Tiger track and field competes at GPAC Championships

MITCHELL, S.D. – Gabe Dirksen (Lead, S.D.) finished his final season in the Great Plains Athletic Conference on a high note Friday and Saturday at the GPAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Fremont, Neb.

 Dirksen wasn't the only Tiger to take home a top-5 finish as Kamber Lamer (Hartford, S.D.) took fifth in the heptathlon. Both Dirksen and Lamer provisionally qualified for the NAIA Outdoor National Championships.

 Dirksen took fifth in the two-day event with a total score of 5,700. In the 110-hurdles the senior took sixth (16.97), ninth in the shot put (34-7.75 feet), fifth in the discus (105-10), third in the javelin throw (154-9), fourth in the long jump (19-8.75), second in the pole vault (13-5.25), sixth in the 100-meter dash (11.78 seconds), eighth in the high jump (5-6), tenth in the 1,500-meter run (5:22.59) and tenth in the 400-meter run (54.88).

  Lamer took sixth in the javelin (100-11 feet), sixth in the 200-meter dash (27.30 seconds), first in the 100-hurdles (15.24), tenth in the shot put (25-7.25), fourth in the 800 (2:35.82), fifth in the high jump (4-8.75) and first in the long jump (16-1.75) for an overall total of 4,089.

 Lane Tibbs (Kenesaw, Neb.) brought home a 16^th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run (16:37.76 minutes). Tibbs also competed in the 3000-meter steeplechase and finished in fourth place (9:57.48). In the men's 200, Nathan Bader took 14th-place (22.95 seconds), while Anthony Fontenot (Stephan, S.D.) recorded an 18^th-place finish (23.53). Also, Fontenot took 18^th in the 400-meter dash (51.42).

 In the 400-meter hurdles, Rex Schlicht (Woonsocket, S.D.) recorded an 11^th-place-finish (58.28), while Jon Harmening (Jackson, Minn.) took 16^th-place (59.11).

 Jeremiah Panec (Kenesaw, Neb.) finished in 12^th-place in the 1,500-meter run (4:10.37). Also on the men's side, Jared Rabenberg (Britton, S.D.) finished in sixth-place in the long jump (21-feet).

 On the women's side, Alyssa Weidler (Sioux Falls, S.D.) took fifth in the long jump (17-02.25 feet), while fellow freshman Mikaela Stofferahn (Dell Rapids, S.D.) took 11^th in the discus (127-09) and a 14^th-place finish in the shot put (39-feet eight inches).

 Kristen Jennings (Canton, S.D.) took 18^th in the shot put (36-08.25 feet). Kristen Longville (Lake Preston, S.D.) finished in seventh-place in the triple jump (34-09 feet).

 In the women's 400-meter hurdles, Kaylynn Anziano (Rapid City, S.D.) tallied a 14^th-place finish (1:10.21). Shailhyn Schweigert (Burke, S.D.) took 16^th in the 800-meter run (2:32.73). Also, McKenna Rogers (Saint Michael, Minn.) recorded an 11^th-place finish in the 1,500-meter run (5:03.74.).

 The women's 4x100-meter relay team took sixth (49.88). In all, the women's team finished seventh out of 10 teams with a final score of 15, while the men took ninth out of 10 teams with a total score of 15.

 The Tigers are back in action on Friday at the Last Chance Meet in Seward, Neb.