The Blake School's senior Grant Krieger was ready for big things early this week, he said, holding an ice bag to the inside of his leg. Those thoughts, however, were before the groin injury that made the ice necessary diminished his ability to fulfill those ambitions on Friday. "I cleared 17' in practice this week," said Krieger. "I really thought 16'6" was possible(at the State Meet)."
Icing between each vault, Krieger had to settle for setting a Class A record in the event, which he'll have to share with event runner-up, junior Tyler Tappe of Pequot Lakes, as each cleared 15'6" with Krieger taking the gold on fewer misses. With the groin aching between jumps, Kreiger missed three attempts at 16'1", just as Class AA champion Mitchell Valli had after setting the Class AA record earlier in the day.
The pair had waged a weather shortened, season-long battle, along with defending champion Lee Bares of Lakeville South, who failed to qualify for the state meet despite being the first to break the Minnesota record for the vault early in the year at 15'9." That mark was promptly broken by Krieger, who cleared 16', the current Minnesota record. Which is why Valli wanted the bar set at 16'1" after he'd won the Class AA title, hoping to one up his rivals in their season-long competition. But neither Valli nor Kreiger, who will be attending Clemson in the Fall and dreams of going after 18', not 17, could manage a new Minnesota record to top off their season.
"I haven't really done weight lifting yet," said Kreiger, and he's hoping that the Clemson program, which just hired a coach from Michigan State who is known for improving vaulter's strength, will be the key to pushing him to new heights. Kreiger started his athletic career as a gymnast, but also played football at Blake, was called away from an interview as his coach told him that a kid over near the stands wanted his autograph. Kreiger started vaulting, he said, because he noticed that the pole vaulters didn't have to do the grueling sprint training that the other athletes on the team did. Instead of working on his speed, Kriefer will be dedicating himself to work in the weight room.
But not before he seeks to add HS All American status for outdoor track to his indoor All American achievement earlier in the year. Kreiger will join several of Minnesota's other elites at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina June 14-16. Hopefully, the groin strain will be healed by then, he said, and he's not worried about having to take time off from vaulting noting that he's been able to perform well before after lengthier layoffs.
Krieger's Blake teammate, Clare Flanagan, a junior, won't be joining him at the New Balance meet despite defending her Class A championship in the 3200. Flanagan will finish up her Class A career with an attempt at a distance double running the 1600 on Saturday to end her season. She's satisfied, she said, with what she did this year, running the fastest 3200 in Minnesota for 2013 of 10:23 at the Hamline Elite Meet in April and another personal best in the mile of 4:50.54 in qualifying for the state meet.
Flanagan said she was hoping, going into Friday's 3200 final, to be able to run conservatively to save her energy for the 1600, but freshman Hannah Truninger of Mayer Lutheran had other ideas. She tore through the first mile in 5:12 with Flanagan right on her heels. At that point Flanagan decided that conservative wasn't going to cut it and picked up the pace in the sixth lap to build a five second lead a lap later that she continued to stretch all the way to the finish, crossing the line in 10:27.85, almost 20 seconds in front of Truninger.
After the race Flanagan stood near the finish line and congratulated the other finishers. She sought out Truninger and took the younster on a walk around the inside of the track after the award ceremony, congratulating her on her effort and giving her advice for what she told Truninger would certainly be a bright future. As she was leaving the stadium, Flanagan saw boys 3200 Class A winner, Charlie Lawrence, a senior from Foley bound for the University of Minnesota, and gave him words of praise as well.
Lawrence had a much different sort of race in defending his 3200 title as Perham's duo of junior Keegan Hurley and senior Brady Speicher led the field through a metronomic 75 second per lap pace for almost the entire first mile that only picked up slightly as the lead pack diminished from eight at the mile to seven for the next two laps to three with a lap to go. Then Lawrence unleashed his kick in the form of a 59 second last lap to pass and hold off Hurley. The pair ran 9:33.73. and 9:34.67, respectively, with Speicher in third in 9:39.36.
"We knew that nobody else wanted to lead," said Perham cross country coach Jeff Morris. "So we prepared" for the last lap kick, but Lawrence's 50 second quarter speed was too much for them to handle. The 3200 had been reduced to a 400 sprint, which suited Lawrence just fine.
He'd had difficulty qualifying for the state meet because of a low glycogen problem that left him virtually "running on empty" in the 3200 Sectionals. Diet modification returned his strength in time for the state meet, however, and Lawrence's day wasn't doneafter that event. He still had to anchor Foley's 4 by 400 relay, but, he noted that he was thankful for the languid pace of the 3200 because it left him fresh for the relay and his effort to attempt to complete the distance double on Saturday with a win in the 1600.
Full meet results by event are HERE.
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