By John RittenhouseThe Adrian track squads opened the 2004 season at the Murray County Central Early Bird Invitational in Slayton Tuesday.The Adrian boys shared third place in a six-team field with MCC. Both squads scored 72 points. The Dragon girls placed fourth out of six teams with 68 points.Adrian’s 3,200-meter relay team posted a meet championship in boys’ competition with a time of 9:33. Lee Stover, Justin Reisdorfer, David Brake and Pete Jensen formed the team.The boys’ 800-meter relay team made a bid to claim a meet title before placing second in the event with a time of 1:42.26. Billy Anderson, Brake, Jensen and Kyle Knips formed the team.Kyle and Casey Knips placed second in individual events for the Dragons.Kyle Knips, who covered 33-6 to place fourth in the triple jump, ran 400 meters in 54.64 to place second. Casey Knips, who placed fifth in the shot put with a toss of 42-2, placed second with a distance of 128-0 in the discus.Sarah Kruger and Morgan Lynn produced meet championships for the Dragon girls.Kruger, who placed fifth with a distance of 29-1 in the triple jump, won the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:03.3. Lynn won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:32.5.Adrian’s Sarah Jensen finished second in the 300-meter hurdles with an effort of 54.25.The girls’ 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays all placed second with respective 1:55.83, 4:29.74 and 10:27.3 times. Jolene Reisdorfer, Amanda Lynn, Jensen and Kruger ran the 800. Kruger, Morgan and Amanda Lynn and Reisdorfer teamed up in the 1,600, and Morgan Lynn, McCall Heitkamp, Leslie Stover and Erica Thier formed the 3,200-meter team.Here is a look at the team standings and the rest of Adrian’s place-earners from the Early Bird Invitational.Boys’ standings: Jackson County Central 98, Fulda 82, Adrian 72, MCC 72, Canby-Minneota 59, Lakeview 45.Girls’ standings: JCC 119, MCC 106, Fulda 73.5, Adrian 68, C-M 41, Lakeview 15.5.Adrian boysThird place: Brake, triple jump, 36-10; Stover, 800, 2:15.8; Jesse Brake, 1,600, 5:15; 1,600 relay (K.Knips, Jr.Brake, Jensen and Stover), 3:52.4.Fourth place: Anderson, 200, 24.7; Jon Konz, 300 hurdles, 48.5; Ethan Wieneke, 3,200, 12:34.Fifth place: Dustin Lonneman, 800, 2:25.4; Aaron Mormann, 3,200, 12:42; 400 relay (Konz, Jr.Brake, Trent Lutmer, Anderson), 50.7.Sixth place: Konz, 110 hurdles, 28.6; Anderson, long jump, 16-11 1/2.Adrian girlsThird place: Reisdorfer, 200, 28.8; Stover, 800, 2:44.4; Heitkamp, 1,600, 6:13.Fourth place: Emila Mulder, discus, 84-2; Thier, 400, 1:06.8.Fifth place: 400 relay (A.Lynn, Kaitlin Wiertzema, Katy Slater and Samantha Lynn), 59.4

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton track teams opened the outdoor portion of their schedules at the Cardinal Quadrangular in Luverne Tuesday.H-BC-E-E athletes turned in a solid performance by winning a combined eight meet titles and placing second in two events at the meet.The Patriot boys won five championships, and three came from individual efforts.Curt Schilling won the shot put with a distance of 42-5, Cody Scholten cleared 5-10 to take top honors in the high jump and Tom LeBoutillier skipped over the 110-meter hurdles in 16.43 to place first.LeBoutiller finished second in the long jump with a distance of 19-0.The Patriot boys also fielded the winning 1,600- and 3,200-meter relay teams, which turned in respective 3:38.23 and 8:44.77 efforts. Kale Wiertzema, Lee Jackson, Todd Alberty and Tyler Bush formed both teams.Ashley Bucher won an individual title for the Patriot girls when she crossed the finish line in 1:06.76 during the 400-meter run.H-BC-E-E also won the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays with respective 4:19.78 and 10:21.58 times.Mya Mann, Amanda Tilstra, Bucher and Cassi Tilstra ran the 3,200. Jocelyn Bucher, Mann, Amanda and Cassi Tilstra teamed up in the 1,600.The girls’ 400-meter relay team of Amanda Connors, Mann, Cassi Tilstra and Kelly Mulder placed second in 54.7.Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-E-E’s individual finishers during the Cardinal Quadrangular.H-BC-E-E boysThird place: Bush, high jump, 5-8; Greg Van Batavia, 1,600, 5:34.29.Fourth place: LeBoutillier, discus, 112-8; 400 relay (Paul DeLeon, Bush, Scholten and LeBoutillier.)Fifth place: John Sandbulte, triple jump, 35-1 1/2; 3,200 relay (Van Batavia, DeAngelo Smith, Derek Haak and Sandbulte), 9:35.49; Roger DeBoer, 110 hurdles, 20.2; 800 relay (Javier Cisneros, Wiertzema, Sandbulte and Scholten), 1:41.9; 400 relay (Cisneros, Van Batavia, Jackson and Smith), 51.9; Cody Rozeboom, 400, 58.8; Sandbulte, 300 hurdles, 48.98; Haak, 3,200, 11:38.Sixth place: Scholten, discus, 105-4; DeLeon, 100, 12.3; Soren Trebesch, 400, 59.6; DeLeon, 300 hurdles, 51.98; Dustin Verhey, 3,200, 11:44.H-BC-E-E girlsThird place: Rosie Lewis, shot, 30-10; J.Bucher, 300 hurdles, 53.6; Rayan Sandoval, 3,200, 13:29.Fourth place: Connors, long jump, 14-0; 800 relay (Shelly Sas, Connors, Lewis and Mulder), 2:01.8.Fifth place: Lewis, discus, 82.4; A.Bucher, triple jump, 28-6.Sixth place: C.Tilstra, high jump, 4-8; J.Bucher, triple jump, 28-4; Brittany Helgeson, 400, 1:07.9.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne golf teams enjoyed a successful start to the 2004 season when they entertained Lincoln HI at the Luverne Country Club Tuesday.The Cardinal girls secured a 208-225 victory over the Rebels, while the Luverne boys toppled LH by a 168-175 tally."We had some first meet jitters," admitted Cardinal coach Chris Nowatzki. "Even some of our more experienced players were a little nervous. It’s nice to get that out of our systems, and things will get better."Colby Anderson showed no signs of being rusty while leading the Cardinal boys to a seven-shot win. Anderson shot a par-36 to capture medalist honors for the meet.Steve Berghorst and David Nelson carded 43s, while Jesson Vogt, Andy Haakenson and Kirk Oldre all shot 46s for the winners.Jeremy Beer led LH with a 42.Nikki Van Dyk and Jessica Klein led the Cardinal girls to a 17-shot victory over the Rebels by shooting 15-over-par 51s. They shared medalist honors with LH’s Stacy Lietz, who also turned in a 51.Alyssa Klein and Mindy Lysne turned in 52- and 54-stroke scores to the winning team tally.Brittany Boeve and Lindsey Severtson shot 56- and 58-stroke rounds without influencing the scoring.Both Luverne B squads posted wins over the Rebels, too. Greg Helle led the boys with a 49. Jessica Dorhout shot a 59 to lead the girls.Luverne hosts Westbrook-Walnut Grove Tuesday.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys’ track team won eight meet championships during the annual Cardinal Quadrangular staged in Luverne Tuesday.LHS athletes won six individual titles and two relay events in what was their first outdoor meet of the 2004 campaign.Tim Rust and Justin Van Wyhe led the charge for the Cardinals by winning two individual titles each.Van Wyhe won the long and triple jumps with respective 19-4 1/4 and 40-10 1/4 distances. Rust took top honors in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with respective 11.47 and 23.47 times.Jerome Willers and Jake Hendricks also won individual championships for LHS.Willers whipped the discus 130-7. Hendricks covered 400 meters in 53.8.Luverne also won the 400- and 800-meter relays with respective 46.44 and 1:38.63 times. Ben Cornish, Van Wyhe, Jordan Siebenahler and Rust ran the 400. Hendricks, Ruston Aaker, Siebenahler and Tyler Elbers combined efforts in the 800.LHS placed second in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays in 3:38.98 and 9:05.34. Hendricks, Aaker, Scott Goebel and Elbers teamed up in the 1,600. Travis Halfmann, Thomas Pinkal, Scott Goebel and Nick Otten formed the 3,200-meter team.Cornish, Otten, Aaker, Nick Van Wyhe and Rust finished second in individual competition.Cornish ran 100 meters in 11.75, Otten covered 800 meters in 2:13.94, Aaker was timed at 54.67 in the 400, Van Wyhe tossed the shot put 41-8 and Rust cleared 13-0 in the pole vault.The Cardinals will compete at a meet in Brandon, S.D., Saturday before hosting the Cardinal Relays Tuesday.Here is a look at the rest of Luverne’s top eight efforts during the Cardinal Quadrangular.Third place: Matt Rosin, discus, 112-11; Ben Uphoff, 300 hurdles, 48.35.Fourth place: Tony Willers, shot, 37-7; Pinkal, 3,200, 11:34; Cornish, pole vault, 10-0.Fifth place: Casey Swenson, discus, 107-3; Halfmann, 1,600, 5:34.32; Mike Nelson, pole vault, 10-0; Ryan Wynia, pole vault, 10-0.Sixth place: Uphoff, 110 hurdles, 20.5; Nelson, triple jump, 32-1 1/4; Siebenahler, 200, 25.76.Seventh place: Rosin, shot, 36-2 1/2; Eric Kraetsch, 3,200, 12"56.Eighth place: Chris Ashby, 100, 12.55; Ashby, 200, 26.42.