American Milers Club Series Races

Twin Cities Track Club's Melissa Agnew finished seventh in the 1500 in 4:30.26.  Full results are HERE.

Portland Track Festival Results

In Portland Track Festival High Performance 800 Sunday night Gopher grad and OTC Elite's Harun Abda takes fifth in 1:47.77, Brooks Beast Garrett Heath 13th in 1:49.10, and Team USA Minnesota's Travis Burkstrand 15th  in 1:49.39.  Race run in five heats with the times determining place.

Team USA Minnesota's Meghan Peyton fifth in women's High Performance 5K in 15:52.72. In the Men's High Performance 5K teammates Jonathan Peterson  and Eric Finan finished eighth(13:42.65) and 11th(13:47.83)respectively. The race was won by Mo Farah in 13:23.42. Results are HERE.  On Saturday Hamline alum Devin Munson, now representing Rogue AC, placed second in the 10K in 29:00.23.

Burns Fifth in NB HS Outdoor National Champs Shot Put; Streich Sixth and Rosen 16th in 800

After winning the heptahlon, Lakeville South grad Shaina Burns finished fifth in the Girl's Shot Put Championship flight at the New Balance HS Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina on Sunday.  Burns toss, on her third throw of the competition flew 13.88m/45'6.5". Shot put results are HERE.

In the Boy's 800 Championship Waseca's Shane Streich, the MN Class A 800 and 1600 champion, finished sixth in 1:52:06.  Bloomington Jefferson's Matthew Rosen was 16th in 1:53.47.  The placing were determined by times recorded in separate heats.  Full results are HERE.

NCAA, Day 4:Bates and Ferlic Finish Fourth, Simons Seventh, Olson 12th

Mason Ferlic

Elk River and Boise State's Emma Bates finished fourth in 15:51.87; St. Louis Park and Butler's Mara Olson was 12th in 16:11.58.  5K results are HERE.  Mounds Park Acadamy and Michigan's Mason Ferlic finished fourth in the 3K steeple in 8:39.84. Steeple results are HERE. John Simons finished seventh in the 1500 in 3:40.57. 1500 results are HERE.

New York Event Results: Bersagel, Smock, Grunewald

Plenty of action in the Big Apple on Saturday as Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon 2013 women's champion Annie Bersagel finished 12th in the Oakley Mini 10K in Central Park in 33:17.

On the track at Randall's Island in the adidas Grand Prix meet, Amanda Smock finished sixth in the triple jump, and first US athlete, leaping 13.66m/44'9.75".  Team USA Minnesota's Gabe Grunewald finished 13th in the 1500 in 4:10.12.

Smock becomes a spectator watching historic high jump HERE.

Shaina Burns Wins Heptathlon at NB HS Outdoor Nationals

Lakeville South grad Shaina Burns won the heptathlon at the New Balance HS Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina on Saturday scoring 5163 points.  Full heptathlon results are HERE.

Jon Tollefson was 23rd in the the 110 Hurdles prelims in 14.43. Hurdle results are HERE.  They are from Northport HS, not Minnesotans, but twin brothers Tim and Jack McGowan and teammate Mike Brannigan tied the record of the 1975 Hammond Trio of Tim Keough, Rudy Chapa, and Carey Pinkowski as the only high school team that had three runners break 9 minutes for the two mile in the same year.  Brannigan won the NB Outdoor Nationals 2-mile in 8:53.59, Tim McGowan was third in 8:56.60 and Jack McGowan fourth in 8:57.57. Video of the race is HERE.

The Northport trio

NCAA DI, Day 3: Ellenson Second in the High jump.

Wally Ellenson. Photo by Gene Niemi

Gopher's Wally Ellenson finished second in the high jump at the NCAA DI Championships in Eugene on Friday clearing 2.45m/7'4.5". High jump results are HERE. Discus thrower Dominique Howard finished ninth in that event with a toss of  58.60m/198'3".

Dominique Howard

Discus results are HERE. Gopher press release on the men is HERE.

Stormy Nesbitt

Roseville grad Stormy Nesbitt, a junior at West Virginia, finished eighth in the triple jump  with a leap of 13.03m/42'9".  Triple jump results are HERE.

