Lancers edge Lutheran North, win ABC meet meet
"I know we hadn't done it in the five years I've been here," DeNoyer said on Sunday. "Heading into this season, I really never thought about it."
As of last weekend, DeNoyer needs to start.In what truly was a team effort, the Lancers pulled out the crown by the slimmest of margins Saturday afternoon at John Burroughs. They got points from all sorts of sources: runners, throwers and jumpers. But when it came down to crunchtime, with just one event to go, it was South's 4x400-meter relay squad that came through.
"Going into the 4x4, they announced we were five points up," DeNoyer said. "We knew that Lutheran North was right behind us (in the standings), but as long as our guys stayed close to them, we'd still win the title."
North won the relay in 3:30.9, but the South team of juniors Dean Odegard, James Groerich, Joe Jackson and freshman Jonathan Lauer finished in third place, six seconds back. South held on to take the team title by one point, 129-128.
Two of the biggest point producers were junior sprinter L.R. Seabaugh and senior thrower Rich Ruddle.
Seabaugh won the 100 meters and was second in the 200, and also ran a leg on the 4x100-meter relay squad, which came in third. Seabaugh, who knew he had an outside shot, was glad to ring up some points for the cause.
"I was feeling pretty good in the prelims on Thursday," Seabaugh said. "But I didn't expect to win. The MICDS runner is usually tough to beat, but this time he was a step and a half behind me.
"I had to drop out of sectionals last year with a leg injury. My goal is to get to state and see how I do."
That is Ruddle's goal as well. The senior, who was first in the discus and third in the shot on Saturday said he will be glad when the warm weather finally arrives.
"Last week we were cooking the discs on a kerosene heater to keep them warm," Ruddle said, laughing. "And when the ring is wet, you can't get traction, and that affects your power."
Ruddle is intent on hitting the school record of 52-1 before the end of the season. His winning throw on Saturday of 43-4 wasn't close to his best of 44, which he threw last season.
