott put on a show in the 400 and 600, collecting first place in both events (53.59 and 1:24.60). Kyle Millar made his way into the top five in the 400 as well (58.05). The girls were also well represented in the 400, as Lola VanEngelenhoven came away with second (1:05.49) and Fiona Untiedt-Well secured third (1:07.75).

Liv Thompson (third, 1:41.89) and Chloe Derby (1:42.44) both secured top-five finishes in the 600.

The Lumberjacks finished atop the 800-meter run on both the girls and boys sides. Thompson secured the top spot for the girls (2:25.28) and William Lohse snagged first for the boys (2:16.89). Derby finished right behind Thompson in second place (2:30.70). Lohse was followed by teammates Andrew Washburn in third (2:30.63) and Deven Bentler in fourth (2:32.43).

The top five consisted entirely of Lumberjacks in the boys 1600. William Ames led the way in first (5:03.56), followed by Blake DeWitt in second (5:10.36), Liam Larson in third (5:10.80), Bentler in fourth (5:24.26) and Zaden Graf in fifth (5:28.82). It was a similar story for the girls, as BHS competitors Abigail Olson (first, 6:12.00), Theonna Spicer (second, 6:34.16) and Adeline Runnigen (6:37.83) made up the top three.

Austin Heim finished fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (21.41). VanEngelenhoven ended up in fifth (18.29) in the 100-meter hurdles. Marshall Spicer wound up fifth in the 300-meter hurdles (50.00), while Clara Bieber and Finley Zothman snagged fourth (54.67) and fifth (55.89), respectively.

Both Bemidji teams secured first and second in the 4x400 relay. Anika Harmsen, Liv Thompson, Derby and Mya Thompson secured first with a time of 4:30.27. They were followed by Hannah Quinn, Claire Story, Spicer and Braelyn Ruport in second (4:50.41).

Knott, Larson, Lohse and Graf teamed up for first place in the same event (3:57.13). The quartet of Mac Buchan, Jack Galloway, Bentler and Millar came away with second (4:14.72).

Tanner Whipple and Kolton Meyer paced the Jacks in the shot put, finishing second (48-8) and third (46-5), respectively. Samantha Cox led the girls in fourth place (32-2).

Meyer also grabbed fourth in the discus (124-10), while Whipple snagged seventh (110-6.5). Elizabeth Youso tallied fifth in the same event (81-10), followed by Cox in sixth (79-11.5).

In the pole vault, Crockett Puschinsky came away with first place (9-10) on the boys side, followed by teammate Ty Marrow in third place (8-10). Kelli Carlson and Jillian Haugen placed second (7-4) and third (6-10), respectively, in the pole vault.

Rhys Sneide added another first-place finish in the triple jump (38-8). Bieber finished fourth (32-0.5) in the same event.

Julia Barry finished third in the high jump (4-9) on the girls side and Matthew Haack (5-2) tied for third on the boys side. Jayden Bondy finished third in the long jump (20-10).

Boys Team Results

1-Moorhead 344.5; 2-Bemidji 216.5; 3-Fargo North 106.

Girls Team Results

1-Moorhead 396.5; 2-Bemidji 169.5; 3-Fargo North 109.

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Lumberjacks finish 7th, 8th at Section 8 3-A True Team meet

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 10 May 2025 01:50:56 GMT

BRAINERD — The Bemidji High �� track and field team competed at the Section 8-3A True Team meet in Brainerd on Tuesday. The Lumberjack girls captured seventh place with a team score of 503.5, while the boys wound up in eighth with a score of 462.

Caleb Knott and Liv Thompson provided Bemidji with its two best finishes of the day.

Knott earned second place in the 800-meter dash with a time of 2:02.44. Thompson finished with a time of 5:17.87 in the 1600 for a second-place finish. She also collected 10th place in the 800-meter dash (2:28.77).

