Stillwater Wins Boys, Minnetonka the Girls Class AA MSHSL Team Championships, Ties in Class A

There's much more coming on the MSHSL Championships.  Below is the summary from the MSHSL's John Millea with several photos.  Stories on Friday's action have already been posted, but a lot more stories and pictures will get up beginning on Sunday.  The results from the meet are listed by event HERE.  In Class AA Minnetonaka won the girls team title with 94.5 points, followed by Lakeville South with 79. Stillwater won the Boys title with 65 points, with Forest Lake scoring 59.50, and Wayzata 57.   In Class A Warroad and Milaca tied for first in the with 42 points with Blake in third with 41.   For the boys Foley won the team title with 62 points with Perham and Murray County Central tied for second with 40. Seven Class AA records were broken during the meet. Two Class A records fell. By John Millea (jmillea@mshsl.org)

Two of the all-time greats of Minnesota high school track departed the scene during Saturday’s state meet at Hamline University in St. Paul with different results but identical smiles. One is known for strength, one for endurance.St. Francis’ Maggie Ewen (pictured here) capped an incredible prep career with a weekend sweep of the Class 2A throwing events. She won the discus for the fourth time on Friday and went out in a blaze of glory Saturday, setting a state record in the shot put with a toss of 54 feet, 8 ½ inches. It was her third state title in the shot. Maria Hauger of Shakopee, who has been the state’s dominant distance runner for years, saw her career come to a close with a fourth-place finish in the 2A 1,600. That was a rarity for Hauger, who won the 1,600 a year ago, captured her third 3,200 state title Friday and also has won four state championships in cross-country. Ewen, of course, was very pleased with her performance. But accepting the fact that she will not compete as a high schooler in Minnesota again was something new. “It’s weird,” she said. “I still can’t believe this is the last time I’m going to be here. It’s like a tradition to come back every year, and now when I come back I’ll be part of the audience.” Ewen’s winning toss was very close to the national high school record of 54-10 ¾. She will have two more cracks at that mark, competing at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals next weekend in North Carolina and the USA Junior Championships later this month at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. “I don’t think I’m going to be disappointed if I don’t get it or anything,” she said. “I think it’s there.” The previous state record was 52-4 ¾, set by Lakeville’s Liz Podominick in 2003. Podominick’s high school coach, Rick Ringeisen, now coaches at Lakeville South; Shaina Burns from South finished third in the shot put Saturday.Ringeisen had alerted Podominick that her record was in jeopardy. “She said, ‘That’s probably a good thing. It’s time,’ ” Ringeisen said. “She was very philosophical.” Hauger (pictured) seemed less concerned with her finish in the 1,600 as she was with giving advice to eighth-grade teammate Tess Misgen, who had the fastest time in the prelims of the 800 Friday but finished ninth in Saturday’s finals. Hauger has relished the role of mentor to Misgen and other younger runners. “That is really cool,” she said. “Warming up, I just tell her different things, help her with different things. She’s like, ‘Can I warm up with you?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ I try to encourage her.” Ewen will continue her throwing career at Arizona State and Hauger will run at the University of Virginia. RECORD RELAY In addition to Ewen’s record, the Wayzata 4x200 boys relay team also set a new state record. They won the 2A title in 1 minute, 26.92 seconds. The team consisted of juniors Keante' Johnson, Michael Smith and Steele Berg and senior Jeff Borchardt. DOUBLE INDIVIDUAL WINNERS Rosemount sophomore Rachel Schow won both the 110-meter hurdles and the 300-meter hurdles in 2A. In 1A, Clare Flanagan of Blake won both the 3,200 and 1,600, Warroad’s Diedre Hahn won the high jump and long jump, Tyler Beehler of Foley won the 100 and 200, Jon Tollefson of St. Croix Lutheran won the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, and Matt Neururer of Pillager won the 800 and high jump. SPORTSMANSHIP AT ITS FINEST One of the greatest sights of the 2A meet came after the girls 200-meter dash. The winner was Osseo’s Phillis Webb, who nosed out Taylor Anderson of Hopkins at the wire. Anderson suffered a leg injury late in the race and was hobbled, so Webb put Anderson on her back and carried her to the medical tent and then to the podium for the awards ceremony. After the St. Cloud Cathedral 4x800 relay team of Hallee Curtis, Paige Danielson, Morgan Durbin and Rachel Eickhoff received their seventh-place 1A medals, they waited below the podium to shake hands with the other eight teams that won medals. Well done.TOURNAMENT TIDBITS --Perham’s 4x800 relay team of Billy Beseman, Dalton Dahms, Nick Carignan and Brady Speicher (pictured) not only won the 1A event, but they did it in style … thanks to four freshly shaved heads. “We just did ‘em last night,” Dalton said. “It was really quick.” --After Amanda Allis of United South Central placed third in the 1A shot put Saturday, it marked the end of a lengthy coaching career. United South Central's Kent Viesselman, who retired with the completion of the meet, has completed 100 seasons as a head coach. During a 49-year career, Viesselman, 70, coached cross country and track for 49 years each and basketball for two years. --Cody Walton of Forest Lake had finished third in the 2A 110 hurdles and fourth in the high jump. As he walked across the infield he saw four teammates who had just won the boys 4x100 relay. Cody motioned to the two ribbons hanging around his neck and said, “I’m gonna get a blue one.” Sure enough, a few minutes later he won the 300-meter hurdles.