Hornets' Thorson sweeps hurdles

Wagner, Keller multi-event placers for Hornets at state —

Lane Moellenkamp | Jun 03, 2024

Erik Gjovik count

Tallen Thorson maintains a small lead on Logan Weninger of CHS down the home stretch of the 300-meter hurdle finals on Saturday, May 25. Thorson would hold on for a co-op record in the event, running 39.20 seconds, and Weninger also set the Carrington school record with a 39.58 time.

Erik Gjovik count

Christalea Wagner rounds the second curve of the 400-meter dash finals, where she ended up placing fourth in Class B. Wagner set the HWC co-op standard in the race, running 58.33, and she also placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 46.77. Also pictured in the background is Velva/Drake-Anamoose's Anya Olson (773), who edged out Central Cass's Elise Wisnewski (visible behind Olson) for the state championship in the event.

Erik Gjovik count

Keaton Keller was a two-event placer for the Hornets, taking seventh in the 300-meter hurdles (pictured here) and fifth in javelin.

Erik Gjovik count

Braylee Keller competes in the girls' javelin, finishing with a best attempt of 108'8".

Erik Gjovik count

In the first exchange of the girls' 4x100, Breanna Hellman makes a clean handoff to Tenley Grossman.

Erik Gjovik count

Noah Ziegler placed 13th in the boys' triple jump.

Despite the horrendous weather conditions on Friday, Harvey-Wells County had a great state track and field meet, as the boys placed 8th overall and the girls finished 17th at the Bismarck Community Bowl Thursday, March 23-25.

The meet started with a windy Thursday night competition, where HWC competed in the long jump and 4x200 relay. Friday brought strong winds and rain, as well as a three to four hour delayed starting time. A wet, puddled track had participants just trying to win or finish high in heats so they could move on to the finals.

Friday night brought a break in the clouds, as Keaton Keller took advantage of the slightly warmer conditions and finished 5th in the javelin with a big final throw.

Saturday's conditions were as good as Fridays were bad. Mid 60's and sun the entire day set up a record breaking day in many events at the state meet. The Hornets had an outstanding Saturday at the Bowl!

Leading the way for HWC boys was junior Tallen Thorson, who claimed the championship title in both the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300 intermediate hurdles.

Joining Thorson as a double event placewinner was Keaton Keller, who finished 5th in the javelin and 7th in the 300 intermediate hurdles. The boys team also picked up an 8th place finish in the 4x400 relay with Thorson, Keller, Noah Ziegler and Carson Heilman. The boys finished with 27 team points.

The girls team was led by Christalea Wagner. The junior had an outstanding state meet performance with personal records in the 300 intermediate hurdles and 400-meter dashes. Wagner finished fourth in the state in both races, and then joined teammates Breanna Heilman, Maci Reutter and Addisyn Faul to place 6th in the 4x400 meter relay. The HWC girls finished with 13 team points.

Also competing for the HWC boys at the state meet were Noah Ziegler in the triple jump and long jump, Dylan Heitmann in the long jump, Kayl Sieg in the javelin, the boys' 4x100 relay team of Jaxon Feist, Andrew Williams, Carson Heilman and Dylan Heitmann as well as the 4x200 relay team of Heitmann, Heilman, Keller and Thorson.

Other competitors for HWC on the girls' side included Braylee Keller in the javelin, Wagner in the 100 dash, and the 4x100 and 4x200 teams of Heilman, Tenley Grossman, Reutter and Faul.

Setting new school overall records for the HWC track and field cooperative included Thorson's 300 meter hurdles (39.02), Wagner's 300 hurdles (46.77) and 400 dash (58.33), as well as the girls 4x400 relay team time of 4:10.55.

Personal records reached at the state meet included Keaton Keller (300 hurdles), Tallen Thorson (300 hurdles), 4x400 relay team of Ziegler, Keller, Heilman and Thorson, Christalea Wagner (300 hurdles & 400 dash) and the 4x400 relay team of Reutter, Heilman, Faul and Wagner.

North Dakota State Track and Field Meet, Bismarck

HWC Girls' Individual Results

400-Meter Dash: Christalea Wagner (4th), 1:00.01 (prelims), 58.33 (finals)

300-Meter Hurdles: Wagner (4th), 48.97 (prelims), 46.77 (finals); Addisyn Faul (9th), 49.65 (prelims), 49.02 (finals)

4x100-Meter Relay: Breanna Heilman, Tenley Grossman, Maci Reutter, Faul (29th), 53.56

4x200-Meter Relay: Heilman, Grossman, Reutter, Faul (16th), 1:52.75

4x400-Meter Relay: Reutter, Heilman, Faul, Wagner (6th), 4:10.55

Javelin: Braylee Keller (11th), 108'8"

HWC Boys' Individual Results

110-Meter Hurdles: Tallen Thorson (1st), 14.91 (prelims), 15.26 (finals)

300-Meter Hurdles: Thorson (1st), 41.19 (prelims), 39.20 (finals); Keaton Keller (7th), 42.45 (prelims), 41.84 (finals)

4x100-Meter Relay: Dylan Heitmann, Andrew Williams, Jaxon Feist, Carson Heilman (27th), 46.83