It takes a little more to make champion and Luke Schroeder has the marks on his leg to prove it.

The Northern State freshman dove to a first-place finish in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles Saturday afternoon during the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference track and field meet at Brownell Activities Complex.

“I got two deep scrapes in my leg, but I’m fine. I’m not feeling it right now,” Schroeder said following the dramatic victory. “I’ll look down at my leg and I’ll see that one forever.”

Schroeder led nearly the whole way until Nick Durnin of Minnesota State pulled up alongside him with just one hurdle remaining. From there it was a battle to the finish with both athletes diving for the finish line. Schroeder said he didn’t know there was someone fast approaching.

“I had no clue until I went over that last hurdle and saw him out of the corner of my eye,” Schroeder said. “I knew I just had to hop on the pain train and take it.”

The finish was so close, Schroeder wasn’t even sure who had won until he looked up at the scoreboard while laying flat on the track.

“I was so dead. I was on the ground. My eyes were glued to the scoreboard just looking at the times,” Schroeder said. “I saw I was up top. I was super happy. I didn’t even realize I cut my leg open.”

The freshman from Green Bay, Wis., said he practices the 400 hurdles in intervals and that came in handy during the biggest race of the season.

“I try and count my steps and get my hurdles down, but just like that you can stutter-step and throw off the whole race. You just have to practice that and be ready with your other leg when that comes and just get back on track,” Schroeder said. “You never practice the whole race by itself. You always do it in parts so that you work on the start, you work on the middle, get all that work in.”

Schroeder also placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles and ran on a pair of relay teams that placed.

“Luke Schroeder had just an amazing day today, all-conference in two different events, placed on both relays and a freshman too,” said NSU coach Lynne Dingman, “so it was awesome to see him have a great day.”

The Wolves finished fourth as a team in the men’s division.

“Anytime you’re in the top half of the NSIC, it’s just so competitive,” Dingman said. “I’m very happy for my men’s team. They performed well.”

Northern also received a championship in the women’s division as Rachel Guthmiller won the javelin event. The former Sully Buttes standout from Onida finished with a throw of 145-feet, 7-inches.

The meet was the final home one for Northern’s Megan Mooberrry. The senior from Osage, Iowa, competed in the 5,000-meter run which featured 35 runners.

“I think you definitely spend the first couple of miles just thinking I’ve got to get position, I’ve got to get space to run, can’t trip,” Mooberry said. “It’s just fun to line up with such a stellar field. I don’t know how many of those other girls placed in stuff this weekend. It’s just an incredible field. It definitely wasn’t there for me today, but that type of field brings out the best in people, I think.”

Mooberry placed fifth in the 10,000-meter run on Friday, but said that the 5,000-meter run is a much different race.

“(Friday) with the conditions, it was so windy that it went out kind of slow from the gun. It was more of a tactical race, where as today it was just more of a hard effort from the gun,” Mooberry said. “Definitely completely different race strategies. I think (Friday) probably played a little bit more into my hand than today did, but that’s how it goes.”

Mooberry, who graduated with a 4.0 last weekend, is headed to Carver College of Medicine in Iowa to become a pediatrician.

She said it was meaningful to compete at home for one last time.

“It means a lot. Having old teammates and friends and supporters out here, it’s pretty special,” Mooberry said. “I couldn’t’ have asked for a more special ending.”

Northern’s Jackson Harrison is no stranger to the complex. In addition to competing for the Wolves, he is a former member of Aberdeen Central’s team.

“This is my ninth year on this track so I know it well. I know all the little divots like the back of my hand,” Harrison said. “The wind obviously (Friday) and today was not ideal, but when you’re out at Swisher you have to expect it and luckily I train here. I know this wind and that became advantageous for me.”

Harrison was battling an illness, but still came close to his goals for the weekend.

He was ranked second in the 10K and finished fourth, and was ranked seventh in the 5K and came in fourth.

“I’m really proud of how I did, all things considered,” Harrison said. “It’s not an easy task to do healthy, let alone do with a sickness.”

Harrison is excited about returning for another season next year, and getting a chance to be reunited with some of his former high school teammates.

“It should be exciting with Josh Martin and Jacob Angerhofer. I miss those Central guys,” Harrison said. “I miss running with them, so it will be nice having a couple of them on my team again.”

The Northern women’s team competed a bit short-handed in the meet, but Dingman said the future of the program looks bright.

“We have a great group of girls returning next year and some great freshmen coming in,” Dingman said, “so nothing to hang our heads about, but sometimes the cards don’t fall our way.”

Redfield native Nicollette Schmidt of Augustana had a big day in the distance races.

Schmidt was runner-up in the 1,500-meter meter before taking fourth in the 5,000-meter run.

Schmidt said her training is more geared for the shorter race and that the longer run can be a grind.

“In both you have to dig in, but (the 5K) requires a lot more concentration,” Schmidt said. “You can’t fall off that pace, whereas in the 1,500 you can kind of go for it.”

Schmidt enjoyed competing at the track where she got her start in running, dating back to the youth Hershey track and field meet.

“It brings back a lot of memories,” Schmidt said. “I was just in a really good mood being here, just thinking about how this is where I kind of started my running career, so it’s kind of come full circle.”

To see complete women’s results, click on the following link:

https://nsuwolves.com/documents/2022/5/14/2022_NSIC_Outdoor_Championships_Women_s_Complete_Results.pdf

To see complete men’s results, click on the following link:

https://nsuwolves.com/documents/2022/5/14/2022_NSIC_Outdoor_Championships_Men_s_Complete_Results.pdf