Torkelson takes third in 1600-meter run for GMLOKS
Published 8:01 pm Saturday, June 11, 2016
- Peter Torkelson of GMLOKS runs with a herd of runners in the 1600-meter run at the Minnesota Class A state meet in St. Paul Saturday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
ST. PAUL — Peter Torkelson had been chasing the Southland 1600-meter run record all season and he finally caught it in his last race of the year at the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet at Hamline University Saturday.
Torkelson, who already owned the Southland 3200-meter and 300-meter hurdle records, added a third record to his name as he ran a time of 4:25.77 to take third in the 1600-meter finals for GMLOKS.
Peter Torkelson of GMLOKS runs with a herd of runners in the 1600-meter run at the Minnesota Class A state meet in St. Paul Saturday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Torkelson jumped out to third early on and then he trailed Montevideo’s Kurt TeBeest, who won the race with a time of 4:22.22, and Howard Lake-Waverly’s Connor Schank, who took second with a 4:23.19, for the rest of the run.
“I wanted be in third after a mile then I was planning on speeding up and trying to pass them,” Torkelson said. “They just kept a really good pace and they were accelerating as fast I was accelerating.”
Sydney Bendtsen runs in the 4 x 200-meter relay for GMLOKS in St. Paul Saturday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Torkelson, a junior, was thrilled to get on the podium, but it didn’t come without the price of running through the heat.
“It was really bad,” Torkelson said. “My first lap I completely forgot we were racing and then after two laps I started getting tired and feeling the heat.”
Torkelson said he’s hoping to break school records in the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run next season.
The GMLOKS 4 x 200-meter relay team of Jordyn Glynn, Lauren Buchholtz, Emily Hovden and Sydney Bendtsen took ninth with a time of 1:47.61. Blue Earth Area won the race with a time of 1:44.38.
Bendtsen is the lone senior on the team.
“This was amazing, especially being my senior year. It’s so bittersweet and our goal was to make it to finals,” Bendtsen said. “We were ranked high, but the time range between third place and ninth place was .6 seconds. We just wanted to go out there with nothing to lose. We get a medal no matter what and we’re the ninth best team in the state.”
Jordyn Glynn runs in the 4 x 200-meter relay for GMLOKS at the Minnesota Class A state track and field meet in St. Paul Saturday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Bendtsen sees a strong future for Glynn, Buchholtz and Hovden with the GMLOKS track and field team.
“They’re coming back guaranteed. They’re so fast and we have a girl that I know can replace me,” she said.
Buchholtz took ninth place for GMLOKS in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.73 seconds. Chloe Bermel of Pequot Lakes won the race with a Class A record time of 55.67 seconds.
