Area notebook: Place makes history

Ellsworth’s Morgan Place became the first person in the 25-year history of the Roy Griak Invitational to win three straight individual titles when she placed first in the Division II women’s race.

A junior at Minnesota Duluth, Place finished in 21 minutes, 49.2 seconds Saturday at the Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul.

Place’s top finish helped the Bulldogs win the team title for the second year in a row.

Next up for the Bulldogs is the South Dakota State University Classic on Saturday.

• Travis Beniak of Mazeppa was the No. 2 runner on the Augustana men’s cross-country team that won the Roy Griak Invitational Division II race.

Beniak, a junior, finished with a time of 25 minutes, 56.2 seconds and placed 13th overall as an individual.

The Vikings won with 60 points, edging runner-up Wisconsin-Parkside by 98 points.

Kyle Blakeslee led the Augustana women to a fifth-place team finish at the Roy Griak Invitational Division II race. The sophomore from Cannon Falls finished eighth overall in a time of 22:43.2.

Both the Augustana men’s and women’s teams are back in action Friday when they compete at the Tim Young Open in Vermillion, S.D.

• Carthage College sophomore Alex Nelson finished 109th overall (27:58.9) at the Roy Griak Invitational Division III men’s race. Nelson, of Red Wing, was Carthage’s No. 4 runner and helped the Red Men finish 16th as a team.

• Ryan Hayes of Red Wing caught a 4-yard touchdown pass in Minnesota Duluth’s 44-21 victory Saturday over Bemidji State.

Hayes is a senior tight end with the Bulldogs (4-0) and has three receptions for 35 yards and one touchdown this season.

Ben Helmer of Ellsworth also is a tight end on the team, which is ranked No. 2 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. Helmer, a sophomore, caught his first pass of the season against Bemidji State and picked up 8 yards.

• Red Wing’s Mark Giorgi shot a 3-over-par 147 at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational and finished third overall Monday. Giorgi, a St. John’s sophomore, helped the Johnnies win by 17 strokes at the New Richmond (Wis.) Golf Club.

Giorgi opened the season by placing third at the Augsburg Invitational on Sept. 12.

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship begins Saturday in Coon Rapids, Minn. St. John’s is the defending conference champion.

• Minnesota State Mankato senior Kathleen Ritter shot a 154 (75-79) to tie for fifth individually Sunday at the Mustang Invitational in Marshall, Minn. The Mavericks placed fourth as a team.

Ritter, a Red Wing graduate, and her teammates are off until Oct. 9 when they travel to St. Paul for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship.

• Rachel Tackmann, a Lake City graduate, has scored five goals for the Rochester Community and Technical College women’s soccer team. Tackmann is a freshman.

The Yellowjackets were ranked No. 6 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III women’s soccer poll released Sept. 22.

RCTC was scheduled to play Tuesday at Anoka-Ramsey before returning home to face Iowa Central at 2 p.m. Friday.

• Red Wing graduate Blake Schammel is tied for third in scoring with the Owatonna Express, having totaled four points through four games with the North American Hockey League team.

Schammel recorded four assists at the NAHL Showcase Tournament, which was held Sept. 15 through Sept. 18 at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.

Owatonna is back in action Saturday when it travels to play the Austin (Minn.) Bruins.

Schammel is in his second season with the Express.

Tags: sports notebook, cannon falls, red wing, lake city, morgan place, travis beniak, kyle blakeslee, alex nelson, ryan hayes, ben helmer, mark giorgi, kathleen ritter, rachel tackmann, blake schammel, sports, proam, ellsworth, zumbrota, mazeppa