Carroll, IA — The Ballard men's track and field team left no doubt about their dominance on Monday night at the Carroll Invite, surging to the team title with a commanding 133 points—45 points ahead of the second-place squad from IKM-Manning.

Ballard showcased its depth and versatility, earning key points across sprints, hurdles, and relays to power their way to the top of the 11-team field.  

Hurdle Heroes

The highlight of the night came in the 4x110 Meter Shuttle Hurdle Relay, where Ballard blazed through the event with a winning time of 1:01.40. The team of Chase Ihle, Kiir Wol, Curtis Hinzman, and Stetson Kane was sharp and synchronized as they left the competition behind. Their performance was nearly four seconds faster than second-place Carroll.

In the 110 Meter Hurdles, senior Stetson Kane returned to the track to snag gold again, finishing in 15.86 seconds. Teammate Kiir Wol was right behind in fifth with a time of 16.53, continuing Ballard's strong showing in the hurdles.

Sprint Speed

The Bombers were equally explosive in the sprints. Liam Hurst delivered in the 100 Meter Dash, winning the event in 11.45 seconds, edging out IKM-Manning's Max Butler by just 0.01 seconds. Caden Anderson and Jack Plucar also ran solid races, helping Ballard pick up valuable sprint points.

In the 4x200 Meter Relay, Ballard's top team of Bryce Miller, Jalen Shaw, Tate Leland, and Hurst clocked in at 1:36.69, placing a close second behind Nevada by just 0.7 seconds.

Middle Distance Momentum

Ballard continued to flex its muscles in the Distance Medley Relay, taking first with a time of 3:55.99. The group of Sid Farmer, Jalen Shaw, Jace Ortner, and Dillon Shoen cruised to the finish line, comfortably ahead of Carroll and IKM-Manning.

Final Team Scores (Top 5):

1. Ballard – 133

2. IKM-Manning – 88

3. Carroll – 87

4. Greene County – 72

5. Nevada – 65

 Photo Credit: Davidson Photography