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Boys

North Branch turned in a strong showing at the Zimmerman Quad on Tuesday, April 21, competing against Zimmerman, Foley and Chisago Lakes with several top-five finishes highlighting the day.

Leading the way for the Vikings was standout sophomore Nolan Weidenhamer, who cleared 5’10” to win the high jump. He also placed third in the long jump with a leap of 20’1”, giving North Branch some valuable points.

On the track, the Vikings found success in both the middle and long-distance races. Nathanael Damiani turned in one of the day’s most competitive performances in the 800 meters, finishing second with a personal-best time of 2:09.87 in a tightly contested race. Damiani also added a fifth-place finish in the 400 meters,

The distance crew added another strong finish in the 3,200 meters, where Joseph Damiani placed second in 11:17.33.

 Nick Andreotti also had a nice meet as the freshman captured first place in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 18.29.

Capping off the day was a strong effort from the North Branch 4x400 relay team, which took first place with a time of 3:45.00. 

As a team, the boys finished in third place with 48 points. Host Zimmerman won the event with 72 points and CL scored 62.

Girls

The Lady Vikings finished second as a team going neck-and-neck with Chisago Lakes and were paced by standout sprinter Sophia Thorsen, who swept both sprint titles on the day. Thorsen captured first place in the 100 meters with a time of 12.34 and followed it up with another victory in the 200 meters at 24.7. Her double-win effort set the tone early and provided North Branch with a strong scoring foundation.

North Branch also found success in the field events, particularly in their specialty, the pole vault. Ella Dick led the way with a first-place finish, clearing 12 feet, while teammate Brooke Giese added a second-place effort at 10 feet. 

On the track, the relay teams continued to deliver in 2026. The 4x100 relay squad claimed first place with a time of 50.04, 4x800 relay team also secured a victory, crossing the line first in 11:20.5.

In the hurdles, Valerie Zarbok turned in a pair of strong performances, placing second in the 100-meter hurdles (17.79) and third in the 300-meter hurdles (53.33). 

Additional top-five finishes came from Kallie Kopp, who placed fourth in the 200 meters and third in the long jump, and Brooklyn Leistikow, who took third in the 400 meters. In the distance events, Evelina Gilkerson added a runner-up finish in the 3200 meters, continuing North Branch’s balanced effort across the board.

North Branch finished second with 58.5 points and Chisago Lakes won the meet with 68.75. The Thunder came in third with 43.75 points.

Hamline Elite Meet

Thorsen and Dick moved onto test themselves against some of the state’s top competition at the invite only Hamline Elite Meet on Friday, April 24, and came away with some strong finishes.

Dick cleared 12’3” inches to place third overall in a loaded field, matching her season-best and proving she can compete with some of the best vaulters in Minnesota, regardless of class size.

On the track, Thorsen represented North Branch in the premiere sprint event and showed well against elite competition. Thorsen finished 11th in the 100 with a time of 12.40 seconds, missing out on the finals by three spots.

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