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            The Osmond boy’s track team started the 2019 State Meet off on the right foot as they earned a medal in the opening event on the track, the 3200-relay.  Johnson Chishiba opened the race moving up to the top third of the competitors and handed off to Mason Bykerk who also ran strong.  Joshua Gansebom ran his best split of the year keeping the Tigers in medal contention.  Anthony Heiman took the baton and moved the team into a solid eighth place chasing the Allen Eagles to the line.  Osmond’s time was their best of the season 8:50.9. 

          As the relay was running Alexis Solorzano was competing in the shot put.  He had a nice toss measuring 43-2 which was 14^th best in the class.  Freshman Keaton Wattier was the next Tiger up.  He was in heat 3 of the 110 high hurdles.  After a fine start and solid run his trail leg hit the ninth hurdle but he still finished in fifth place in his fastest time ever of 16.21.

          Osmond had two runners in the 400 meters.  Justus Maertins was in heat two and ran his second fastest time ever of 53.96 for eighth place in his heat.  Anthony Heiman ran in heat three and did run his fastest time ever of 52.62 for a sixth place finish in his heat in his final race as a Tiger.  The last time into the finals was 52.27.

          The next event on the track was the 3200 meter run, and again Osmond has two runners in the field.  Early in the race Jared Bessmer was in the middle of the pack and Mason Bykerk not far behind.  After the 1600 meter mark Mason started moving up running with Belitz of Neligh-Oakdale.  With a lap to go Mason had moved up to eighth place but on the final stretch was passed by two runners and finished in 10^th place with his personal best time of 10:42.19.  Jared finished in 22^nd place in 11:18.75 for his final race of his high school career.

          The last race of the session for the Tigers was the 300 hurdles where Justus Maertins had earned a 7^th place medal the year before.  Justus was in lane seven of heat 2.  After a good start the runner in lane 8 from Sioux County hit the hurdle hard and went down.  The distraction didn’t bother Justus as he moved well over the hurdles and was even heading around the curve.  He caught the sixth hurdle but maintained his form and finished in fifth place in his second fastest time of the season 42.92.  It took a time of 41.66 to make the finals this year.

                   Saturday morning started at the discus ring with Alexis Solorzano.  After good warm up tosses Alexis had a nice 130 foot throw, just outside of the sector.  The second attempt was identical.  On his third trial his distance measured 117-10 which was the 11^th best distance of the class. A throw of 119-2 made the finals.

          Johnson Chishiba was up next in the 800 meters.  Johnson was in heat one. After the runners converged on the back stretch Johnson found himself in second from last place.  He steadily moved up gaining ground so that on the final stretch he had moved up to sixth place  and pushed himself into a third place finish out-leaning a runner from North Central at the line. His time was a good 2:08.34, his best time ever.

          The final event of the meet for Osmond was the 1600 meters and sophomore Graysen Schultze finally got to race.  Early in the race Graysen got caught on the rail and boxed in. On lap three he broke out and started moving up. He moved all the way near scoring position so that on the last stretch in a furious kick Graysen passed two runners up to ninth place just missing a medal. Graysen ran his best time of 4:49.36.

          “We had a very good State Meet with many personal best efforts that just missed medaling,” complimented Coach Joe Ortmeier.  “Congratulations to our medal winning 3200-relay team and thank you to our seniors.  Anthony Heiman, Nick Reikofski, Jared Bessmer, Haven Schultze and Makenzie Johnson led the teams this spring to successful seasons. Also a thank you to Coach Brian Guenther, Jessica Evans, and Shanelle Timmerman for their work with our athletes.”