While a 20-meet and 23-year winning streak were broken, the Holmen High School boys track and field team showed its depth with 15 individual place winners in finishing second in its own Empire Invitational April 6.

Holmen High School was the host for the Empire Invitational last week. William Ryan leads a pack of runners. Photo by Carrie Bergum

Holmen fared best in the relays, with a first, two seconds, and a fourth-place finish. Larry Peterson, Jason Boisen, Josh Bushmaker, and Mike Flury combined to win the 4X200-meter relay in 1:39.21. Boisen, Peterson, and Flury were also each part of the Vikings 4X100-meter relay team, combining with Chris Trapnell, to finish second in 46.94 seconds. The fourth member of the 800 relay, Bushmaker, also ran a second relay, combining with Chad Hass, Mike O'Brien, and Dustin Ammerman to finish second in the 4X800-meter relay in 9:18.00. Ammerman and Flury were each part of the fourth place HHS relay team, combining with Matt Culp and Ben Nugent for a time of 3:49.48 in the 4X400-meter relay.

Leading the way individually for Holmen was Chris Alitz. The sophomore won the shotput with a throw of 42 feet, eight-and-a-half inches. Alitz also contributed a second-place individual finish and eight team points in the discuss with a throw of 120 feet, one-half inch. Alitz was one of four multiple-event scorers for the Vikings. Boisen was second in the 200-meter dash in 24.47 seconds, and was fourth in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, three-and-a-half inches. Ben Csiacsek was third in the 110-meter high hurdles in 16.78 seconds, and fifth in the 100-meter dash in 12.00 seconds. Jason Stingl was third in a pair of events, the 1,600-meter run in 5:06.00 and the 3,200-meter run in 11:07. 18. The final HHS multiple-event scorer was Randy Tuquero, who scored in three events. The sophomore was fourth in the 110 high hurdles in 16.87, and was fifth in both the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 46.38 seconds and the triple jump with a leap of 38 feet, six inches.

Peterson was second individually in the long jump with a leap of 38 feet, nine-and-three-quarters inches. Ammerman was fourth in the pole vault with a top leap of eight feet, six inches. Nugent was fourth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 56.75 seconds, and Kyle Larkin was fourth in the 100. The freshman finished just ahead of Csiacsek with a time of 11.96 seconds. Five other individuals completed the Holmen scoring. Jason Bushmaker tied for fourth in the pole vault with a top leap of five feet, six inches. Geoff Kronn and Culp were each sixth in events, Kronn sixth in the 110 hurdles in 17.84 seconds and Culp sixth in the 300 hurdles in 46.93 seconds. O'Brien and Strittmater were seventh in the 800-meter run in 2:21.97 and 3,200 in 11:55.48, respectively.

After a triangular with Chippewa Falls at Arcadia Thursday, the Vikings will continue to see more of their Mississippi Valley Conference foes in a pair of upcoming meets. HHS will travel to the Knights of Columbus Relays, hosted by La Crosse Aquinas and held at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The eight-team meet is unique in that it allows only one individual per team to compete in the finals of an event.

"It's quite a bit different than a conference or regional meet," Holmen Coach Tom Anderson said. "If you're a team with not a lot of depth, this is a good meet for you."

The Vikings also participate in the La Crosse Logan Invitational Tuesday. HHS opened the week by hosting its second of three meets this season, a MVC/Coulee Conference invitational (after the Courier deadline).

The Holmen School Board approved several construction-related contracts Monday night.

Fowler & Hammer Inc. of La Crosse was awarded a $2,313,000 general construction contract for the high school addition.

The board also approved two bids from Coulee Region Mechanical of La Crosse - $248,133 for plumbing work for the addition and new stadium at the high school and $398,640 for heating, ventilating and air conditioning for the addition.

Stanek Electric Inc. of La Crosse will do electrical work for the high school addition. They bid $305,000 for the project.

The board accepted a $168,522 bid from Wynn O. Jones & Associates of Schofield, Wis., to complete casework for the addition. The board also approved a $69,026 bid from Tri-State of La Crosse for flooring for the high school addition.

Poellinger Electric Inc. of La Crosse will complete electrical work on the new stadium at the high school. They bid $69,153 for the project.

Other bids approved by the board included: a $887,688 bid by Olympic Builders of Holmen for the Viking Elementary School gym project; a $9,800 bid by Hengel Brothers Inc. of La Crosse for the middle school technology lab; and a $32,573 bid by Wettstein's of La Crosse for the Evergreen Elementary School technology lab.

The various construction projects in the school district are right on target, said Superintendent Fred Frick. The high school addition should be completed by the second semester of next year, and the stadium will be completed by the fall, he said.

The new Sand Lake Elementary School also is scheduled to open in time for the 1999-2000 school year, Frick said.

In other action Monday, the board approved positions for a varsity volleyball assistant coach and a junior girls golf coach.

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