William Ames cracked the top 10 in the 1600, notching a time of 4:49.17 for 10th place. He also finished 10th in the 3200 with a time of 10:39.19. On the girls side, Chloe Derby also placed 10th in the 3200 (12:10.34).

The Bemidji boys best placement in the relays came courtesy of Knott, Brennen Hill, William Lohse and Blake Dewitt. The quartet captured third place in the 4x800 with a time of 8:46.41.

Noah Wilson, Benji O’Leary, Jeron Huseby and Dawson Degelder teamed up for fifth place in the 4x200 relay.

Samantha Cox paced the Lumberjacks in the shot put, finishing seventh (32-3). She also finished 11th in the discus (87-7). On the boys side, Kolton Meyer secured eighth in the shot put (44-9).

In the high jump, Julia Barry led the way for BHS by finishing eighth (4-8). Matthew Haack earned 10th place on the boys side (5-8). Jayden Bondy tallied 10th place in the long jump (19-10). Clara Bieber came away with 10th in the triple jump (33-2.25).

Boys Team Results

1-Moorhead 889; 2-Alexandria 876; 3-Brainerd 858; 4-Buffalo 728; 5-Monticello 686; 6-Sartell 587; 7-Sauk Rapids-Rice 555; 8-Bemidji 462; 9-St. Cloud Tech 341.

Girls Team Results

1-Moorhead 999; 2-Alexandria 961.5; 3-Brainerd 819; 4-Buffalo 698.5; 5-Monticello 649.5; 6-Sartell 637; 7-Bemidji 503.5; 8-Sauk Rapids-Rice 382.5; 9-St. Cloud Tech 317.5.

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Lumberjack coaches, upperclassmen adjust to large freshmen class with bright future

Alex Faber — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Steve Sneide and Brian Berntsen have different brains.

When the Bemidji High �� track and field head coaches hold their near-nightly discussions to go over planning and scheduling, it can lead to minor disagreements. But with a massive infusion of freshmen on both the girls and boys teams this season, that two-brained approach has been a boon for a coaching staff that has quite a lot on its plate.

“We think differently, which is a good thing,” Berntsen said. “If I can’t figure it out, he spitballs something. And if he can’t figure out, I spitball something.”

“We bicker and argue with each other about things, but it’s never personal, because we both have the same goal,” Sneide quipped. “We’re a very cohesive coaching crew this year. Everybody’s willing because we have so many kids. We have to be on the same page.”

On the girls side, the Jacks have added 35 freshmen this season. That number is typically anywhere between 15 and 20. Almost half of Berntsen’s team is made up of freshmen. The boys side added 22, which again, is larger than the standard incoming class.

Those sizable numbers have caused a few headaches for Sneide and Berntsen. Luckily, they have help.

Carey Woods, Ryan Aylesworth, Evan Amdahl, Paul Olson and Riley Stroot, the five other members of the coaching staff, have taken on plenty of roles this season. Each of the five is willing to take on new functions to keep things running smoothly.

With over 150 kids out for track, the Jacks have fewer rostered coaches than any other Section 8-3A team. Scheduling and allotting the proper amount of support for each student can be a struggle with such an imbalanced student-athlete-to-coach ratio.

“Sometimes, it's a lot of finagling the schedule,” Berntsen said, “making things fit, trying to figure out logistics of how to make it work. And sometimes it’s a colossal fail. But then it’s like, ‘Let’s try this next time, that worked better, do you think that worked better?’”

Between the cohesive staff and a collection of upperclassmen, though, BHS is making it work. And while the workload might be hefty for coaches, it’s an exciting reflection of the health of the program that seems to, from a competitive standpoint, have a bright future ahead.

“Iron sharpens iron,” Berntsen said. “So the better one gets, then the next person steps up, then that person steps up, then the next person. So the more numbers you have, the more people hopefully continue to keep stepping up.

“It’s always a numbers game. I always tell the ninth graders, it’s kind of a weird thing to say, but I go ‘Ninth-grade track sucks for a guy,’ because you’re a young, developing kid and you’re going against (17 and 18) year olds who have been through the wringer and are more developed. So we always tell them, just don’t worry about places, just keep getting better. It's not about this year, it's about two years from now.”