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys’ track team won eight meet championships during the annual Cardinal Quadrangular staged in Luverne Tuesday.LHS athletes won six individual titles and two relay events in what was their first outdoor meet of the 2004 campaign.Tim Rust and Justin Van Wyhe led the charge for the Cardinals by winning two individual titles each.Van Wyhe won the long and triple jumps with respective 19-4 1/4 and 40-10 1/4 distances. Rust took top honors in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with respective 11.47 and 23.47 times.Jerome Willers and Jake Hendricks also won individual championships for LHS.Willers whipped the discus 130-7. Hendricks covered 400 meters in 53.8.Luverne also won the 400- and 800-meter relays with respective 46.44 and 1:38.63 times. Ben Cornish, Van Wyhe, Jordan Siebenahler and Rust ran the 400. Hendricks, Ruston Aaker, Siebenahler and Tyler Elbers combined efforts in the 800.LHS placed second in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays in 3:38.98 and 9:05.34. Hendricks, Aaker, Scott Goebel and Elbers teamed up in the 1,600. Travis Halfmann, Thomas Pinkal, Scott Goebel and Nick Otten formed the 3,200-meter team.Cornish, Otten, Aaker, Nick Van Wyhe and Rust finished second in individual competition.Cornish ran 100 meters in 11.75, Otten covered 800 meters in 2:13.94, Aaker was timed at 54.67 in the 400, Van Wyhe tossed the shot put 41-8 and Rust cleared 13-0 in the pole vault.The Cardinals will compete at a meet in Brandon, S.D., Saturday before hosting the Cardinal Relays Tuesday.Here is a look at the rest of Luverne’s top eight efforts during the Cardinal Quadrangular.Third place: Matt Rosin, discus, 112-11; Ben Uphoff, 300 hurdles, 48.35.Fourth place: Tony Willers, shot, 37-7; Pinkal, 3,200, 11:34; Cornish, pole vault, 10-0.Fifth place: Casey Swenson, discus, 107-3; Halfmann, 1,600, 5:34.32; Mike Nelson, pole vault, 10-0; Ryan Wynia, pole vault, 10-0.Sixth place: Uphoff, 110 hurdles, 20.5; Nelson, triple jump, 32-1 1/4; Siebenahler, 200, 25.76.Seventh place: Rosin, shot, 36-2 1/2; Eric Kraetsch, 3,200, 12"56.Eighth place: Chris Ashby, 100, 12.55; Ashby, 200, 26.42.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne girls’ track team turned in a strong performance in front of its hometown fans Tuesday.The Cardinal girls won eight events and placed second eight times during the annual Cardinal Quadrangular.Near perfect weather conditions seemed to bring out the best in LHS, which surely would have claimed a team title if points were compiled at the event.Seven of Luverne’s eight championships came in individual competition.Marissa Stewart and Callen Bosshart emerged as double winners. Stewart won the shot put and discus titles with tosses of 32-10 1/2 and 105-1. Bosshart won the long jump with a distance of 14-11 1/2 and took top honors in the 100-meter dash in 13.44.Bosshart also ran with Luverne’s winning 800-meter relay team, which produced a time of 1:54.5. Amanda Dooyema, Nicole Willers and Jenni Christensen round out the team.Christensen, Victoria Arends and Lexi Heitkamp also won events for the Cardinals. Christensen won the 200-meter dash in 28.09, Heitkamp covered 1,600 meters in 5:54.38 and Arends cleared the 300-meter hurdles in 18.47.Maggie Kuhlman, Amanda and Kesley Dooyema, Tera Boomgaarden and Amanda Saum placed second in individual events for the Cards.Kuhlman cleared 4-8 in the high jump and ran a 52.99 in the 300 hurdles. Boomgaarden