“Just don’t lose to anyone,” the Bishop Ryan senior told himself.

It’s a simple, yet effective game plan. Now, Lormejuste was about to put it to the test in the 100-meter dash at Saturday’s Glenburn Invite at Minot High School.

With the race just seconds away from beginning, Lormejuste got into position. A brief moment of pure silence swept over the track before the sharp sound of the starting gun tore through the air.

Then, it was off to the races. Lormejuste, with his arms pumping back and forth, exploded off the starting line and immediately separated himself from the pack. By the midway point, there was no doubt. The senior easily took first place with a time of 11.73 seconds – a solid .26 seconds better than his closest competitor.

Justin Martinez/MDN DLBLC sisters Kyley Lauf (right) and Madison Lauf (left) lead the pack on Saturday during 800 meters at the Glenburn Invite at Minot High School.

“It’s very encouraging,” Lormejuste said. “I’m getting better as the year is ending, and I just hope I can do well at state.”

It’s performances like this that proved to be infectious for Ryan’s boys track & field team, as the Lions took first place with a group score of 111. Placing second was Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (90) followed by Hazen (73) and Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark (69).

“It went well,” Ryan head coach Brian Rodgers said. “This is the warmest weather we’ve ran in all year, so that helped. We’re also starting to get over some of the injuries we had earlier, so I think we’re finally coming together at the right time of the year.”

In addition to winning the 100 meters, Lormejuste also claimed first in the 200 meters with a time of 23.30 seconds.

But the veteran speedster wasn’t the only Lion producing. Fellow senior Ben Bohl secured first-place honors in the long jump with a state-qualifying distance of 21 feet and 5 inches, and junior Jaeger Lundeen followed suit with a first-place finish in the triple jump (39 feet and 4.5 inches).

Ryan didn’t go uncontested in its journey to the team win, though, as MLS also had a strong showing thanks in part to a stellar outing by Isaac Undlin.

The senior came through each time he was called upon in the 4×100 and 4×200 relays, closing out each race as the anchor en route to a pair of first-place finishes.

But Undlin wasn’t done there, as he used his finishing skills once more in the 400 meters. The senior struggled to get separation in the early going, but that changed once the pack got onto the home stretch.

Undlin turned on the jets and used his long strides to leave his competitors in the rearview mirror. The senior crossed the finish line with room to spare, taking first place with a time of 53.77 seconds.

“Once the finish line is in sight, you just have to push yourself as hard as you can and hope nobody gets in front of you,” Undlin said. “A lead doesn’t mean much because there are a lot of fast kids out here. I just try to run as fast as I can and see what happens.”

Also dominating the competition was the DLBLC girls track & field team, who convincingly took first place with a collective score of 121. Garrison/Max claimed second (93), and Hazen took home third (75).

“I feel like we’re slowly starting to beat our times every meet,” DLBLC sophomore Zoey Reed said. “We’re just pushing harder and harder every meet.”

Sophomore Shelby Ruden got the Lakers off to a strong start by claiming first place in the pole vault (7 feet). Then, Sara Bonn made her presence known in the 100-meter hurdles.

The junior never slowed down, soaring over each hurdle with ease en route to a first-place finish and a time of 17 seconds flat. Also earning first place was DLBLC junior Chloe Gunderson in the shot put, who recorded a throw of 35 feet and 1.75 inches.

Although the Ryan girls team, who took home sixth with a total of 61 points, didn’t place as high as the boys, there were still some strong individual showings out of the Lions. The highlight came from junior Morgan Rodgers, who took first place in the long jump with a distance of 16 feet and 3 inches.

With the northwest regional meet set for next Saturday, each team will continue to try and make strides as the regular season comes to an end.

“This is where the season really begins,” Rodgers said. “The rest of it I consider practices…Hopefully we can continue to improve before regionals.”

Justin Martinez covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JTheSportsDude.