Leaning on leaders

Marshall Spicer isn’t necessarily a vocal leader. He’s not the type who rallies the troops by barking orders. But when he starts doing something, others follow.

“I don’t talk a lot,” Spicer said. “I just kind of help people when they need help, and if someone’s not doing something, then I’ll chime in and help them out.”

Spicer, one of the BHS track and field boys captains, is an important part of the leadership core for the program. In a year with so many new kids and with the coaching staff spread thin, participants who assume a leadership role have been key in getting the next generation up and running.

“You kind of have to have that with a program our size,” Sneide said. “Not to be complaining, but we have a small coaching staff compared to every other school in our section, so we have to use older kids almost as extra coaches for the most part, because we have six coaches for 14 events, and it’s tough on us.”

Spicer is more of the quiet type, but there’s a variety of leadership styles in such a big group. Tanner Johnson and Caleb Knott are there for the distance crew as returning state participants from a year ago. For the girls, there’s Liv Thompson, a junior team captain.

“She’s gotten to state twice so far,” Berntsen said. “She had a few others like Mia Hoffman and Regan DeWitt that she kind of followed, and now she came in and now she’s kind of put in that role of, ‘Hey, come on, let’s go do this,’ and she’s done a good job.”

Thompson's willingness to bring others under her wing isn't especially surprising, considering she has also taken on a leadership role in her other sports, including on the court for Bemidji’s girls basketball team and on the pitch for girls soccer.

“I think being a captain in my other sports, it just comes easier over time,” Thompson said. “I really enjoy being the leader of all my sports teams. It’s something I really take pride in.”

Those aforementioned competitors, as well as a host of other upperclassmen stepping up as leaders, are especially important during practices. With so many different participants and only six coaches to go around, it’s vital that kids are unafraid to ask for guidance.

That can be a tall task for a brand-new runner. But when the underclassmen see those vocal juniors and seniors assert themselves, it can become a learned habit.

“That’s the biggest thing we also tell the kids, you’ve got to communicate with us and ask for help,” Sneide said. “The older kids are like ‘I need you to watch me now, watch my box right now.’ They’re very demanding. The young kids have started learning, like, ‘Can you help me?’ Yes, we’re more than willing to help you.”

Plus, there’s the simplicity of having upperclassmen who have been there, done that. They know the drills. They know how the practices run. They can be handed their activity for the day and get right to work, freeing up the coaching staff to move to another group.

In the past, Berntsen has had a few experienced kids to lean on while coaching jumping events. While this year’s group doesn’t have upperclassmen in those specific events, there are a few who are starting to get quite comfortable with the drilling.

“In the past, I’ve had a few seniors, and I would run them through the drills,” Berntsen said. “I get them on the drills prior to actually doing what we’re doing for the day, and then I can go do something else for somebody else for a little while … I have a few junior boys that are kind of starting to come around, they are knowing the drills. So it’s like, OK, run them through this. I lean on them heavily myself.”

Captains aren't the only ones with loaded plates. Bemidji's assistant coaches sign up knowing they could have more responsibilities than assistants in other sports.

“The nice part is, when we’re busy doing something, we’re like, ‘Hey, can you take this?’ Aylesworth (will say) like ‘I gotcha’ immediately,” Berntsen said. “Carey Woods, he’s learning the high jump this year, so he’s taken one of those off of Amdahl’s plate and our plate, which is nice. So he’s getting ownership over more and more the longer he’s been (here)."

Multi-sport improvement

This year’s sizable group of freshmen didn’t happen in a vacuum. Sneide and Berntsen weren’t aggressively recruiting any more than they would have during a regular season.

So why the huge boost?

Part of it is player recruitment. Many seniors took it upon themselves to spread the word about the program and all the benefits that come with competing in track and field. Specifically, many participants joined as a way to improve in their other sports, such as football.

