LoW track team set to start season with leaps and bounds

Ken Johnston
Editor

Students from Rainy River are making up about 25% of the bodies on the Lake of the Woods track team in Baudette this year.
As part of an international sports coop, Rainy River students can participate in several sports in their neighbour to the south’s school.
Competing on the boys track team this year from Rainy River is Greg Beller, Cale Shumaker, Matt Ashworth, Matt Neilson and Jay Neilson. On the girls team there is Chelsea Ewald, Shantelle Davidson, Britanie Jasper, Meaghan Jasper and Athena Pirkl.
Head track coach Brian Novak is pleased with the size of the team which numbers about 40 strong. “We have a good core of junior high school students that will help us build for the future,” said Novak who noted that LoW lost several strong senior competitors at the end of last year.
Attending one of two pre-season indoor meets last week, the team did quite well. The 4X200 m girls relay team came in third. Making up that foursome is Reina Hoscheid, Chelsey Ewald, Britanie Jasper and Athena Pirkl.
Hoscheid also came in 3rd in the 55 m dash. “That is impressive in that there were 15-20 heats with 8 in a heat,” said Novak. There were 22 teams with about 1,000 athletes at the meet. That is much larger than normal meets which begin later this week when LoW travels to International Falls. Then next Tuesday they play host to their first home meet of the season at 4 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
Cooper Mickelson also placed 4th in the 400 m dash at the Bemidji meet.
Coaching the girls team is Katie White and coaching the junior high students is Anne Patten. Novak said it should be a good season for the team. He is hopeful that the spring weather will soon become more constant so that the team can get a solid week of training in.