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I thought I had a busy day last Saturday.On my to-do list were: mowing the lawn, trimming around the fence, tilling a section of the garden, replacing a rotted step to our sauna, weeding the raspberry patch, and stacking some firewood. Oh, and I also tidied up our chicken coop too.
Zach Mellon, the fastest prep 800 meter runner in Minnesota history at 1:48.64, though, has a really busy day coming this Saturday.
On his to-do list: anchor the Buffalo High School 4 x 800 meter relay team to a win, win a third Class AA 800m individual title against strong competition, and then anchor the Bison 4 x 400m relay, hopefully to a third victory.
Oh, and if all goes well, raise the MSHSL Class AA team champion's trophy above his head.
Mellon (pictured, center), the most decorated athlete in this weekend's meet, will attempt to carry the Buffalo team to its first-ever Class AA track title on his fleet pair of legs. The Bison hope his busy Saturday -- and some big points in the 4 x 200m relay and hurdle races -- can ultimately place the team on the top step of the awards podium at Klas Field early Saturday afternoon.
Mellon successfully demo-ed his 4 x 800/800/4 x 400 triple at the Hamline Elite Meet back in April. There, in the span of three-and-a-half hours, the University of Wisconsin-bound star helped his team earn three victories in the non-scored meet.
First, Mellon anchored the Bison to a 8:13.87 victory in the 4 x 800m, beating five teams -- Richfield, Forest Lake, Moorhead, Wayzata, and Austin -- they'll face on Saturday. Next, Mellon won his third Elite Meet 800m title, with a patient 1:58.64 victory over Winona's Sam Miner.
Finally, Mellon brought Buffalo a victory in the 4 x 400 -- splitting 48.9 -- with a 3:25.33 performance. The Bison topped four teams they'll likely meet in Saturday's final -- Chaska, Fridley, Austin, and Hopkins.
Mellon will need to complete the feat in slightly less time at State -- there's 3 hours and 18 minutes between the start of the 4 x 800 and the gun for the 4 x 400 -- and after a Friday where he'll race 800m and 4 x 400m prelims. He'll also be racing against the strongest competition in the state.
At the Elite Meet, for example, Mellon didn't face his biggest challenger in the 800m -- Harun Abda of Fridley. Abda, who ran 1:50.74 for second place in last year's State Meet, (to Mellon's all-time State Meet best of 1:49.69) chose the 400m at Hamline, which he won in 49.74.
Abda enters the Class AA 800m as the #2 seed with 1:54.6. Mellon ran 1:51.72 in the prelims of the Section 2AA meet last week.
In the end, if Buffalo is to outscore its team rivals -- look for Section 6AA champions Wayzata and 2008 MSHSL Class AA and 2009 True Team champs Rosemount, winners in 3AA, to give a tough fight -- it may depend on Buffalo's "non-Mellon" events.
Buffalo's 4 x 200m relay has the #2 time in the state this year -- behind Rosemount. High hurdler Keenan Stangl is the fastest in Class AA in the event so far this year. Jerome Begin, a 300m hurdles specialist, is ranked #4 in the state in his event.
All-purpose hurdler Benjamin Stephens could also contribute important points, as could high jumper Beau Gagnon and long jumper Kaleb Stevens.
Only the track and field gods know how things will turn out. But, no matter the outcome at the State Meet, we hope Mellon, his Buffalo teammates, and their rivals get a day off from yard-work on Sunday. They'll deserve it!
Photo by Gene Niemi.
Mellon will need to complete the feat in slightly less time at State -- there's 3 hours and 18 minutes between the start of the 4 x 800 and the gun for the 4 x 400 -- and after a Friday where he'll race 800m and 4 x 400m prelims. He'll also be racing against the strongest competition in the state.
At the Elite Meet, for example, Mellon didn't face his biggest challenger in the 800m -- Harun Abda of Fridley. Abda, who ran 1:50.74 for second place in last year's State Meet, (to Mellon's all-time State Meet best of 1:49.69) chose the 400m at Hamline, which he won in 49.74.
Abda enters the Class AA 800m as the #2 seed with 1:54.6. Mellon ran 1:51.72 in the prelims of the Section 2AA meet last week.
In the end, if Buffalo is to outscore its team rivals -- look for Section 6AA champions Wayzata and 2008 MSHSL Class AA and 2009 True Team champs Rosemount, winners in 3AA, to give a tough fight -- it may depend on Buffalo's "non-Mellon" events.
Buffalo's 4 x 200m relay has the #2 time in the state this year -- behind Rosemount. High hurdler Keenan Stangl is the fastest in Class AA in the event so far this year. Jerome Begin, a 300m hurdles specialist, is ranked #4 in the state in his event.
All-purpose hurdler Benjamin Stephens could also contribute important points, as could high jumper Beau Gagnon and long jumper Kaleb Stevens.
Only the track and field gods know how things will turn out. But, no matter the outcome at the State Meet, we hope Mellon, his Buffalo teammates, and their rivals get a day off from yard-work on Sunday. They'll deserve it!
Photo by Gene Niemi.
Join DtB for State ... If you can't make it to St. Paul for the State Meet yourself, follow the action here with us. We'll be have live coverage of the Class AA action on Friday and Saturday mornings. For Class A, we'll post top-results immediately after the action ends in the afternoon.
We hope you join us starting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
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