Younger Belquist qualifies for state

Someone forgot to tell Kelsie Belquist about the line of thinking that seventh graders aren't supposed to do what she's currently doing in varsity track and field.

Several weeks of performances at or near the top of the standings in her chosen events make for good copy, but Belquist hadn't quite accomplished the ultimate goal of state meet qualification.

Everything came together for the NR-S youngster at the Panther Booster Invitational in Rugby this past Monday, May 13, as Belquist qualified by time in both the 400-meter dash (1:00.51) and the 300-meter hurdles (48.34).

She also placed third in the triple jump (33'2") and anchored the third-place 4x200-meter relay with Brianna Price, Elizabeth Widmer and Hannah Haley.

Older brother, Bo added a third event to his state schedule, hitting the 52.24 time standard on the nose in the boys' 400, which added to a win in the 200-meter dash and placing second in the 100. The Rockets' junior was previously qualified in both the long and triple jumps.

High placers in Rugby for the boys also included Parker Granger (third, 200; seventh, 100; eighth, 400), along with Hunter Johnson (fourth in discus and sixth in shot put).

Girls' highlights came from Haley, who ran a season-best 17.29 in the 100 hurdles to take third and also took a fifth in the 300 event, as well as Chloe Heinz's two placings of fourth and eighth in the one and two-mile races. Price was fourth in the 200 and added a sixth place finish in the 400.

The Rocket girls placed fourth with 54 points, while the boys, with 40, came in ninth in a crowded field. Rugby won both the boys' and girls' races.

The meet was the last regular season event for NR-S until this past Friday's North Central Region Track Meet, also held in Rugby.

At the region meet, individuals and relays placing in the top three of an event, along with any others meeting provisional times and distances, earn qualification to the State Track Meet to be held at Bismarck's MDU Resources Community Bowl Friday and Saturday, May 24-25.

Results from the Panther Booster meet are as follows:

Panther Booster Invitational, Rugby

Girls' Team Scores

Rugby 197.5, HWC 84, Velva/Drake-Anamoose 67, NR-S 54, Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark 52.5, Stanley 47, Rolette-Wolford 43, Divide Co. and Kenmare/Bowbells 31.5, Surrey 29, Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 25, Parshall 20, Glenburn 19, New Town 18, Williams Co. 5, Nedrose 3.

Girls' Results

200-Meter Dash: Brianna Price (4th), 28.60

400-Meter Dash: Kelsie Belquist (1st), 1:00.51 (state qualifier); Price (6th), 1:04.08

800-Meter Run: Elizabeth Widmer (11th), 2:43.17; Kayahna Hopfauf (14th), 2:47.55; Katie Allmaras (29th), 3:03.42

1,600-Meter Run: Chloe Heinz (4th), 5:56.99; Allmaras (17th), 6:33.21

3,200-Meter Run: Heinz (8th), 13:56.28

100-Meter Hurdles: Hannah Haley (3rd), 17.29

300-Meter Hurdles: Belquist (2nd), 48.34 (SQ); Haley (5th), 51.54

4x200-Meter Relay: Price, Widmer, Haley, Belquist (3rd), 1:54.82

Shot Put: Kenna Munson (14th), 28' 6 1/2"; Chloe Guthmiller (17th), 26'9"

Discus: Munson (17th), 76'4"; Guthmiller (23rd), 71'9"

Long Jump: Hopfauf (15th), 13'7"

Triple Jump: Belquist (3rd), 33'2"

Boys' Team Scores

Rugby 133, Surrey 58, Williams Co. 55, M-L-S 53, DL-B/L & C 49, Stanley 48, V-D-A 46.5, New Town 45, NR-S 40, Kenmare-Bowbells 34, HWC 27.5, Divide Co. 25, Rolette-Wolford 24, Parshall 20, Westhope-Newburg 19, Glenburn 18, Burke Central 14.

100-Meter Dash: Bo Belquist (2nd), 11.74; Parker Granger (7th), 12.09; Billy Fleming (14th), 12.55

200-Meter Dash: Belquist (1st), 23.56; Granger (3rd), 24.59; Fleming (13th), 25.88

400-Meter Dash: Belquist (4th), 52.24 (SQ); Granger (8th), 56.76; Fleming (13th), 1:00.44

Shot Put: Hunter Johnson (6th), 35'11"; Logan Munson (17th), 29'7"

Discus: Johnson (4th), 100' 10 1/2"; Munson (17th), 71' 2 1/2"