ran 800 meters in 2:3986, Amanda Dooyema produced a distance of 30-9 1/4 in the triple jump and ran 400 meters in 1:07.7, Kesley Dooyema turned in a time of 6:05.69 in the 1,600-meter run and Saum covered 3,200 meters in 13:03.83.Luverne’s 3,200-meter relay team of Boomgaarden, Saum, Kayla Raddle and Heitkamp placed second with a time of 10:41.53.Luverne runs in Brandon, S.D., Saturday before hosting the Cardinal Relays Tuesday.Here is a look at the rest of Luverne’s place performances during the Cardinal Quadrangular.Third place: Brittany Mulder, pole vault, 6-6; Kuhlman, 300 hurdles, 18.29; Heitkamp, high jump, 4-8; K.Dooyema, 800, 2:42.63; Cassie Pap, triple jump, 30-5 3/4; Raddle, 1,600, 6:06.59; Pap, long jump, 14-1 1/4; 400 relay (C.Bosshart, Pap, Mulder and Nicole Willers), 54.82; 1,600 relay (Christensen, Arends, A.Dooyema and Heitkamp), 4:25.03.Fourth place: Lexi Peterson, pole vault, 6-6; Arends, 100 hurdles, 18.47; Amanda Kannas, 3,200, 14:31.Fifth place: Jessica Willers, 100 hurdles, 18.69; N.Willers, 100, 12.65; Mulder,200, 29.46.Sixth place: Katie Schneiderman, pole vault, 6-0; Erin Hoiland, 100, 15.87; Kannas, 1,600, 6:23.4.Seventh place: Ashley Kraetsch, pole vault, 5-6; Hoiland, long jump, 13-5 3/4.Eighth place: Natalie Willers, discus, 70-10; J.Willers, 300 hurdles, 58.57; Morgan Bosshart, 400, 1:11.73.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne baseball team started the season in style by posting a pair of wins since Friday.The Cardinals toppled Red Rock Central-Westbrook-Walnut Grove by two runs in Lamberton Friday before securing a two-run home victory over Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Tuesday.Luverne plays Buffalo in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis Friday before playing a game in Windom Tuesday.Luverne 7, T-M-B 5The Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never lost the lead during Tuesday’s home opener against the Panthers.Jared and Scott Pick drove in two runs each during the game and Jared Pick collected the pitching win in relief of starter Brad Herman.After Herman blanked T-M-B in the top of the first, the Cards scored three times in the bottom half of the frame.Zach Wysong reached base on an error and scored the first run on a passed ball. Jared Pick slapped a two-run triple that plated Rob Fodness and Adam Reisch, who walked and singled respectively to make it a 3-0 game.T-M-B scored twice in the top of the second to trail by one, but the Cards increased their lead to 6-2 with one run in the second inning and two in the fourth.Taylor Graphenteen reached based on an error and scored on Adam Kurtz’s fielder’s choice in the second. Wysong singled and Kurtz walked before scoring on Scott Pick’s two-run single in the fourth.The Panthers scored three runs in the final three innings of the game, while Luverne plated a sixth-inning run.Mark Remme singled and scored on a single by Fodness to account for Luverne’s final counter.Herman left the mound after surrendering a pair of unearned runs in the second inning, and Jared Pick tossed two scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. Wyatt Cote allowed one run in one inning after relieving Pick. Kurtz was touched for two runs in the final two frames.Box score AB R H BIRemme 4 1 2 0Wysong 2 2 1 0Kurtz 2 1 0 1Fodness 2 1 1 1Reisch 2 1 1 0S.Pick 1 0 1 2Siebenahler 1 0 1 0J.Pick 4 0 1 2Boen 3 0 1 0Herman 2 0 0 0Cote 0 0 0 0Graphenteen 3 1 0 0Luverne 7, RRC-W-WG 3The Cardinals opened the campaign by recording a four-run victory over the Falcons Friday in Lamberton.Fodness slapped three hits and drove in three runs at the plate to lead LHS offensively. Fodness also is one of five Luverne pitchers to toss at least one inning in the contest."This was the earliest date we played a game in a long time," said Cardinal coach Mike Wenninger. "We treated it like it was a scrimmage. We threw five different pitchers."Luverne took control of the contest by scoring five runs in the top of the second inning.A walk to Jared Pick followed by singles from Tim Boen and Herman loaded