Park grad Rilwan Alowonlie running the 300m Hurdles at
the 2012 MSHSL Championsips in 2012. Photo by Gene
Niemi

Park grad Rilwan Alowonli, a sophomore at North Carolina,  finished fifth in the 400 meter hurdles in 51.06. Hurdle results are HERE.

Shaina Burns Leads Heptathlon, Allyson Weiss Fifth in TJ at New Balance HS Outdoor Nationals

Lakeville South grad Shaina Burns leads the heptathlon after the first day of competition at the New Balance HS Outdoor Nationals in North Carolina on Friday.  Burns scored 3204 points, 149 ahead of Creekside(FL) HS's Jordan Fields. Heptathlon results are HERE.

Eastview's Allyson Weiss finished fifth in the triple jump .  She did it on her sixth and final jump, leaping 11.52m/37'9.5", almost a foot longer than her second longest leap in the competition. Triple jump results are HERE.

NCAA DI Day 2, Emma Bates Wins Women's 10K

Then: Emma Bates as a high schooler. Photo by Gene
Niemi

Now: sprinting to an NCAA championship

Elk River grad Emma Bates won the women's 10K in 32:32.35.  "It's electric here in TrackTown USA," Bates told ESPN after the finish where she outkicked UAB's Elinor Kirk in the final straight. Bates' time was the second fastest in NCAA DI Championship competition as the top ten finishers ran under 33:13, another record.

The Boise State junior ran almost the entire race near the shoulder of whoever was leading.  She said in her post-race interview on ESPN that it was hard to run someone else's pace the whole way, but the strategy worked as she ran the last 5K in 15:56 and the last lap in 67, according to ESPN announcer Larry Rawson's calculations.  She took the lead on the backstrech of the last lap and held off Kirk on the final straightaway.  10K results are HERE. Phone cam video of the last 300 of the 10K is HERE. Runnerspace video of post-race interview with Bates is HERE.

Emma and Mom in Eugene

Gopher Jon Lehman finished tenth in the men's Hammer Throw with a heave of 64.27m/210'10".  Hammer results are HERE.   Teammate John Simons qualified for the 1500 finals by finishing fifth in his heat in 3:41.65(fifth fastest time in qualifying).  1500 results are HERE.  Mounds Park Academy and the University of Michigan's Mason Ferlic finished third in his heat of the 3K steeplechase in 8:49.20 to qualify for the final. Steeple results are HERE.  The Gopher women's 4 by 400 relay finished sixth in the final heat and 19th overall in the prelims. 4 by 400 in 3:37.08.  Results are HERE.

The host University of Oregon men's team was disqualified in the 4 by 400 relay.  Former Eugene Register Guard reporter, now the editor of GoDucks.com, reported on Twiter that: "NCAA has two means to review footage. First attempt didn't resolve protest. Second resource is ESPN, whose crew has left for the day."

If you were watching the ESPN coverage of the NCAA Championships in
Eugene, you saw a familar face in the stands.  Matt Mcelroy captured this
screenshot.

NDSU's Antoinette Goodman, a Burnsville HS grad,  finished seventh in heat 3, 19th overall in the 200 prelims in 23.79. 200 results are HERE.

NCAA Day 1 Results

Gopher's Zach Siegmeier finished fifth in the men's pole vault clearing  5.50m/18' .5".  Pole vault resutls are HERE. Teammate Devon Stanford 15th in hammer throw with a throw of 60.44m/198' 3". Hammer results are HERE. Alexandria's Roseanne Erickson, who competes for Kent State, was 11th in the women's long jump leaping 6.17m/20'3". Long jump results are HERE.

AP NCAA photo gallery is HERE.

Minnesota Daily article on Gopher men's high jumper Wally Ellenson is HERE.

News:Willis Under 3:50 at Bislett, NB HS Outdoor Nationals

2013 Medtronic TC Mile champ Nick Willis achieved one of this goals for the 2014 season by breaking 2:50 at the Bislett Games in Oslo on Wednesday.  Willis was runner up in the Dream Mile in 3:49.83, a PR. Full results from Bislett are HERE.

New Balance High School Outdoor Nationals start lists are HERE. Bloomington Jefferson's Matthew Rosen and Waseca's Shane Streich running, but in different heats of the 800 in a timed final(times from the heats are combined with the outcome decided by time).  St. Croix Lutheran's Jon Tollefson is running in the 110 hurdles. Lakeville South's(Now Texas A&M) Shaina Burns is throwing the shot, as well as competing in the heptathlon. East Ridge's Allyson Weiss will jump in the Emerging Elilte triple jump.