“I think kids are realizing track is good for your other sports,” Sneide said. “They’re like ‘Oh, I have to get faster,’ so they’re starting to realize the importance, because a lot of our really good athletes in the other sports are track kids who happen to be fast, and they learn how to run better, on the sprinter side of things.”

Dawson Degelder, for example, is a football player who joined track and field last season.

“He’s been huge for recruiting more football kids, because he’s telling kids, ‘You need to get faster,” Sneide said. “Another one that’s actually really helped our program is Carey Woods, who coaches football. He’s been telling all the football kids you kind of need to do track if you want to play college football.”

Thompson reaffirmed that point on the girls side, stating she joined track at first to “stay in shape” for her other sports. She also pointed to the strong track and field program at the middle school as a potential reason for this year’s large group of freshmen.

“The middle school program is fun, it's a good atmosphere,” Thompson said. “I think that gets a lot of kids continuing to want to do track, which I think is why there’s quite a few freshmen this year.”

There could also be an element related to COVID. Participation dropped when schools went remote during the pandemic, and Berntsen believes this year’s boost could be the start of a return to pre-COVID participation numbers.

“I know I have friends who work in middle school, and it seems like even softball this year had larger numbers for freshman girls,” Berntsen said. “Hopefully, it’s just a trend of coming back from the COVID days, where (kids) just got used to not doing things and not coming out.

"Other coaches have talked about that for a little while (with the) numbers, ‘Where’s everybody going?’ It’s like trying to get kids to come out. So hopefully they’re kind of coming back and getting back to normal."

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Lumberjacks grab 7 1st-place finishes at Elk River triangular

Pioneer Staff Report — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 03:09:36 GMT

ELK RIVER — Seven Lumberjacks finished atop their respective competitions at Tuesday afternoon’s meet.

The Bemidji High �� track and field team traveled to Elk River High �� for a triangular against the Elks and Blaine. The Lumberjack boys and girls teams each finished third, collecting team scores of 46 and 12, respectively.

The Bemidji boys dominated the 800-meter run. Blake DeWitt finished first with a time of 2:15.47. He was followed by Liam Larson (second, 2:16.38), William Ames (third, 2:16.75) and William Lohse (fourth, 2:17.03) to round out the top four. Claire Story (sixth, 2:47.22) and Anika Sneide (ninth, 3:00.14) each managed top-10 finishes for the girls in the 800 meters.

Multiple BHS competitors were stellar in the 1600-meter run. The top three spots for the boys were all Lumberjacks: Ames (first, 4:53.35), Zaden Graf (second, 5:14.60) and Devon Bentler (third, 5:17.51). Liv Thompson finished second (5:14.79) for the Jacks’ girls, and Chloe Derby also had a strong run in the same competition, finishing fifth (5:38.23).

Tanner Johnson notched first in the 3200 meters (11:06.16), followed by Jack Galloway (12:12.07) in third. Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm also wound up third (14:02.48).

Schemerhorn came away with first place in the 200-meter dash (24.07), followed just a few spots later by Trenten Fredriksen-Holm (third, 24.16). Benji O'Leary (fifth, 24.61), Noah Wilson (sixth, 24.81) and Rhys Sneide (eighth, 25.09) all tallied top-10 finishes as well in the event.

Austin Heim secured first in the pole vault (11-6). His teammate, Isaac Lauderbaugh, ended up in sixth (9-0). Dawson Degelder was the only BHS competitor to finish top 10 in the long jump, ending up in fourth (18-10.75).

Addison Hill led the way for Bemidji in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.35 seconds for fifth place. Naomi Johnson was next up in ninth place (13.54), while Taylen Schemerhorn finished sixth (11.66) for the boys

Fredriksen-Holm and Kyle Millar were neck-and-neck in the 400-meter dash, finishing second (55.88) and third (55.93), respectively. The Jacks’ lone representation for in the 400 came courtesy of Hanna Quinn, who finished fifth (1:09.51).

