Moose Lake-Willow River track and field speedsters set solid pace at Two Harbors Invitational

Moose Lake-Willow River football head coach Dave Louzek was accustomed to scoring points with his gridiron gang this past fall. But this spring, he was hesitant about whether his Rebels boys track and field team would do the same.

But after month of competition, Louzek’s convinced — his boys can score points.

The team again fared well in both track and the field events Tuesday, placing near the top of the pack at the annual Two Harbors Invitational.

“The kids have done well,” said Louzek. “So far this spring, they’ve put up some fast times and high numbers, which has made for solid results.”

Tuesday’s invitational included half a dozen other local track squads including the host Agates, Esko, Lakeview Christian Academy, Cromwell-Wright, Wrenshall and Silver Bay.

And though a little chilly, Louzek noted the North Shore weather was reasonable.

“We all had jackets, hats and mittens on,” he laughed. “The east wind off the lake made it pretty cold, but it was sunny, and a nice day to get out and race.”

This April, the Rebels have had countless individuals win events around the area, and have posted team victories at both the Aitkin and Barnum Invitational meets.

“We had a really strong team last spring,” recalled Louzek. “And this year, I wasn’t sure if our young guys could put up those kinds of points again. But already, I’ve seen a lot of consistency and a ton of scoring in all the events.”

The Rebels are guided by senior Zach Wohlstrom in the high jump and triple jump, while junior Nathan Vargas dominates the discus and shot put. Junior Holden Olson excels in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as the long jump. Louzek also said their 3,200-meter relay team is one of the strongest around.

“I really didn’t think we’d be this well-rounded,” he said. “We’ve been quite successful so far this spring and that has made me very pleased.”

The Rebels girls team is finding success, too. According to Louzek, they finished near the middle of the pack Tuesday and they also won the Barnum Invite earlier this month.

Senior Natasha Dragicevich, who went to state last year in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, is one of the team’s leaders.

“She’s looking to get back there,” said Rebels girls coach Matt Hosmer. “She’s injured right now, but hopefully she’ll be at full strength soon.”

Hosmer noted the early success of sophomore Katie Ring in the 800-meter run and eighth-grader Hailey Radel in the 1,600-meter run. The duo also aids the stellar ML-WR 1,600- and 3,200-meter teams.

“The girls just keep setting the bar higher every meet,” continued Hosmer. “We don’t even have a track, so to see them perform so well has been great. This has been a wonderful track season in Minnesota and our young team has done exceptionally well so far. They’ve definitely impressed me and hopefully it continues.”

ML-WR gets back in action Friday, April 30, when they travel to Pine City.

Tags: track and field, sports, track