News: NCAA DI preview, Olympic Athlete Earnings; USATF MN Open and Masters Photos,Hyperspecialized Youth Sports

T&F News form charts for NCAA DI for women are HERE, men HERE.

Idaho Statesman article on Elk River native Emma Bates is HERE.

Start lists for NCAA DI are HERE.

Entrants broken down by "media markets"--geographic location.  MN, WI, and Iowa entrants on page 8--is HERE.

Five Gopher men to compete in Eugene HERE. Gopher men's preview is HERE, women's HERE.

Starting tomorrow,  daily live NCAA DI results posted HERE.

IAAF interview with Gopher grad Barbora Špotáková is HERE.

Fargo Forum story on North Dakota "legend" and University of Oregon senior Laura Roesler is HERE.

ESPN programming schedule for the NCAA DI Championships is HERE.

T&F News NCAA Championship history is HERE.

Photos from the USATF MN Open and Masters championships are HERE, added to the MSHSL photos

Interesting presentation of the financial dealings of Olympic athletes.  How much do the "superstars" make?  What about the rest? HERE.

Youth sports hyperspecialized HERE.

News: Statewide Coverage of State Meet; Trinona Triathlon, Chester Woods 50K

Richfield's Obsa Ali(left) wins another "race."

Sun Sailor coverage of Minnetonka girl's championship is HERE and the Hopkins boy's win is HERE.

Shakopee Valley News on Tess Misgen's win at State HERE and HERE.  Photos of Shakopee athletes at State are HERE.

Red Wing Republican Eagle's story on Cannon Falls' Emi Trost's win in the 3200 is HERE. Story on the Red Wing team is HERE, and the Lake City team HERE.

Winona Daily News story and photos on Brielle Bierman's win the in 300 hurdles is HERE; story on Bryce Koval's runner up finish in the 400 and news on other area athletes is HERE. Video interviews are HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Waseca County News story on Waseca's runner-up team at State is HERE. Day one story is HERE.

Perham Focus stories on Keeghan Hurley's one, two finishes and the other area athletes at State are HERE and HERE.

Stillwater Gazette coverage of the Stillwater team at State and Eli Krahn's double is HERE.

Duluth News Tribune coverage of the State meet and Chisholm high jumper Jaunstin Culbert 's Class A boy's win in that event is HERE.

Northfield News story on Class AA pole vault runner up Alexis Kiefer is HERE, 800 runner Kaia Bierman is HERE.

Rochester Post-Bulletin coverage of the State Meet is HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Marshall Independent story on the Marshall HS girl's 4 by 800 relay and other area school athletes competing at State is HERE.

Worthington Daily Globe coverage of the State meet is HERE, HERE, and HERE.

USATF-MN photo album from the State Meet is HERE.

Winona Daily News story and photos of the Trinona Triathlon are HERE  and HERE.

Rochester Post-Bulletin coverage of the Chester Woods 50K is HERE.

Added anecdote from the State Meet.  After the Class A girls's 800, I was interviewing Watertown-Mayer's Liz Miller after her win.  Concordia University's Mike Stoick, a grad assistant coach for the middle and distance runners who was a volunteer marshall for the State Championships, came by and said: "Ask her about her dancing."  Miller laughed: "It's just what I do before the race," she said.  I asked if it was hip hop or some other form.  Miller said neither.  Stoick added that he didn't think it fit in any particular category, but that it was a graceful dance movement that could entertain those watching and get Miller a bit of a pre-race warm up before the race started.

TrackTown Minnesota?

Eugene, Oregon has adopted the moniker of TrackTown USA.  On the Internet, Hopkins supporters have their own campaign for designating the city TrackTown MN.  I suspect there are other cities that might challenge Eugene for its self proclaimed US status, and still more who would debate Hopkins' claim.

Why not Minneapolis with Edison and the U of M?  St. Paul for hosting the MSHSL Championships each Spring, as well as St. Thomas, Hamline, Macalester, Bethel, and Concordia?  Mankato?  Northfield?  Wayzata? Stillwater?  The list could go on.  DtB thought it might be interesting to pose the question.  What municipality in the Land of 10,000 Lakes deserves the title?  Should the title rotate?  Post your comments in the comments section.

