•  Ankeny’s third in hurdles and Tank’s seventh in 400 highlight state efforts

The Minnewaska Area track and field teams competed at the State Track and Field Meet at St. Michael-Albertville, Thursday and Friday.  The Lakers had seven athletes competing in nine events at the state meet, including seven events for the girls.

Earning state trips for the boys was Maeson Tank (400 and 800), while qualifying to state for the girls were McKenzie Luetmer, Lauryn Ankeny, Jayda Kolstoe, Olivia Danielson, Brooke Kolstoe and Teagan Stark.

Luetmer became the first Laker athlete to qualify to state in four events (TJ, 400, 1600 relay and 3200 relay), while Ankeny earned three state berths (300 hurdles, 1600 relay and 3200 relay), Jayda Kolstoe qualified in the shot put and discus, Olivia Danielson ran in two relays at state and Brooke Kolstoe (3200 relay) and Teagan Stark (1600 relay) both competed in one.

Ankeny had the top finish for the Lakers, placing third in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 46.46, which was just off her school-record time she set in the prelims, while Tank placed seventh in the 400 meter dash (51.39) and the 1600 meter relay, Jayda Kolstoe in the shot put and Luetmer in the 400 all finished ninth.  “We are extremely proud of the effort of our state athletes,” boys’ coach Zach Traphagen said.  “Maeson was the most focused and dialed in as we’ve seen him all year.  Making it to state in the 400 and 800 is an extremely difficult combo and it takes a special person to be able to do it. To run a 51.03 in the 400 prelims and then turn around 40 minutes later and run a 1:59.8 is incredible.”

Ankeny’s finish kept a 22-year streak alive for MAHS athletes having at least one athlete place among the top four at state.

State Track Meet

The Lakers competed at the State Class A Boys and Girls Track and Field Meet at St. Michael-Albertville, Thursday and Friday.

Eden Valley-Watkins-Kimball won two titles on the way to winning the Class A state title with 70 points.  The Lakers were 29th with 11 points.

Lauryn Ankeny broke the school record in the 300 meter hurdles during the prelims with a time of 46.37 and then ran a time of 46.46 in the finals to place third.

That was the top finish for the Lakers during the state meet.  The winning time was 45.11.  In the 300 prelims, the top eight girls finished from 45.89-47.03.

Jayda Kolstoe placed ninth in the shot put with a throw of 37-3/4 and was also 13th in the discus with a throw of 101-4.

“Lauryn is a first-year hurdler and her future certainly looks bright, while Jayda is a freshman competing in two events dominated by upperclassmen.  She has worked hard all season in the field an weight room.  I cannot wait to see what her future holds,” girls coach Jennifer Johnsrud said.  

The 1600 meter relay team of Ankeny, McKenzie Luetmer, Olivia Danielson and Teagan Stark placed ninth with a time of 4:08.8 in the finals.  During the prelims, the team ran a time of 4:05.16 to break the old school record and record the fifth-fastest time in the prelims.

Luetmer also placed ninth in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:01.35 in the finals after running a 58.27-time in the prelims, which was the fourth-fastest time and .03 off her own school record.

The 3200 meter relay team of Luetmer, Ankeny, Danielson and Brooke Kolstoe was disqualified during the finals “due to a rule violation,” while Luetmer also qualified in the triple jump, but failed to register a clean jump.

The 3200 meter relay team came into the state meet with the second-fastest time and Staples-Motley went on to win the state title with a time of 9:33.33.  “Due to unfortunate circumstances to start the day of the finals, our 3200 meter relay team was disqualified at the end of their race due to a rule violation.  This does not take away from the phenomenal performance of all four athletes,” coach Johnsrud said.  

“They ran a 9-second personal best from the section meet and they competed as hard as they could.  After such disappointment, three of the girls came back later to compete in two more even ts.  They showed resilience, toughness and character coming back to place in the 400, 300 hurdles and 1600 meter relay.  I could not be more proud of how they handled themselves and how they competed.”

•  Maeson Tank had a great season of track this year, qualifying to state in two events.  Tank ran a time of 51.03 in the 400 meter prelims to earn a spot in the finals.  

In the prelims, nine races finished within 50.12-51.33.  In the finals, he ran a time of 51.39 to place seventh.  RJ Sylak, who also won the 200 meter dash, won the 400 meter dash with a time of 49.83.

In the 800 meter run, Tank ran a time of 1:59.89 to place 11th overall and miss out on the finals by one second.  In the 800 meter prelims, the top time was 1:57.09 and the eighth-best time was 1:58.06.