Lola VanEngelenhoven paced the Lumberjacks in the 100-meter hurdles by finishing fourth (18.25), followed by Aubrey DeWitt (19.06) in ninth. DeWitt also placed seventh in the 300-meter hurdles. Ryland Olson grabbed ninth in the 100-meter hurdles (20.79) for the boys.

Six competitors ended up in the top 10 in the high jump. Dalton Barry (4-8) and Kendel Barry (4-6) tied for fourth and seventh on the girls side, respectively. Breyland Eliason (fourth, 5-6), Matthew Haack (fourth, 5-6) and Rhys Sneide (seventh, 5-4) all wound up in the top 10 for the Jack boys.

Kate Corradi (29-2.75) and Matthew Haack (36-4.5) each led the way in the triple jump, both finishing seventh.

Sam Cox (30-6.5) and Elizabeth Youso (29-2) finished seventh and eighth in the shot put, respectively. Youso also finished 10th in the discus (81-3).

On the boys side, Kolton Meyer wound up ninth (41-7) in the shot put and fourth in the discus.

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Lumberjack boys, girls finish 4th at Sabre Quad

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 18:38:02 GMT

Editor's note: There were issues with the timing system for Thursday's track and field meet in Sartell. The posted times may be inaccurate. This story includes the posted times, as there were no alternatives to complete this recap.

SARTELL — The Lumberjacks have another track meet under their belts.

The Bemidji High �� track and field team finished fourth on both the girls and boys sides at the Sabre Quad in Sartell on Thursday. The boys earned a team score of 204.5 while the girls notched 178.5.

On the boys side, Taylen Schemerhorn finished just outside the top five in the 100 meters, earning a time of 11.43 seconds for sixth place. Dawson Degelder also made his way into the top 10 in the event, finishing ninth with a time of 11.65. Addison Hill paced the girls with a time of 13.31 for eighth place.

The Jacks also had multiple competitors earn top-10 finishes in the 200 meters. Naomi Johnson wound up in second place (28.15), and on the boys side, Ben O’Leary finished seventh (24.53), followed closely by Jeron Huseby in eighth (24.61).

Brennen Hill earned fifth place in the 400 meters with a time of 55.59. Anika Harmsen tallied sixth (1:05.49) and Lola VanEngelenhoven snagged eighth (1:08.27) for the girls.

In the 800 meters, Liv Thompson secured second place with a time of 2:29.14. For the boys, William Ames notched a time of 2:14.34, good for third place. Ames also impressed in the 1600, capturing second place with a time of 4:50.79.

In the 100-meter hurdles, Aubrey DeWitt was Bemidji’s lone representative in the top ten, grabbing ninth with a time of 18.78. DeWitt (53.22, sixth) and Clara Bieber (53.20, fifth) each placed in the top half of the 300-meter hurdles.

Bemidij took home one first-place finish in the relays, claiming the boys 4x400 with a time of 3:41.82. They also came away with second in the 4x800 (8:51.57). The girls’ came away with second place in the 4x800 relay (10:01.96).

BHS had two competitors near the top of the discus standings. Kolton Meyer earned second (128-7), followed by Tanner Whipple in fifth (121-7). Whipple also had a solid showing in the shot put, pacing the Lumberjacks by grabbing sixth (41-9). Elizabeth Youso finished in eighth for the girls (29-9), while Samantha Cox finished ninth (29-8).

Matthew Haack led the way for Bemidji in the high jump, coming away with second (5-8). Julia Barry also had a solid showing in the event, finishing sixth (4-6).

The long jump saw two Lumberjacks make their way into the top four, as Vinny Nelson snagged third (19-1.5) and Rhys Sneide secured fourth (18-11.25). Sneide also grabbed fourth in the triple jump (39-6.25), while Bieber ended up in third for the girls (32-6).

The Jacks’ sole top-10 representation in the pole vault came courtesy of Isaac Lauderbaugh (ninth, 9-6).