As the NCAA DI Championships are going on this week in Eugene, the folks there are hosting preview broadcasts today and tomorrow from TrackTown USA.  More info HERE. Live broadcasts of the meet will be available on ESPN, more info HERE.

Here is a photo montage for Hopkins.

USATF Minnesota Results

Results from the USATF Mid American Open are HERE

Results from the USATF Minnesota Open are HERE.

Results from the USATF Minnesota Open & Masters Mile are HERE.

The Fall

Eli Krahn(5) wins, Obsa Ali(1) nearly does.  Justin Hyytinen(3) makes his mark,
Sam Carlson(yellow singlet behind Hyytinen) ends his high school career with
a bang, Zach Benning(4) continues to impress, and Joe Klecker(on the ground)
gives his all. Photo by Kraig Lungstrom

It was a race that had nearly everything, but it will probably be remembered for "the fall."  Saturday's boy's 1600 had all the ingredients for a great race, except the weather.  Stillwater sophomore Eli Krahn was the marked man.  The distance running prodigy whose still growing, sometimes fragile body had come back from a nearly lost cross country season to win the 3200 the day before in bright sunshine and on the hottest day of a cool Spring.

Hair matted from the rain and "hunted" by the opposition Krahn  was attempting to defend his 1600 title from 2013.  His record time in that race catapulted him to instant fame in an era when news travels faster than a sprinter's fast twitch fibers.  Running 4:09.38 the then 5'9" freshman was discovered to have run the fastest ever time by a US ninth grader when those trolling the internet discovered that his time was marginally better than a West Coast freshman high schooler who had also run under 2:10 last year.

Combine that with his second place, sub nine minute 3200 the day before and Krahn became one of the most talked about runners from a Stillwater high school program that has already produced four sub-four minute milers after they  graduated.  With great gifts often comes great challenges and Krahn's has been his body.  Still growing, Eli added three inches to his height in the last year, said coach Scott Christensen, and lost much of this year's cross country season to a stress reaction injury to his leg.

It was perhaps the worst of a series of lesser injuries that have hindered Krahn through his young career as a distance runner.  As a result Krahn began strength training in an attempt to ward off injuries and make his already powerful physique even more potent.  The runner he dethroned in Friday's 3200, Richfield's Obsa Ali had his own struggles with injuries, as the Gopher recruit nearly didn't make it to the starting line of last Fall's MSHSL cross country championships.

Shin splints and a roaring cold nagged Ali before the race, and a clipped heel and resulting lost shoe combined with his physical setbacks still could not prevent the senior from ending his high school cross country career with something he wanted badly, the win.  Not able to retain his title on Friday, Ali was determined to provide a greater challenge to Krahn in the shorter distance.  As was Joe Klecker, who himself was sidelined with a stress fracture last summer that derailed his cross country season.  The son of US Olympian Janis Klecker and one time ultra running world recordholder Barney Klecker, Joe has good genes and a voracious work ethic.

Joe's high school teammate, 2014 MSHSL 100 champ Shaheed Hickman praised Klecker's dedication and grit, noting that the success of this year's Hopkins' team could be attributed to the hard work each team member performed during the season and the leadership by example of teammates such as Klecker.  Add to this mix the blossoming junior from Farmington, Justin Hyytinen, Bemidji's Sam Carlson, Hastings' Zach Benning and Chaska's Joey Duerr and you have the cast of formidable opponents all aiming for one thing, to replace Krahn as the 1600 champion.

Unlike the 3200, Krahn said, he didn't have as specific a race plan for the 1600.  He had talked prior to the Hamline Elite meet in April of having conversations with Ali to help each other to a fast time at the 1600 race there, but the fact that Ali had just finished wrestling season and that Krahn had a bad cold the week before, terminated that plan andinstead Hyytinen appeared on everyone's radar as he came from behind to run down Ali in the last lap and win the Elite Meet 1600.

