Laker Track and field

The Prior Lake girls track team's depth continues to be its strength. 

The Lakers had a strong runner-up finish out of 16 teams at the Lakeville North Mega Meet April 23, finishing with 89 points, which was well back of champion Minnetonka (118).

Prior Lake was also runner-up the Skippers at the Joe Lane Invitational in Minnetonka April 26, tying for second with Mounds View with 84.5 points, while the Skippers scored 143.

"We had a good day [at the mega meet]," said Lakers coach Scot Jaenicke. 

Prior Lake is back on the track May 3 in the South Suburban Conference Relays on the Lakers' track at 3 p.m. The team will compete in the Wayzata Relays May 6 at 4 p.m., before preparing for the Section 3AAA True Team in Apple Valley May 10.

At the mega meet, the Lakers' 4x200 relay team of sophomores Hannah Caldwell and Kristyn Arends, senior Nicole Hoepner and eighth-grader Taynain Walgrave was victorious with a time of 1:46.13. The 4x400 team of Caldwell, Hoepner, junior Madi Scholl and senior Olivia Schroeder was third (4:12.83).

Scholl had the Lakers' lone individual win, taking the high jump with a height of 5-4. She was also third in the 300 hurdles (49.08). Eighth-grader Mallory Stach had a pair of runner-up finishes in the 800 (2:20.98) and the 1,600 (5:12.35).

Arends was third in the 400 (59.97) and fifth in the 200 (27.64). Senior Sarah Ring and junior Sophie Zak tied for sixth in the high jump (4-10). Senior Jazmen Henderson was sixth in both of the discus (107-05) and the shot put (35-4), while senior Hannah Duckson was fourth in the shot put (35-11 1/2).

Walgrave was fourth in the 300 hurdles (49.40) and fifth in the 100 hurdles (16.81), while junior Christina Hanson was seventh in the 100 hurdles (17.70).

Other Laker finishes: junior Gabi Brinkley in the 1,600 (8th, 5:37.03), Schroeder in the 400 (10th, 1:02.60), Caldwell in the 200 (8th, 27.81) and junior Ashlyn Pepper in the shot put (8th, 34-6).

At the Joe Lane invite, the Lakers won two relays. The 4x100 team of Caldwell, Walgrave, Hoepner and Arends was a winner (50.50), as was the 4x400 team of Hoepner, Scholl, Stach and Arends (4:06.45).

The 4x800 team of Stach, Brinkley and juniors Grance Jondal and Lauren Stach was second (10:01.86).

Hoepner was second in the 200 (27.56), as was Caldwell in the 400 (1:02.07), sophomore Serena Pfeiffer in the 800 (2:28.17), Brinkley in the 3,200 (11:35.36) and Ring in the high jump (5-0).

Other finishes: Walgrave in the 100 hurdles (5th, 16.88), Schroeder in the 100 (5th, 13.60), Pfeiffer in the 400 (4th, 1:03.49), senior Olivia Theilen in the 200 (5th, 28.31), sophomore Maddy Bremmer in the high jump (4th, 4-8) and triple jump (4th, 33-7), senior Ella Francis in the pole vault (4th, 9-6) and triple jump (3rd, 34-9 1/4), Duckson in the shot put (5th, 34-11), Henderson in the discus (5th, 102-11) and senior Alyssa Alytendorf in the long jump (5th, 15-5 1/4). 

The Lakers were also in the Shakopee Relays April 22, but competed without most of their top performers. The Lakers were eighth with 118 points. The host Sabers won (393).

Bremer was third in the high jump (5-0), while sophomore Claire Houle was fourth in the 300 hurdles (51.16) for the Lakers.