Opening Day of the MSHSL State Track and Field Championships

There was something for everybody on the first day of the two day MSHSL State Track and Field Championships at Hamline University on Friday,

The action on the track began with the girls' 3200 meters  where defending MSHSL Cross Country Girls'champion Emily Covert ran  a new All-Time best for the distance.  She did it alone.  Her track races during the season have been more like  time trials than  races. The other runners couldn't match Covert's pace as she attempted to not only set personal bests The Minneapolis Washburn junior hopes that a sub 10 minute 3200 is part of her future.

Emily Covert finishes the 3200.  In the first half of the race Covert was
all smiles as she came down the finish straight. "The first four laps are for smiling,"
she said.  the last four are for fighting off giving in to the urge to minimize the discomfort of the
effort it takes to get to the finish line.
Photo by Gene Niemi

On Friday she cfinished in  10:06.19 to set another MSHSL championship record. In November 2017 Covert won the Class AA cross country title and broke the AA MSHSL girls' record.  Covert and her teammate Grace Dickel, who finished third in the 3200 have Washburn in first in the Girls'team competition after four events have been tallied on Day one.

In the boys' Class AA 3200 Wayzata's Khalid Hussein duplucated Covert's XC and track wins, winning XC title in November 2017 and the track title here.  Hussein says he will run the 1600 on Saturday.

Khalid Hussein, Photo by Gene Niemi

Maxwell Otterdahl wins the shot put title while his older brothers
compete in Eugene at the NCAA championships.  Max wrestles in addition to
the shot and discus.  Says the wrestling helps him learn how to use
his body to throw further.  Max also changed his technique from the glide to the spin(rotational).
Photo by Gene Niemi

MORE PHOTOS AND STORIES FROM DAY ONE AND DAY TWO COMING LATER.