After Duerr won the 3200 at Hamline for the second straight year, Krahn congratulated him on his win and asked: "Where did (Hyytinen) come from?"  Duerr responded that he had run against Hyytinen in conference meets and that Justin had good finishing speed.  In Saturday's race, both Ali and Krahn, neither of whom is a  slouch  when it comes to finishing speed led the race, were not aiming for a blistering fast pace, but to keep the pace going so that the 1600 didn't turn into a 400 meter sprint. Coming into the final lap, Klecker, who had thrown in a 61 third lap during the 3200 during the Lake Conference Meet to break up the field, launched a scorching charge around the first curve and onto the backstretch.

1600 finish. Photo by Gene Niemi

Both Ali and Krahn responded with Obsa giving chase first, followed by Krahn who wound up his pace coming off that first turn and accelerated down the backstretch.  Attempting to break away from Klecker and Ali, Krahn had opened a gap as he rounded the final curve and sprinted for home, but Klecker launched a counterattack.  Mouth agape and arms pumping, Klecker, not known for his kick, was not losing ground to Krahn, but not gaining much either.

Krahn had drifted a bit toward the second lane, allowing Ali to spot a gap on the inside and go for it.  Klecker saw Obsa flash by and tried to make his legs go faster.  They began to falter instead.  Joe lost his balance, stumbled, and began to fall.  He reached out, hitting Ali, who was  thrust forward and sideways, but kept on his feet.  Klecker didn't and crashed on the ground.

Having the presence of mind to realize that Hopkins was in a battle for team points, Klecker scrambled to crawl across the line in an effort to lose as few points as possible. Having crossed the finish and after the rest of the field had flashed past his prone body. Klecker raised himself onto his knees and pounded the ground with his fists in frustration.  It was an unexpected ending to a fierce battle between a group of very talented and determined athletes.

"I thought I was going to catch (Krahn)," said Ali.  "But (Klecker) grabbed me."  There's video of the race, so many will be looking at it and making their own judgments, but one suspects that whenever the topic of the 2014 boy's State Championship 1600 is discussed, the fall will be part of the narrative.  If for no other reason than "what if" stories have a tendency to stimulate conversation.

Multiple Event Winners No Rarity

Making the turn for home off the final turn in the 400. Michael Smith(4)
and Sam Johnson of Monticello(3). Photo by Gene Niemi

Multiple event winners proliferated at this year's MSHSL Track Championships.  Wayzata's Michael Smith, for example, got to hang three gold medals around his neck. Smith defended his title in the 400 with a time of 47.99, and was a member of Wayzata's winning 4 by 200 and 4 by 400 relay teams.  Smith ran the fastest time of the year and second fastest all time of 47.40 in the Sectionals.

He's the only Minnesota quarter miler this year to dip under 48 seconds for 400.  When asked if he'd run a 400 meter relay split under 47, Smith answered "Not yet."

Harry Monoh hands off the baton to Shaheed Hickman for the final
leg of the 4 by 100 relay. Photo by Gene Niemi

Hopkins' sprinter Shaheed Hickman won the 100 and anchored Hopkins' winning  4 by 100 relay.  Hickman was one of the team leaders in pushing them toward the team championship, telling anyone who would listen about the work ethic and togetherness of the team.  They pushed and pulled each other to improve, he said, noting that when Joe Klecker set new school records in distance races that inspired his teammates to attempt and/or succeed in matching Klecker's accomplishments.

Finish of the Class AA 100. Megan Linder(6), Briasha Hunter(5),  Wenisha Johnson(4),
and  Tnia Rilay(3) Photo by Gene Niemi

Cretin-Derham Hall's Brieasha Hunter swept the AA 100 and 400 sprint races and with teammate Megan Linder racked up 66 points to finish second in the girl's AA team race.  Linder finished second in both those events and won the 200 with Hunter finishing second.

Jon Tollefson clearing the hurdle. Photo by Gene Niemi

St. Croix Lutheran's Jon Tollefson won both hurdle races, taking the 110 High Hurdles in a new Class A record of 14.36 and winning the 300 Hurdles in a photo finish with Minnehaha Academy's Samuel Lundquist.  Tollefson said that his goal for next season is to try and run under 14 seconds for the 110 hurdles.  On Saturday he said he tried to concentrate on his form as he noticed in films of his races that he tended to pop up over the hurdles more when he was tired.  So he concentrated on getting his lead leg down quicker and spending  less time in the air over the hurdles.