the bases. Fodness plated all three runners with a double before scoring on a single by Kurtz. Remme singled home Kurtz to cap the rally.RRC-W-WG plated single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to trim Luverne’s lead to two runs (5-3) before the Cards scored twice in the seventh to settle the issue.Fodness singled and scored the first run in the seventh after a passed ball. Kurtz singled and scored at the end of a double-steal.Pick blanked RRC-W-WG during a two-inning stint as the starting pitcher, and Kurtz tossed a scoreless third inning. Fodness and Wysong surrendered one run each during one-inning stints on the hill. J.T. Bruynes surrendered one run in two innings.Box score AB R H BIWysong 4 0 0 0Fodness 3 2 3 3Kurtz 3 2 2 1Remme 3 0 1 1Reisch 2 0 0 0Cote 1 0 0 0S.Pick 1 0 0 0Tofteland 1 0 0 0J.Pick 2 0 0 0Boen 3 1 2 0Richters 0 0 0 0Herman 1 1 1 0Siebenahler 1 0 0 0Graphenteen 3 1 0 0Bruynes 1 0 0 0

You just can't believe everything you see in print. ... Especially over e-mails.People can hit that "forward" button without much thought, and pretty soon we've got an international e-rumor on our hands.Many of us enjoy the inspirational, comical or hopeful stories we get over our computers. Still, many of us would like to confine the charming little anecdotes to "Reader's Digest" and Paul Harvey. I don't mind the stories that we all figure are fables or modern-day fairy tales. Maybe those are kind of like today's version of the troubadour, spreading little nuggets we wish were true. But others — they're just annoying.When a friend gave me a story about Mel Gibson that was circulating, it was the last straw. With the success of the movie, "Passion," he has enjoyed a reinvigorated version of the false story that he was beaten, maimed and his priest raised money for intensive plastic surgery. His faith, and the surgery made him the Hollywood heartthrob he is. The movie "The Man Without A Face" first started this, and it’s been resurrected just recently.There are some e-rumors that are based on truth. Here are a few you might recognize, (and, no, I didn't get the fact verification from an e-mail):
John McCain's POW story about the Pledge of Allegiance
The Littlest Firefighter, the boy with cancer and the firefighters who loved him
The hospitality of Gander, Newfoundland to stranded airline passengers on Sept. 11
Courage at the Tomb of the Unknowns during Hurricane IsabelOther popular ones are completely false:
Leonardo used the same man for Jesus and Judas in the last supper painting
The 9-11 story of Robert Matthews
George W. Bush spent 30 minutes talking with a teen about God at a banquet
Bill Gates’ high school speech about rules of life
Stranded motorist turned out to be Mrs. Nat King ColeMaybe one story we should all take to heart is about the wise man whose reputation had been severely affected by a false story that had circulated about him. One of the people responsible for the story came to the wise man to ask his forgiveness. He said he would do anything to try to make it right. The wise man told him to take a pillow to a cliff overlooking the country, rip open the pillow, scatter the feathers in the wind, and return. The repentant man came back and the wise man said, "Now, go collect every feather." It was impossible to do and was the wise man's way of illustrating the irretrievable consequences of spreading a falsehood.

By Jolene FarleyThe Rock County Sheriff’s Department and the Hills Fire Department were dispatched Wednesday, March 31, to help search for a missing nine-year-old Hills boy.At nearly 6 p.m. a call came in to the county dispatch office that the boy had ran away from home, according to the initial complaint report at the Sheriff’s Department.The report also noted State Patrol had dispatched a helicopter to assist with the search."He was located later on that evening," said Rock County Sheriff Mike Winkels.The boy was found about 1:30 a.m. in a dog house in Hills, according to the report.The boy was placed in foster care immediately after the incident, according to Winkels.