Cards, area teams hit track, course, diamonds for spring

A drier-than-normal winter has largely kept snow melt drainage to the bare minimum, meaning that if the forecasts remain favorable, the spring sports season can get going in a timely manner.

The Carrington track and field team will be the first Cardinal program to christen the 2024 spring with an indoor meet at NDSU's Shelly Ellig Track Complex this past Saturday, March 23.

This will be CHS Coach Greg Hoeckle's swan song after a legendary 35-year stint as the leader of the program, which has yielded nine state Class B girls' championships (1999-2004; 2012-14).

Leading the way for the Cards is returning 400-meter dash champion Logan Weninger. The Minnesota State University-Mankato bound senior set the school record of 49.73 seconds at the state meet last season with a dramatic leap past the finish line to edge HCV's Henry Nelson, and is also a state title contender in the 200 and 300-meter hurdles as well.

Additional potential point scorers for the Cardinal boys include Ryder Bickett in javelin, and the 4x400-meter relay team with Weninger, Bickett, Jaxon Schaefer and McKade Zink took fourth in Bismarck. The latter three runners also qualified for last spring's 4x200 relay finals.

The Cardinal girls track squad will lean on a pair of distance runners. Senior Madison Johnson placed third in both the 800 and 1,600-meter runs last season, and junior Kenadie Pazdernik was fourth in the 3,200.

Both of them were one half of the state runner-up team in the 4x800-meter relay along with Mercedes Lura and Edyn Hoornaert, and Isabel Wendel ran on the 4x400 team which came in fourth. Lura is also the returning fourth place finisher in the pole vault, hitting 9'9" last spring.

Baseball

CHS, along with perennial Region 3 power LaMoure/Litchville-Marion, are two of the teams that have the horses to compete for a State B berth at Jack Brown Stadium in Jamestown May 30-June 1.

Returning All-State player and senior Grady Shipman will be the key to much of the team's plans. The pitcher/catcher/shortstop was in the middle of many a rally for the Cards last year and in seasons prior, and is the staff ace on the mound.

Other returning top contributors include senior Owen Hagel, and juniors Josh Bickett, Corbin Clifton and Ryder Bickett.

Carrington begins the season on April 9 when they take on South Border in Wishek starting at 4:30. The Region 3 Tournament will be held in Steele May 20-22.

Last year, the Cards finished with a record of 12-6, and were eliminated by Kidder County in regional play.

Coach Wayne Shipman is in his final season as the only leader the Cardinal spring program has ever had, and he is assisted by longtime Midkota coach Rick Christianson.

One conference alignment change this year is the addition of Griggs County Central, though they and M-P-B (also Region 3) will play JV schedules.

Nelson County/Midkota, who co-oped with GCC in the past, has moved to Region 2. The Cards will still play NC/M in a home-and-home series.

Softball

The softball program begins its third year of existence under second-year Coach Brady Smith, and this spring is one where the Cards hope to show off what they've learned in front of the home fans.

Soggy fields last spring led to the Cardinal softball complex hosting just one game in its inaugural season of play, but this time around, the team has slated a full home schedule of Region 2 opponents.

Juniors Kaydence VanRay and Brynn Smith, along with sophomore Lauren Hendrickson and freshman Calleigh Hewitt, are the top returners for Coach Smith, and there are several others who are poised to make the jump to the varsity level and move up the regional standings.

In 2023, May-Port-CG and Thompson were the state tournament qualifiers in the region. Smith's group hopes their increased experience, along with a little pitching, defense and timely hitting, can help them move up towards the top half of the standings.

This season, the Cards are co-oping with New Rockford-Sheyenne. The first game is tentatively scheduled for April 4 when they play Wilton-Wing in Steele.

The home opener is slated for April 11 against Thompson at 4 p.m.

Boys' Golf

Coach Brady Morgan's golf team is trying to take the good weather days when they get them. The lack of wetness on area courses is a good sign that the spring season could start sooner than it has in recent years.

Senior Grady Shipman is the team's returning state qualifier, with others hoping to crack the field as well.

A schedule for the golf program was not available at press time.