Track and field: Cardinals hand out season awards

• Boys award winner

Receiving boys’ awards were (top, left to right) Ben Vickstrom, coaches’ award; Bob Guetter, most valuable field athlete; Dan Gorghuber, most valuable sprinter/hurdler; and Austin McCoy, most valuable distance runner.
• Girls award winners

The girls’ awards went to (below, left to right) Brittany Ludwig, most valuable field athlete; Chelsea Richardson, coaches’ award; Rosey Erickson, most valuable sprinter/hurdler; and Jamie Piepenburg, most valuable distance runner. Not pictured, Shannon Thoennes, coaches’ award.

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The Alexandria track and field teams put the finishing touches on a memorable year by handing out its season-ending awards recently.

The Cardinal girls celebrated a year that saw them bring home two individual state champions by recognizing both Jamie Piepenburg and Rosey Erickson. Erickson was named the team’s most valuable sprinter/hurdler, while Piepenburg won the Most Valuable Distance Runner Award.

Brittany Ludwig was recognized for her importance in the throwing events. She was named the most valuable field event athlete, while Chelsea Richardson and Shannon Thoennes shared the Coaches Award.

The Cardinal boys put together an equally impressive season. They sent seven athletes to the state tournament and had six earn all-star honors.

Ben Vickstrom, Bob Guetter and Dan Gorghuber were three of those state participants. All three went home with team awards after the banquet. Vickstrom won the Coaches’ Award. Guetter earned the Most Valuable Field Event Athlete Award, while Gorghuber was named the most valuable sprinter/hurdler. Austin McCoy rounded out the award winners with the Most Valuable Distance Runner Award.

The recent success at the state meet made for one of the more memorable track and field seasons in recent history for Alexandria. Piepenburg and Erickson’s dominance in five events led them to a second-place team finish overall. The boys countered by having Guetter, Vickstrom, Mike Huss, Felix Coleman, Mitch Ronning and Gorghuber all earn all-state honors with top-nine finishes.

2010 ALEXANDRIA

TRACK AND FIELD AWARDS

GIRLS TEAM AWARDS – Most Valuable Field Events – Brittany Ludwig; Coaches’ Award – Chelsea Richardson, Shannon Thoennes; Most Valuable Sprinter/Hurdler – Rosey Erickson; Most Valuable Distance Runner – Jamie Piepenburg

BOYS’ TEAM AWARDS – Coaches’ Award – Ben Vickstrom; Most Valuable Field Event – Bob Guetter; Most Valuable Sprinter/Hurdler – Dan Gorghuber; Most Valuable Distance – Austin McCoy

ALL CONFERENCE – Guetter, McCoy, Connor Schuneman, Felix Coleman, Gorghuber, Mike Huss, Mitch Ronning, Tanner Thompson, Vickstrom, Andy Werk, Michael Joerger, Will Sieling; HONORABLE MENTION – Joe Wymore, Zach Hodgson, Elijah Hartsell, Matt Burow, Dylan Koenig, Zac Bartholomeo

ALL STATE – Guetter, Gorghuber, Vickstrom, Werk, Huss, Coleman, Ronning

ACADEMIC ALL STATE – Guetter, McCoy, Vickstrom, Joerger, Will Sieling

DONNIE DIGIDIO MEMORIAL AWARD – Guetter; DARIN DIDIER MEMORIAL AWARD – Sam Vinje

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