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The North Branch track and field team flexed it muscles at the rest of the North Suburban Conference in last week's conference meet.

Both squads had a bevy of All-NSC picks, including 14 girls in 19 events, and seven boys in 10 events.

Girls

"Our 4x800 relay got us off to a great start on finals day by winning the event for the second year in a row," Head Coach Brian Hasleiet said. "Haley Hasleiet, Sadie Kolke, Briana Berthiaume and Kendra Norman all ran very well getting away from the field."

Catie Bettendorf dominated the hurdle events, earning All-Conference honors in both events. Onalee Yousey also garnered All-NSC honors in the 100-meter hurdles.

Sara Swanson came within a hair of winning the 400-meter dash for the Vikings. "It's great, because she has had a number of injury problems this year," Hasleiet said.

Miranda Charley and Shayna Gray each performed well in the 800-meter run, as they both placed well enough for All-Conference honors.

Amanda Johnson rounded out the All-NSC picks for the Vikings, earning the accolade in the pole vault event.

NSC All-Conference Honorable Mention awards went to: Swanson in the 100-meter dash, Kolke, Gray, Charley and ??? in the 4x400-meter relay; Kolke in the 400-meter dash; Norman in the 800-meter run; Gray and Ali Zimmerman in the 1600-meter run; Dani Privratsky in the 3200-meter run and Sydney Swanson and Teagan Anderson in the pole vault.

Boys

Prolific sprinter Jared Grams finished his last NSC meet anchoring the second-place winning 4x200-meter relay team. TJ Leason, Brian Grand and Joe Klun were also a part of the quartet. Grams also was All-Conference Honorable Mention in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. Klun earned All-Conference Honorable Mention in the 400-meter dash.

Leason and Grand, both only sophomores, shed some light on a bright future for North Branch track and field by each earning All-NSC honors in two other events.

Leason earned All-Conference in the 400-meter dash and the high jump. Grand also earned the honors in the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles.

"TJ and Brian had a couple of the better meets that we've had out of our sophomores," Hasleiet exclaimed about the young dynamic tandem.

John Morrison spun and tossed his way to an All-Conference award in the shot put event.

Ryan Norman got the Vikings some points in the distance category, earning All-NSC Honorable Mention in the 1600-meter run.

"John [Morrison], Joe [Klun] and Ryan [Norman] all had excellent meets for us," Hasleiet said.

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