By Brian Smith
Sports Correspondent
DAYTON — The New Bremen boys track team had one mission heading into the final race of the Division III regional track meet at Dayton. Keep the Cincinnati Christian Hills Academy runner behind them.

And as Jeff Kremer weaved and dodged his way through the traffic during the second lap of the one-mile long race, that goal became much more reachable.
And Bryce Bergman brought the title home to New Bremen, as the Cardinal team of Bergman, Kremer, Zach Speckman and Kyle Knapke won the event in 3:26.32.
The Cardinal boys track team captured the Division III regional title on Saturday with 59 points.
New Bremen coach Gary Jones has watched his team capture Midwest Athletic Conference title, a district title and now a regional title.
“We talked to the guys before the race about keeping (CHCA) behind us,” Jones said. “
“We knew that we had to keep them behind us,” Knapke said.
“I felt good,” Kremer said about his lap in the 4x400.
Kremer took second in the boys 400 meter with a 50.65-second time.
“I’m still ticked off about not winning the 400,” he said.
A regional title will have to do.
Bryce Bergman led the way for the Cardinals.
Bergman won the 300 meter hurdles with a 39.56-second time., blowing past the competition and winning by a healthy margin.
Bergman took second in the 110 meter hurdles with a 14.86 second time, behind Gray Horn of Waynesfield. Horn set the new regional record with a 14.31 second time.
And Bergman threw in a second-place finish in the boys long jump for good measure, going 21 feet three inches.
Scott Schnelle continued his dominance of the high jump, clearing 6 feet six-inches for the second straight meet.
The day for the Minster girls track team was about as good.
The Wildcats took second place with 69 points, 11 points behind fellow MAC team Versailles.
Alyssa Kemper picked up a win in the 200 meter dash with a 26.25-second time to advance to state.
Averie Bornhorst of Minster is headed to state after finishing fourth in the girls 3200 meter run, barely getting past Lei Bornhorst for the final state slot. Averie finished in 12:03.61 and Lei finished in 12:04.58.
The Minster girls 4x200 relay team took third place. The team of Cecilia Slonkosky, Maria Dahlinghaus, Katie Dahlinghaus and Alyssa Kemper finished with a 1:48.06 time.
The Minster girls 4x400 relay team took second with a 4:09.49 time. The team consisted of the same four runners as the 4x200.
The Minster boys 4x200 team took second. The team of Tyler Whitford, Sam Phlipot, Matthew Brackman and Albert Barga finished in 1:32.77.
Becca Steineman turned in a fourth-place finish in the girls shot put with a put of 36 feet 4.5 inches.
Minster’s Jessica Albers took second in the girls mile with a 5:20.41 time.
Bernadette Burke took eighth in the girls mile with a 5:35 time.
Kregg Olding was ninth in the boys mile (4:38.37) and Joby Stechschulte took 11th (4:50.01).
The Minster girls team of Jackie Richard, Jenni Richard, Tiffany Olberding and Alyssa Kemper took sixth in the girls 4x100 relay (51.37 seconds).
The Minster boys 4x100 team of Tyler Whitford, Sam Phlipot, Jordan Boeke and Albert Barga took seventh (44.64 seconds).
Katie Wirwille of New Knoxville was fifth and New Bremen’s Taylor Jones was seventh in the girls 400 meter dash.
Stacey Sherman took seventh in the girls 300 meter hurldes with a 51.23-second time.
New Bremen’s Caitlin Chaney took sixth in the girls 800 meter run with a 2:26.79 time. Minster’s Katie Dahlinghaus took seventh with a 2:26.83 time. Jessica Albers was tenth with a 2:34.61 time.
Kregg Olding of Minster took ninth in the boys 3200 meter run in 10:35.73.
Jay Schwartz of New Bremen took seventh in the pole vault with a vault of 12 feet six inches.
Jacob Phlipot of Minster took sixth in the shot put with a put of 49 feet 2.5 inches.
Taylor Jones was fifth in the girls long jump with a jump of 16 feet 8.75 inches.
Emily Barhorst of Minster was fifth in the girls high jump with a jump of 4 feet, ten inches.
Minster has seven girls going to state, New Bremen has five boys and Minster has seven boys going to state.