High school track and field athletes shine at state

Three Luverne High School athletes earned top-three finishes Friday in the Minnesota Class A Track and Field meet at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

In the boys 1600 meters, junior Owen Janiszeski of Luverne took second place while finishing with a personal-record time of 4:21.63. In the girls 1600 meters, senior Jenna DeBates captured third place with a personal-record time of 5:08.71. The Cardinals’ other top three finisher came in the 800 meters, where senior Ryan Fick finished in third place with a personal-record clocking of 1:55.21.

Hills-Beaver Creek freshman Brynn Bakken picked up second-place finishes in a pair of events. Bakken was second in the 100 meters as well as the 200 meters. In the 200, she had a personal-best time of 24.93 seconds.

Among the other top finishers among area athletes Friday was the Southwest Minnesota Christian-Edgerton 4x400 relay team of Ryan Papp, Aiden Schaap, Jonah Uilk and Silas Van Esssen, which earned fifth place. Sixth-place finishes were each earned turned in by senior Kody Wassman of Mountain Lake-Area Comfrey in the boys 800 meters and senior Cassi Chesley of Luverne in the girls 800 meters.

Jackson County Central junior Ben Dahlin, competing in the 200 meters on Friday, earned eighth place in the event while completing the race in a personal record of 22.57 seconds.

Among others competing at the state A meet were:

Junior Elijah Woodley of Luverne, seventh in the boys discus with a personal record of 154-3; junior Cade Swenhaugen of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton, eighth in the 300 meter hurdles; the Windom boys 4x800 meter relay team; which placed eighth; senior Grant Busker of Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton, ninth in the boys high jump;  the Luverne boys 4x800 meter relay team, which placed ninth; the Hills-Beaver Creek girls 4x100 relay team, which placed ninth; junior Jackson Gacke of Hills-Beaver Creek, 10th in the boys discus; senior Aaden Nauman of Windom Area, 13th in the boys 1600 meters; senior Victoria Robillard of Windom Area, 14th in the girls pole vault; senior Logan Gass of Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda, 16th with a PR in the boys high jump; junior Kevin Bleess of Windom Area, 18th in the boys long jump; and Laiken Farris of Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda, 19th in the girls 1600 meters.

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Worthington Trojan freshman Caleb Meyer, competing Saturday at the state Class AA track and field meet at St. Michael-Albertville High School, earned a fifth-place finish overall in thw high jump with a leap of 6-4.

Junior Fanuel Wolday of the Trojans ran in two events at the state meet. He was 18th in the 3200 meters on Friday and 21st in the 1600 meters on Saturday.