GMLOKS will be represented in state track and field finals
Published 8:52 pm Friday, June 9, 2017
- Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Southland’s Drew Lewison competes in the second heat of the 110 high hurdles Friday at the Minnesota Class AA State Track and Field Meet at Hamiline University in St. Paul. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
ST. PAUL — No area athletes were able to get on the podium on day one of the Minnesota Class A state track and field meet, but a few will be in contention to do so on Saturday.
Hayfield junior Katrina Thoe took 13th in the discus in her first state meet and Blooming Prairie’s Sam Wurst took 16th in the high jump. Wurst, a junior, wasn’t able to clear the height of 4 feet, 10 inches on three tries after she had cleared five feet at the Section 1A meet.
Hayfield’s Katrina Thoe begins her spin in the discus during the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet Friday at Hamline University in St. Paul. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“It was really cool, but it was kind of intimidating seeing all of these people,” Wurst said. “It gives me a good goal to get back here next year. It was a lot of fun. It gives me more of an idea of what I need to be working on and it gives me more firepower for what I need for next year.”
Wurst suffered an injury in a car crash before the season that nearly kept her from competing in the high jump this spring. She was happy just to get a chance to compete at the state meet.
Blooming Prairie’s Sam Wurst competes in the high jump at the Minnesota Class A state track and field meet in Hamline University in St. Paul Friday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“The end goal was for me to get to sections, but sections turned into state so that was kind of the icing on the cake,” Wurst said.
GMLOKS will have athletes competing in multiple finals on Saturday. Peter Torkelson will run in the 1600-meter run, Drew Lewison will run in the 300-meter hurdles finals after taking fifth in the preliminaries and the GMLOKS girls 4 x 200-meter relay team of Katelyn Luthe, Emily Hovden, Riley Queensland and Lauren Buchholtz took third in the preliminaries and advanced to the finals.
Lewison advanced to the 300-hurdles finals after he took 12th in the 110-meter hurdles and missed out on the finals.
Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Kingsland/Southland’s Katelyn Luthe fires from the blocks in the 4 x 100 meter relay in the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet Friday at Hamline University in St. Paul. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
“I was really nervous for the race and I was a little bit shaky at the start. I didn’t get off to as fast of a start as I had been doing,” Lewison said. “They’re all faster guys here and there’s a lot more people in the crowd. It feels a lot different than a normal meet.”
BOYS RESULTS
110-meter hurdles: Drew Lewison (GMLOKS) (12th, 16.33)
300-meter hurdles: Drew Lewison (GMLOKS) (fifth, 39.86)
GIRLS RESULTS
4 x 100-meter relay: Katelyn Luthe, Emily Hovden, Kassidy Kirtz, Isabelle Olson (GMLOKS) (12th, 50.52)
4 x 200-meter relay: Katelyn Luthe, Emily Hovden, Riley Queensland, Lauren Buchholtz (GMLOKS) (third, 1:45.50)
800-meter run: Amelia Staat (GMLOKS) (11th, 2:21.36)
high jump: Sam Wurst (BP) (16th, no height)
discus: Katrina Thoe (13th, 105-11)
Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Kingsland/Southland’s Riley Queensland runs down the backstretch in the 4 x 200 meter relay during the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet Friday at Hamline University in St. Paul. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com