Girls Team Scores

1-Alexandria 389; 2-Brainerd 330; 3-Sartell 267.5; 4-Bemidji 178.5.

Boys Team Scores

1-Brainerd 383.5; 2-Alexandria 352; 3-Sartell 253; 4-Bemidji 204.5.

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Lumberjacks notch 3 1st-place finishes at Otter Invitational; earn 3rd, 4th

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:47:33 GMT

FERGUS FALLS — The Bemidji High �� track and field team had three first-place finishes at the Otter Invitational in Fergus Falls on Thursday afternoon.

Of the four schools that participated in the event, the Lumberjack boys finished third with 112 team points, while the girls finished fourth with 71.

Dawson Degelder, Trenten Fredriksen-Holm, Taylen Schemerhorn and Noah Wilson teamed up for a first-place finish in the 4x200 relay with a time of 1:36.96.

Fredriksen-Holm put together another strong race in the 400, finishing with a time of 55.24 for first place. Lola VanEngelenhoven placed fifth (1:08.56) on the girls side.

Kolton Meyer was stellar in the discus, coming away with the top spot at the event (128-9) for yet another first-place finish for Bemidji.

Noah Wilson earned a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.79 seconds), followed closely by teammates Dawson Degelder (11.85 seconds, sixth) and Schemerhorn (11.94, seventh). The BHS girls had two competitors in the top four; Addison Hill notched third (13.33) and Naomi Johnson fourth (13.62).

Schemerhorn also impressed in the 200, capturing third with a time of 24.12. Fredriksen-Holm (24.17) and Ben O’Leary (24.32) rounded out the top five for the boys side, while Fiona Untiedt-Welle tallied seventh (30.34) on the girls side.

Alivia Thompson (5:16.55, second), William Ames (4:59.97, fourth) and Abigail Olson (6:06.35, fifth) all managed top-five finishes in the 1600. Blake Dewitt ended up in the top three in the 3200 (10:46.81, third) on the boys side, while Chloe Derby notched fourth (12:43.39) for the girls.

In the 110-meter hurdles, Ryland Olson (20.52) and Greg Graff (27.96) finished third and fourth, respectively. Bemidji also had two top-five finishes in the 300-meter hurdles, as Marshall Spicer (50.64) nabbed third and Ryland Olson (53.68) tallied fifth. VanEngelenhoven grabbed third (18.46) in the 100-meter hurdles.

The Lumberjacks had a pair of relay teams finish top five in the 4x400 relay; Zaden Graf, Mac Buchan, Brennen Hill and Abraham Benson came in third (4:01.13) while Liam Larson, Jack Lanz, Jack Galloway and Dylan Gunkel wound up in fifth (4:11.52). On the girls side, Hannah Quinn, Alivia Thompson, Mya Thompson and Raeghan Baird secured second place (4:29.63).

Ames, Blake Dewitt, William Lohse and Caleb Knott kept the impressive relay finishes coming for BHS in the 4x800, teaming up for second place (9:07.57). Baird, Chloe Derby, Mya Thompson and Anika Harmsen also placed second (10:20.47).

Bemidji had multiple competitors end up in the top five in the shot put. Tanner Whipple captured third (43-10), as did Samantha Cox (30-7), while Meyer secured fifth (39-10).

Cox also had a great showing in the discus, securing second (91-5.5). She was followed closely by Elizabeth Youso, who finished fourth (76-8).

On the boys side of the high jump, Bemidji was represented by Dreyden Lauderbaugh, who finished seventh (5-2).

The long jump saw multiple Lumberjacks finish in the top eight. On the boys side, Jayden Bondy led the way in second (18-9), followed by Breyland Eliasson in third (18-1.5) and Vinny Nelson in eighth (17-0). Katelyn Coulombe finished seventh on the girls side (13-2.25).

Boys Team Results

1-Fergus Falls 184; 2-Detroit Lakes 131; 3-Bemidji 112; 4-Lisbon 107.