Chatfield's Jamye LaPlante won the shot put on Friday with a personal best throw of 56'11.5" and the discus on Saturday at 162'8".  His shot put PR was more than two feet further than he threw all season.

Jia Lewis wins the 100. Photo by Gene Niemi

Minneapolis Edison's Jia Lewis won the Class A 100 and 200 and combined with her sister's third place finish in both events racked up 40 points to earn Edison the Class A team title.

She didn't win twice but La Crescent's Brielle Bierman won the Class A 300 meter hurdles after being DQed in the 100 meter hurdles.  "I just wanted it so bad," Bierman said of her false start in the 100. "I guess I wanted it too much.  I was waiting until tonight to say that I'd gone through my entire high school career without false starting."

Instead of letting her mistake get her down, Bierman used her anger and disappointment as incentive to perform in the 300 hurdles.

Tess Misgen (14) begins her kick in the 1600. Photo by Gene Niemi

In a Class AA 1600 and 800 distance double Shakopee's Tess Misgen set a new PR in the 1600 to win that race in 4:50.78 outkicking the Hasz twins in the last lap.  Her strategy was to stay near the front of the race and start her kick with a lap to go.  She knew that the Hasz twins would push the pace early on and hoped that took enough of the sting out of defending champion Jenna Treudson of Bemidji, who had outkicked her down the homestrech last year.  Misgen made sure she didn't let up on the final straight, fearing that Treudson might repeat her sprint to deny Misgen the title again.

In the 800, Misgen said she just ran out of gas in the last lap.  When she tried to go, her legs would not respond.  But as soon as she finished the race and stopped running, she no longer felt spent.  It was as if all her energy for sprinting left her in the 800.  But she wasn't too disappointed.  With a smile she said: "Now I'm going to go out and eat some ice cream.  I haven't had any in a long time."

Kayla Huhnerkoch  in the 1600. Photo by Gene Niemi

Kayla Huhnerkoch used a powerful last lap sprint to win the Class A 1600, and tried to repeat that tactic in the 800.  She passed the leader Liz Miller on the backstretch and was leading on the homestraight when Miller came to life again and passed Huhnerkoch in the last 50 meters.

"I thought when you passed me: 'I'm dead, I'm dead.' I thought it was over,." she told Huhnerkock.  But she didn't give up, instead stayed within striking distance and found some extra energy to get past Huhnerkoch and grab victory from the jaws of defeat.

Minnetonka's Mia Barron's biggest challenge on Saturday's triple jump was the weather.  When she was asked after the event how she was able to jump a new All time State Meet record distance of 40'5.5" she said: "I don't know."  She worried before the event got started that the wet runway might be too slippery, but she sailed 39'7" on her first jump, 40'5.5" on her second and 40'3.75" on her third before she had to run a leg on the 4 by 100 relay.

She couldn't get her rhythm after that and her sixth and last jump was her shortest at 38'9.5" still almost two feet further than her nearest competitor.  Combined with her record jump in the long jump, Barron set two All time State meet bests for her events in dramatically different conditions.

Foley's Tyler Beehler Wins Three More Golds; Streich Aims for New Balance Nationals

Tyler Beehler celebrates another victory.
Photo by Gene Niemi

Foley's Tyler Beehler has a love hate relationship with track and field.  The senior is headed for Iowa Wesleyan where he wants to play football.  This weekend he won three more gold medals in the MSHSL Class A track championships, taking his total haul of golds to five(six if you include last year's team championship medal) and total medals to nine(ten with the team gold from 2013).  This from a guy who used to say he hated track, said St. Cloud Times reporter Tom Elliott, who has covered Beehler's career.

Beehler set an All time Class A State meet record in the 200 in the prelims of 21.45, beating the mark set in 2009 by Gopher sprinter Cameron Boy of 21.62.  Beehler's time was the fastest male 200 at this year's State meet, besting AA champ Akeem Sirleaf's prelim time of 21.57.  Beehler won the 100 in 11.02 with a prelim time of 10.96, which was bettered by Hopkins' AA 100 champ Shaheed Hickman's 10.70 prelim time and Armstrong's Evan McClellon's 10.86.

