The Ballard men's track and field team turned in a well-rounded and competitive performance Friday night at the South Hardin Relays, finishing third overall with 116 team points in a balanced effort across sprints, distance, relays, and field events.

Ballard was dominant in the distance events, highlighted by a one-two finish in the 800-meter run.  Graden Hermann led the charge with a first-place finish in 2:01.77, while Axton Campbell followed closely in second at 2:01.98, giving the Bombers a significant early boost in the team standings.

The distance crew continued to produce in the 3200-meter run, where Evan Newman placed third in 11:44.15, and again in the 1600, where Newman added a fifth-place finish (5:20.62).  Nash Wunder also contributed in the mile, finishing ninth.

Ballard's relay teams played a major role in the team's success, headlined by a victory in the 4x800-meter relay.  The quartet of Austin Vance, Axton Campbell, Max Davidson, and Graden Hermann captured gold with a time of 8:25.32, showcasing strong pacing and depth.

The Bombers also found success in the sprint medley relay, where Curtis Hinzman, Aidan Wilson, Drew Kruger, and Tate Leland placed second in 1:39.81.  In the distance medley, Blakely Carlson, Parker Ihle, Jude Jones, and Declan O'Brien secured a third-place finish.

Ballard's hurdle crew delivered a standout performance as well. In the 110-meter hurdles, Curtis Hinzman finished second (15.60), while Chase Ihle placed third (15.98), giving the Bombers a strong double scoring effort.  That momentum carried into the shuttle hurdle relay, where Ihle, Wilson, Carlson, and Hinzman claimed first place in 1:02.72.

In the field events, Bowen Benedict earned a runner-up finish in the high jump (5-10), while Blakely Carlson added points with a seventh-place clearance.  In the throwing events, Tyson Pingel placed second in the discus (134-9.5), and Carter Sparks added a seventh-place finish in the shot put.

On the sprint side, Tate Leland led Ballard in the 200-meter dash with a fifth-place finish (23.91), while Jackson Hunt contributed in the 400 with a sixth-place finish (56.60).

The Bombers showed depth across all event groups, adding key points in relays including a fourth-place finish in the 4x400 and additional scoring in the 4x100 and 4x200.

The Bombers will look to carry that momentum into their next meet Tuesday - April 28 at the North Polk Relays starting at 4:30 PM.

PHOTO CREDIT: Davidson Photography