Girls Team Results

1-Fergus Falls 194; 2-Detroit Lakes 155; 3-Lisbon 115; 4-Bemidji 71.

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Lumberjacks continue strong start at Craig Hougen Relays

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 22:06:58 GMT

BEMIDJI – The Lumberjacks have put together another impressive showing at the Gillett Wellness Center.

The Bemidji High �� track and field team hosted the Craig Hougen Relays on Tuesday, competing against a host of regional teams.

The BHS boys captured first place with a team score of 178. The girls wound up in third with a score of 77.5, finishing only behind West Marshall (116) and Frazee (93).

On the girl’s side, Claire Story earned third place in the 800 meters with a time of 2:55.56. The Lumberjacks notched another third-place finish in the 1600 meters, courtesy of Abigail Olson’s race time of 6:10.12.

Lola VanEngelenhoven kept the third-place finishes coming in the 60-meter hurdles (1.27 seconds).

Brenalen Fredriksen-Holm, Braelyn Ruport, Adeline Runningen and Kambria Lee combined for second place in the 4x400 relay (5:00.94). Bemidji came away with first place in the 4x800 relay, as Raeghan Baird, Mya Thompson, Anika Harmsen and Alivia Thompson combined for a race time of 10:38.91.

A handful of Jacks ended up in the top 10 in the shot put. Samantha Cox led the way in third place (31-11.75), followed by Elizabeth Youso in sixth (28-11) and Stella Wilde in 10th (26-1). Cox also managed to place ninth in the high jump (4-06).

Similarly, a trio of Lumberjacks tallied top-10 finishes in the long jump. Mahalia Knott grabbed fifth (14-1), Clara Bieber notched eighth (13-10) and Katelyn Coulombe secured ninth (13-8.5).

Sydney Beise led BHS in the pole vault, finishing seventh (5-0).

On the boys side, Taylen Schemerhorn finished third in the 60-meter dash (7.46 seconds), followed by Breyland Eliasson (7.50) and Dawson Degelder (7.50).

Ben O’Leary captured fourth in the 200 (25.12), Trenten Fredriksen-Holm notched second in the 400 (56.51) and William Ames earned second in the 800 (2:17.93). Ames also impressed in the mile, placing second (5:11.84).

In the 3200, Blake Dewitt led the pack with a time of 11:01.46. Deven Bentler also put together a solid showing in the competition, capturing fourth (12:02.04).

Bemidji found plenty of success in the relays. In the 4x200, Noah Wilson, Rhys Sneide, Degelder and Schemerhorn combined for first place (1:37.93). BHS earned another first-place finish in the 4x400 relay thanks to Fredriksen-Holm, Kyle Millar, Tanner Johnson and Caleb Knott (3:47.56). Jack Galloway, Liam Larson, Bentler and Dewitt teamed up for second place in the 4x800.

In the SMR 1600, Degelder, Schemerhorn, Knott and Johnson earned first place with a time of 3:51.94.

Two Lumberjacks finished atop the shot put standings. Tanner Whipple led the way in first place (43-10.75), followed by Kolton Meyer (41-9.25). In the pole vault, Austin Heim earned second place (11-06).

Sneide led the way for Bemidji in the long jump, grabbing fourth (18-10.25). Breyland Eliasson (18-7) and Jayden Bondy (18-7) were next up, finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.

Sneide also shined in the triple jump. He earned first (39-8.75), followed closely in second by Eliasson (38-9.5).

Bemidji wasn't the only area school to compete at Tuesday's meet. Northome/Kelliher/Blackduck finished seventh on the girls side and eighth on the boys side, while TrekNorth placed 11th on both sides.

Noah Holmberg, Wade Lamm, Brody Mistic and Colton Connell teamed up to give the N/K/B boys a fourth-place finish in the 4x400 relay (4:13.5).

Northome/Kelliher/Blackduck also impressed in the SMR 1600, as Ethan Plutko, Holmberg, Mistic and Connell combined for second place (4:18.05).

