Posted: 6/12/02

Rangers save best for last

Berk Brown &
Branden Peterson
Sports Editor/ Sports Intern

What the Forest Lake boys track team lacked in quantity it made up for in quality at the 2002 Minnesota State High School League Track and Field Championships.

Three of the four athletes the Rangers qualified for the meet were able to place during AA competition Friday and Saturday at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

ìThatís what we want to see at the end of the year,î Forest Lake head coach Paul Kendrick said. ìThe kids came in here with the opportunity to be all-state and they put forth great efforts.

ìTheyíre also quality people in their action and in how they handle themselves, and thatís part of the reason why they were here, too. All four of them are solid kids all the way around.î

Adam Wilson took sixth in the shot put for the Rangers while Matt Lovgren was seventh in the pole vault and Tyler Anderson was ninth in the triple jump. The trio combined to give Forest Lake eight team points, tying the Rangers for 43rd in the AA boys team standings.

Matt Kraska qualified for state in the triple jump for the Rangers but did not reach the finals.

Wilson was Forest Lakeís top performer this year in part because of his experience at state last year. As a junior, Wilson fouled on all three of his preliminary puts.

That performance helped fuel his desire to get back and do better.

ìIt made me work harder this year,î Wilson said.

Wilson took sixth with a put of 54-8 1/2. Although he felt he could have done better distance-wise, Wilson said he was fairly happy with the sixth-place finish, all things considered.

ìI was looking more for fifth or fourth place, but thing happen,î he said. ìI felt I could have done better.

ìI donít know what it was. I executed, it just didnít click today.î

Things didnít quite click for Lovgren either. The senior finished seventh in the pole vault for the second consecutive year.

It would have taken a personal best for Lovgren to become the state champion and the Forest Lake senior was ready for the challenge.

ìI wanted to win the whole thing today, Iíve cleared these heights before. Just not today,î said a disappointed Lovgren.

The competition began with the height set at 12-6. After catching the crossbar with his right foot, Lovgren needed a second attempt before successful jumping the height.

In his first attempt at 13-0, Lovgren again clipped the crossbar with his foot. As with the round before, a second vault cleared easily.

As rhythm grew and nerves diminished, Lovgren confidently scaled over his next height of 13-6 in his first attempt. Then the wall grew too high.

Three attempts at 13-9 were given, but even the determination of the Forest Lake senior would be no match for the height.

With Lovgrenís departure, only five vaulters advanced past the height of 13-9. Nick Wilson of Mankato West became the state champion after clearing 14-3.

In training, Lovgren had cleared 14-0. However, consistency of vaulting that height under the restraints of the cold and wet spring weather proved difficult.

ìThe weather really held me back. It was hard to keep a good attitude when the weather was so bad,î Lovgren said.

Although Lovgren took the same place last year, highlights of this year shouldnít be overshadowed. Lovgren cleared 14-0 at the Suburban East Conference meet, requalified for the state meet, and improved three inches over last yearís results at state.

ìIt was a year of poor weather. In the past few weeks, Matt did very well. Matt is a tremendous kid, his work effort and attitude made him great to work with,î pole vaulting coach Tom Hipkins added.

Anderson was a surprise placer for the Rangers with his ninth-place effort. The senior was seeded 12th entering the event.

His leap of 41-8 1/2 wasnít his best of the season, but it didnít put a damper on his final meet.

ì(Reaching the finals) was my goal,î Anderson said. ìI didnít really care what place I got, I was just thrilled to be up there at that level. I wouldnít trade it for the world.

ìWith anything, you know what your potential is and youíre always disappointed if you donít reach it. My goal was to make it to the finals...Iím ecstatic.î

And so was Kendrick.

ìWe finished on a high note,î he said. ìThe kids preformed well."

Top of Page