Beehler on the anchor leg of the 4 by 100 relay. Photo by Gene Niemi

A compact 5'10", Beehler doesn't fit the stereotypical football body, but he's played nearly every offensive position but lineman, including kicker.  Elliott figures that he'll be a kick returner for Wesleyan, possibly a wide receiver, both positions that can exploit his speed. Beehler used to play baseball too until it was suggested that running track would be a better fit for preparing him for football.

Shane Streich(1) and Keeghan Hurley battle down the stretch of the
Class A 1600. Photo by Gene Niemi

Shane Streich/Class A 1600

Waseca junior Shane Streich also came away with three medals in Class A at this year's MSHSL championships.  More importantly for Streich he also ran a qualifying time for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals next weekend in North Carolina in the prelims.  His 1:51.92 was the fastest time for both classes this weekend.  It prompted two-time Class AA champ from Bloomington Jefferson Matthew  Rosen to say he wished he could have raced Streich and they could have pushed each other to faster times. Rosen ran 1:52.32 to win the AA final.

Matthew Rosen(6), Josh Tracy(2), Lucas Trapp(5), and Allen Michael
Burback(Stillwater) in the Class AA 800. Photo by Gene Niemi

"It was the first time I was able to run the 800 fresh this year," said Streich of his prelim time, and it didn't seem to negatively affect his performances on Saturday.  Streich first won a dual with 3200 champ, Keeghan Hurley in the 1600 in times comparable to the Class AA 1600 final. Third place finisher Nick Golebioski of St. Cloud Cathedral kept the pace "honest" early, going through the quarter in 63 and the half in 2:09. "I didn't want another 'tactical' race like the Class A 3200(where the pace was pedestrian going through the quarter in 80 and the mile in just over 5 Minutes)," said Golebioski.  "My legs weren't good.  I just didn't have any spring. I wanted it to be a fast pace."  Hurley was happy with the fast pace and Streich was content to "sit on them and let them pull me along.  I knew I was the fastest finisher, so I was content just to wait."

With a quarter to go Hurley went to the front and tried to break Streich down the backstretch.  Streich passed Hurley going into the homestretch and tried to pull away, but Hurley hung on and tried to get by Streich.  "I just gutted it out," said Streich.  "I went with about 75 to go and got past, but I knew he wasn't going to give up."

1600 Class A awards (from left to right) Keeghan Hurley, Shane Streich,
Nick Golebioski. Photo by Gene Niemi

"I love this kind of race," said Hurley.   "I love to test myself in races to see what I'm capable of. I didn't get the result I wanted, but I took him all the way to the line."  Both runners broke the former Class A 1600 meet record of 2:15.20, running 4:13.80 and 4:13.96.  Eli Krahn won the AA race in 2:13.54 with Obsa Ali second in 2:13.59.

Shaina Burns Only Slows Down for Golf Carts

Shaina Burns wins the 100 Hurdles.
Photo by Gene Niemi

Most people would be fatigued by the amount of energy Lakeville South's Shaina Burns exerts simply getting to and from the multiple events in which she performs.  The added mileage doesn't seem to affect her, but the golf cart that almost ran into her on Saturday was a novelty, Burns said.  It jump started her adrenaline, she said, probably only half joking.

While other hurdlers were tumbling on Saturday's rain slicked track, Burns stayed upright and ran fast enough to win the 100 meter hurdles and take third in the 300 hurdles.  After the awards ceremony for the 300 hurdles Burns was hustling off to warm up for her final event of the day and her high school career, a 400 meter leg on the third place finishing 4 by 400 relay.

She'd been doing this multiple event marathon for "a third of my life," she said, which made it all the more rewarding when she was able to perform as well as she did at this year's State Meet.

After the relay awards ceremony, Burns was rumaging through her shoulder bag looking for the other medals she won at the MSHSL championships so she could wear them for the team trophy ceremony. She had to search the bag's side pocket that contained who knows how many recent medals she had won during past competition.  When asked how the day's inclement weather affected her, she said she viewed it as an advantage, not a hindrance.  Her way of dealing with it was to concentrate on the task at hand.  Focus on what she can control and not worry about extraneous issues, like the weather, knowing that others might be distracted by it.

