The Freeman Academy/Marion boys finished second and the Menno girls third at a warm and windy Region 5B Track Meet at Gayville Thursday, May 19. The Bearcats were the runners-up with 118 points, well behind Viborg-Hurley’s 155.

Menno finished in the top half of the team standings in both the boys and girls divisions of its very own Erv Ptak Relays — one of two home track and field meets being hosted this season by the Wolves. The girls finished third among nine teams and the boys were fifth among 10 at the April 28 meet.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER What was finally an ideal day for a track meet meant an extra bounce in the collective steps of more than 700 student-athletes from 18 schools taking part in the Flyer Invitational hosted by Freeman Public Thursday afternoon and evening, April 21.

Freeman Public hosted 18 schools and more than 700 student-athletes at the Flyer Invitational Thursday afternoon and evening, April 21. Colman-Egan won the girls division while Chester Area won for the boys. Here's a link to the full results.

Competing in their first meet of this weather-delayed season, the Freeman High School girls came away with a team victory at the Jack Rasmussen Relays in Salem on Tuesday, April 12, edging Garretson 105 to 98 in the final standings. The Flyers had an individual champion in freshman Emily Mendel competing in the triple jump and the girls 400 and 3200 relays both ran to victory.

Menno was the only local team to compete the first week of April when the Wolves took part in the Scotland Invitational Tuesday, April 5. And Menno did well, with the girls finishing third and the boys as the runner-up in the eight-school meet (nine including the McCrossan boys).

Competing in their second track meet of the season, the Freeman Academy/Marion boys won at the Centerville Relays held under bluster conditions Tuesday, April 12, while the Bearcat girls finished fourth in the nine-team competition. The boys won over Webster Area 120 to 113 and were paced by Tavin Schoreder, who won both the 1600 and 3200; Dylan Johansen, who won the discus; Thalen Schoreder, who won the high jump; and the 3200 relay team of Malachi Myers, Finley McConniel, Seth Balzer and Thalen Schroeder, who finished first by 13 seconds.

The Menno girls finished second at the Centerville Invitational and 16 points in front of third-place Scotland at the Wolves’ second track meet of the season April 12. The girls were led by senior Raygen Diede, who won the discus, shot put and javelin; her throw of 130-9 in the discus was a PR. Also winning for the Wovles was the girls sprint medley relay team of Julia Buechler, Bridget Vaith, Kaelie Derby and Ashton Massey, which outlasted the team from Irene-Wakonda by under 4 seconds.

Freeman Academy/Marion’s top distance runners, Jade Koerner and Tavin Schroeder, both won as the Bearcats opened their 2022 track and field season at the Lounsbery Early Bird Invitational hosted by Centerville Monday, March 28. Koerner won the 1600, Schroeder won 3200 and was second in the 1600 and the Bearcats boys won both the 3200 and sprint medley relays in a strong showing. The boys and girls both finished seventh in the 12-team field. Here are the Bearcats’ place-winners. GIRLS 200 – Alivea Weber 4th, 29.5

When football players from Freeman, Marion and Freeman Academy take the field this fall, they will do so as the Phoenix. That mascot — an immortal bird used in Greek mythology — was chosen by students from all three schools in a vote last week and picked from six options. Phoenix won overwhelmingly, drawing 122 votes; Mavericks was second with 73 votes and Trailblazers was third with 55. Students in grades 6-12 voted individually while elementary students voted by classroom. The mascot was revealed as school boards met in regular session Monday night, April 11.