Individually, Mistic captured eighth in the pole vault (8-0) and Ethan Plutko grabbed ninth in the long jump (18-0).

The N/K/B girls also put together some great finishes, including three top-10 placements in the 60-meter hurdles. Taylor Henry led the way in second (10.76), followed by Kaelan Rockensock in fourth (11.29) and Emily Duquette in seventh (11.50).

Maddie Poxleitner, Kia Dodd, Marissa Mills and Duquette earned second place in the SMR 1600 with a time of 5:08.54.

In the shot put, Joy Adegun led the way for N/K/B by finishing fifth (28-11.5). Charli Hallstrom notched fourth place in the high jump (4-10). Mills collected third in the pole vault (6-0). Rockensock tallied fifth in the triple jump (28-5.5).

TrekNorth also competed in multiple events. On the boys side, Riley Fadness (1:09.61) and Archer Stacy finished 32nd and 35th, respectively, in the 400 meters. Carter Derby earned 18th in the 1600 meters with a time of 6:28.16.

TrekNorth's best relay finish came in the SMR 1600, as Mitchell Smith, Logan Wellnitz, Ricardo beck and Carl Taylor combined for sixth place (4:47.64).

Paige Tennyson earned 16th in the 1600 meters for the TrekNorth girls. Dream Davis came away with 71st in the 200 meters, followed closely by Piper Newago in 73rd (35.03). Kylee Lussier came away with TrekNorth's best finish in the shot put, grabbing 31st (18-5.25).

Boys Team Results

1-Bemidji 178; 2-Grand Rapids 127; 3-Pillager 80.5; 4-Frazee 71; 5-Bagley/Fosston 56.5; 6-Nevis 32; 7-West Marshall 26; 8-Fertile-Beltrami 16; 8-Northome/Kelliher/Blackduck 16; 10-Clearbrook-Gonvick 14.5; 11-TrekNorth 11.5; 12-Win-E-Mac 5.

Girls Team Results

1-West Marshall 116; 2-Frazee 93; 3-Bemidji 77.5; 4-Grand Rapids 73; 5-Bagley/Fosston 72.5; 6-Pillager 55.5; 7-Northome/Kelliher/Blackduck 42; 8-Fertile-Beltrami 28; 9-Clearbook-Gonvick 26; 10-Win-E-Mac 15; 11-TrekNorth 1.5.

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Bagley-Fosston's Ava Phrakonkham wins three events at Class A state meet

Brad Elliott Schlossman — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 21:58:15 GMT

GRAND FORKS — Ava Phrakonkham said before the Minnesota Class A state track and field meet she would concentrate on what she did between the prelims and finals.

"I had issues in the past with a two-day meet with prelims and finals," she said. "A lot of events like that exhaust me. I'm focusing this week on water and what I'm eating and what I'm doing between prelims and finals."

It worked.

The Bagley-Fosston junior turned in an impressive finals day at state.

Phrakonkham won the 100, 200 and was the anchor on Bagley-Fosston's first-place 4x100 relay team in St. Michael.

In the 100, Phrakonkham won with a time of 11.80 — the best time in the state of Minnesota this season. Hills-Beaver Creek's Brynn Bakken finished second in 11.97.

In the 200, she won with a time of 24.60. Math and Science Academy's McKaylen Lewis finished second in 24.76.

In the 4x100, she teamed with Claire Klinkhammer, Sienna Friesen and Tessa Manecka to run a time of 48.84. They easily beat out Chatfield, which finished second in 49.36.

Phrakonkham has not yet committed to a college but said she expects the recruiting process to pick up this summer.

Her state tournament showing won't hurt.

Allison LaVine wins discus

Clearbrook-Gonvick's Allison LaVine won a state title in discus.

LaVine threw it 135-07 inches Thursday to win the Class A title. Her throw easily beat out second-place Alexis Rathje of St. Croix-Lutheran (128-06).

LaVine had entered the state meet ranked No. 1 according to athletic.net.

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