The Panther girls narrowly missed winning the Section III A Track Championship last Thursday at Luverne against a field of 26 other schools. But Tracy/Milroy/Balaton athletes advanced to state in six events. Bobbi Jo Buyck qualified for state in four events. Cedar Mountain—the Class A True Team Champion—won the meet with 79.5 points, nipping TMB with 78 points.

Panther sophomore Bobbi Jo Buyck won three individual events and anchored TMB's section champion 4x100 meter relay team. Jillian Tholen qualified for state in the 800 meters, while Tessa Nelson advanced to state in the high jump.

"The competition was fierce, but many of our athletes performed very well," said Panther Assistant Coach Jenny Kirk. She called Buyck's four-event state qualification "quite a feat!"

Close extra inning call ends TMB's softball hopes

Panthers close out 21-4 banner year

The Panther girls' softball team saw their season ended with a dramatic 12-inning loss to Minnewaska 9-8 at Redwood Falls Thursday in the Section 3A Tournament. The loss ended the most successful season in the four-year history of the program as the team compiled a 21-4 record.

"Our hitting came around in this game," said Panther Coach Dave Sogge. "However our defense let us down and we could not hold them."

The game was not as well played as it was exciting with the two teams committing 13 errors, seven by the Panthers and six by Minnewaska, the top-seeded team from the north sub-section. The winning run was scored in the last of the twelfth inning when, with two outs and a runner on third, a Minnewaska runner was ruled safe at first base on a controversial call, allowing the run to score.

"We have had a very successful season and the girls can be proud of their contributions," said Sogge. "We will lose five seniors and they will be missed. However we have a good program going and some of the young girls are ready to step up next season."

Seniors are Stephanie Kaup, Megan Anderson, Kasey Loeslie, Stefanie Hebig, and Emily Miller.

Minnewaska was eliminated by Pipestone the following day. Minnewaska finished their year with a 16-9 record.

The Panther girls' softball team advanced in the Section 3A Tournament in Redwood Falls last Wednesday by beating West Central Area 2-1 and Benson-Hancock 4-1

Megan Anderson pitched both games allowing six hits and only 1 run in the first game and five hits and only one run in the second.

Lynn Brockway singled in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning against West Central. In the Benson-Hancock game, Brockway went 2 for 3 with a double, triple and two runs batted in.

The two wins re-ignited Panthers hopes in the double-elimination tournament following a 7-1 loss to Jackson May 31. Tracy/Milroy/Balaton was eliminated the following day in a loss to Minnewaska.