Storm Lake powers to runner-up finish at Invitational meet
Storm Lake stacked wins from Garbieno Weno, Joel Ramirez-Parra and David William to finish second at home with 130 points. Carroll edged the Tornadoes 157-130.
Storm Lake stayed in the fight at Tornado Stadium by spreading its points across the track, finishing second in the Storm Lake Invitational boys meet with 130 points Thursday, April 30, 2026. Carroll won the team title with 157, but the Tornadoes were in contention because victories came from multiple athletes and both relay units, not from one standout performance alone.
Garbieno Weno set the tone with a sprint double, winning the 100 meters in 11.26 seconds and the 200 in 22.41. Joel Ramirez-Parra answered in the distance races, taking the 1,600 in 4:42.2 and the 3,200 in 10:09.8, while David William added a win in the 400 at 52.1 seconds. The sprint medley relay also delivered a milestone night, breaking the school record in 1:35.35, and the 4x400 relay followed with a victory in 3:39.91.
Storm Lake’s depth showed up beyond the winners’ stand. Heath Kampbell placed second in the 800 in 2:11.95, Rylan Richardson was runner-up in the long jump at 19-10, and the distance medley relay took second in 3:58.21. With 19 of 19 events completed, the Tornadoes had scoring across the board, the kind of balance that can keep a team close even when another program has enough firepower to win the meet outright.
Coach Justin Mellmann said the boys “ran very well” and pointed to “a lot of great performances and personal best times by several guys.” He added that the Tornadoes are entering the stretch of the season where top performers will be asked to run multiple events, a test that will show whether Storm Lake’s home-meet production can hold up against the deeper teams in the Lakes Conference and beyond.
The final standings showed how tight the top half of the field was. Humboldt finished third with 115 points, followed by Cherokee Washington with 94, Emmetsburg with 48, OABCIG with 25, Newell-Fonda with 9 and St. Marys with 4. For Storm Lake, the runner-up finish at its own track was more than a local high point; it was evidence that the Tornadoes can challenge later in the season if the same spread of points keeps coming from sprints, distance races and relays alike.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