“Maeson is an unbelievably humble, hardworking and confident young man,” coach Traphagen said.  “He is poised to have a fantastic senior year and we’re excited to get one more year with him.”

State Class A Track Meet

Girls team scoring:

(1) EVW-Kimball 70  (2) Minnehaha Acad 49  (3) Perham 46  (4) Luverne 45  (5) GMLOKS 43  (6) Two Harbors 33  (7) Park Rapids 32  (8) Murray Cty Cen 30  (9) Nevis 27  (10) Zum-Maz 25 . . . (12) Stap-Mot 23  (17) SC Cath 18  (25) Monte 12  (29) Minnewaska Area 11  (34) Redwood 8  (42) Benson-KMS 5.5  (67) Morris Area 1

Girls individual results:

(Champ and Waska finishers)

100m hurdles:  (1) Ashley Kimman, Pierz 14.98

300m hurdles:  (1) Mariah Willard, Trinity 45.11 . . . (3) Lauryn Ankeny, Min 46.46

100m dash:  (1) Chantle Reiland, CMLOKS 12.48

200m dash:  (1) Taylor Kurtz, D-E 25.47

400m dash:  (1) Addison Hoof, LP 56.68 . . . (9) McKenzie Luetmer, Min 1:01.35

800m run:  (1) Katrina Sortland, Z-M 2:16.15

1600m run:  (1) Jade Rypkema, Nevis 4:54.27

3200m run:  (1) Jade Rypkema, Nevis 10:35.02

400m relay:  (1) Minnehaha Academy 49.0

800m relay:  (1) GMLOKS 1:43.62

1600m relay:  (1) EVW-Kim 3:59.2 . . . (9) Minnewaska (Teagan Stark, Olivia Danielson, Ankeny, Luetmer) 4:08.8

3200m relay:  (1) Staples-Mot 9:33.33 . . . Minnewaska Area (Brooke Kolstoe, Danielson, Ankeny, Luetmer) DQ

Shot put:  (1) Kranz, Osakis 41-11 3/4 . . . (9) Jayda Kolstoe, Min 37-3/4

Discus:  (1) Jadyn Hart, Luv 131-0 . . . (13) J. Kolstoe, Min 101-4

High jump:  (1) Annaka Forsberg, Bloom Prairie 5-4

Long jump:  (1) Brielle Kuechle, EVW-Kim 18-3 1/4

Triple jump:  (1) Avery Koenen, Monte 37-11 1/4 . . . Luetmer, Min foul

Pole vault:  (1) Gracie Morris, Per 12-0

Boys team scoring:

(1) St. Croix Luth 41  (2) Two Harbors 35  (3) Perham 34  (4) Montevideo 33  (5) Chatfield 32  (6) Park Rap 31  (7) St. Charles 29  (8) Zum-Mazeppa 29  (9) St. John’s Prep 28  (10) HLWW 28 . . . (15) Sauk Cen 24, BOLD/BLH 24  (18) LQP 22.5  (30) SC Cathedral 12  (42) MAC-RCW 7  (46) Ben-KMS 6  (56) Minnewaska 3

Boys individual results:

(Champ and Waska finishers)

110m hurdles:  (1) Jon Cheney, Pierz 14.81

300m hurdles:  (1) Griffin Paulsen, SC Luth 38.97

100m dash:  (1) Tate Nelson, Two Harbors 11.0

200m dash:  (1) RJ Sylak, Z-M 22.25

400m dash:  (1) RJ Sylak, Z-M 49.83 . . . (7) Maeson Tank, Min 51.39

800m dash:  (1) Brandon Kampsen, SC 1:53.56

1600m dash:  (1) Brandon Kampsen, SC 4:18.5

3200m run:  (1) Bjorn Anderson, Per 9:22.44

400m relay:  (1) Mpls. North 42.72

800m relay:  (1) Chatfield 1:29.43

1600m relay:  (1) Mount Lake Area 3:24.22

3200m relay:  (1) St. John’s Prep 7:58.08

Shot put:  (1) Francis O’Malley, Monte 57-6

Discus:  (1) Luke Hartung, Park Rap 168-5

High jump:  (1) Tysen Grinde, Caledonia 6-6

Long jump:  (1) Tate Nelson, Two Har 22-5 3/4

Triple jump:  (1) Peda Zeba, Adrian 44-6

Pole vault:  (1) DJ Rock, Luv 14-0

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