On her way to victory in the 100 High Hurdles. Photo by Gene Niemi

She gets in a zone, she says, concentrating on her lane or her hurdles, and on executing the event whether it be jumping barriers, launching the shot on a slippery ring, or toting a batton around the track as fast as she can.  She becomes so tuned into the task, she says that it is when the race is over and the "blinders" come off that she realize what place she may have gotten. This has the added benefit of alleviating the potential pressure of wondering what her competitors may be doing and directs her energy toward what she wants to accomplish.

Being a member of a team and working toward the team goals is also an important  for Burns.  It's how she became a shot putter.  Lakeville South already had talented high jumpers, she said, but they needed a field event person, so she tried the shot put.  After adjusting to the event, she discovered that she was pretty good at it, winning a gold medal in it at this year at the State Meet,  The slippery ring, due to the rain, took some getting used to, Burns said, but once she'd acclimated to it, she was fine.

Headed for Texas A&M for college, they'll be little rest for her athletically.  While her high school career may be over, she's just entering her second season and will be competing in heptathlons over the summer. She's already been nationally ranked in that discipline among high schoolers and the heptathlon will become her event in college. It's not likely to be a major adjustment
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Best of all, says Burns, it will be a challenge.  "Giving a girl like me a challenge is kind of a dangerous thing to do."

Edison and Minnehaha Academy Win Class A Titles

Jon Tollefson(5) on his way to the first of two hurdle wins, the 110 high Hurdles.
Photo by Jim Ferstle

The race for the Class A boy's and girl's team titles wasn't decided until the final race of the meet, the "mile relay(4 by 400 meters).  Going into the boy's race, defending champs Foley had the lead in the boy's team scoring, followed by Minnehaha Academy and Waseca.  Both Minnehaha Academy and Waseca had teams in the relay.  Foley didn't.  In the girl's race Belle Plaine/Holy Family Academy(BP/HFA) trailed Minneapolis Edison, which also had no team in the relay.

Minnehaha Academy had to place sixth or better to pass Foley and had to maintain their three point lead over Waseca to take the boy's title.  BP/HFA had to win the mile relay to overtake Edison. As the girl's mile relay unfolded the Lewis sisters, Jia and Jada, who had scored all of the team's 40 points by placing first and third, respectively, in the 100 and 200, watched the action from the infield with coaches and teammates.

BP/HFA finished sixth in the relay allowing Edison to claim the title. The Edison group celebrated.  After the 100, as the sisters answered questions from reporters, Jada said that the pair wanted "to put Edison on the map.  We're not really known for sports."  Jia, with her long black hair fluffed up in back, said her teammates had told her to wear her hair that way.  "You should wear your hair like a lion," she said they told her.  As she rocketed down the home straight in her sprint victories, she ran like one too.

Having finished third in the relay in 2013, the Minnehaha boy's team was focused more on trying to improve on that finish than avoiding finishing less than sixth.  Their coaches had not set as a goal attempting to win the team title.  Instead they told the runners to focus on their races.  Sprinter Jonathan Webb won the 400, was fourth in the 200, and ran a leg on the mile relay.  Hurdler Samuel Lundquist was second in the 300 Hurdles, third in the 110 High Hurdles, and a member of the mile relay.  Distance runner Ephraim Bird finished sixth in the 3200 on Friday.

Rochester Lourdes and Minnehaha Academy battled each other through all four legs of the mile relay and the outcome remained undecided until the final meters.  Lourdes won in 3:21.41 with Minnehaha Academy second in 3:22.0.  Waseca's Shane Streich completed his Saturday triple by bringing home the Waseca team in third in 3:25.81.

"I'm really proud of the way they came together," said Minnehaha Academy assistant coach Kris Sauer.  As he talked to a reporter, the relay team members snuck up behind him and doused him with several bottles of water, their version of the now common liquid celebration bath.  Because the quest for the team title wasn't something that was mentioned prior to it happening, the runners had to improvise.

Photos from the meet at MSHSL Facebook page are HERE. Kraig Lundstrom's photo album is HERE.
Full results are HERE.

Strib summaries are  HERE and HERE.

Pioneer Press summaries are HERE and HERE

Rochester Post Bulletin stories on high jump champ Taylor Wiebke are HERE and HERE. On Chatfield's Class A weight throw double champion Jayme LaPlante and other Rochester are notable performances HERE.

St. Cloud Times story on Class A triple gold medal winning sprinter Tyler Beehler is HERE and 300 AA hurdles champ Erin Huls is HERE.