Posted: 6/11/03

FL success washed away by rain at state meet

Joe Drennan
Sports Editor
With gray skies over head and rain falling, the two-day Minnesota State Track and Field Meet kicked off Friday, June 6, at the National Sports Center in Blaine.
The Forest Lake girls track team had nine girls competing in nine different events, and freshman Derek Peterson was the lone Ranger boy as he competed in the shot put.
Senior Jackie Larson was the first Ranger to take on the rain Friday as she competed in the long jump prelims. With her best jump being 15 feet, 11.50 inches, Larson did not make it to the finals.
Peterson stepped into the rainy spot light next. With only three throws allowed, Peterson faulted his first two by stepping out of the circle on his follow thru. On his third and final throw, Pederson launched the shot 50 feet, 8.5 inches. Unfortunatly, that was 2 feet shy of making it into the finals.
Eighth grader Kristi Buerkle, the youngest Ranger to make it to the state meet, put herself to the test in the 400 meter dash. Kuerkle finished with a time of 1:01:01, not quite good enough to advance, but still an impressive time for an eighth grader.
As the rain picked up, the meet went on and Becky Shirmer took on the 300 meter hurdles. With a time of 47.74 she missed the finals cut by the slimmest of margins.
Carrie Everson barely missed making it to the finals with her 200 meter prelim time of 26.7, and Laura Edlund was a bit off the mark in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:23.02 to round out Fridayís events.
When Beth Zienty and Larson were warming up to begin Saturday, the weather decided to cooperate and stay nice.
Zienty, a senior from Forest Lake, was competing in her first state meet where her best mark in the pole vault was 9 feet. Larson was competing in the pelim tripple jump where her
After breaking the school record in the 4x800 meter relay in the sectional meet, the group of Kristen Howe, Rachel Charpentier, Shawna McNamara, and Edlund came up short in their bid to place at the state meet with their time of 9:57.57.
Howe was the last Ranger to compete at the meet when she ran in the 1,600 meter run. With a time of 5:23.60, Howe was unable to advance to the finals.
2003 Minnesota State Track and Field High School Championships
Event Winners and Forest Lake Placers
Girls Long Jump - 1, Nikki Sims, Big Lake, 17-10.50; 11, Jackie Larson, FL, 15-11.50.
Boys Shot Put - 1, Nate Englin, Mounds View, 61-06.75; 14, Derek Peterson, FL, 50-08.50.
400 Meter Dash - 1, Vanessa Clarida, Bloomington Kennedy, 56.0; Kristi Buerkle, FL, 1:01.01.
300 Meter Hurdles - 1, Mikaela Raddatz, Eastview, 43.47; Becky Shirmer, FL, 47.74.
800 Meter Run - 1, Andrea Wahlin, Rocori, 2:12.30; Laura Edlund, FL, 2:23.02.
200 Meter Dash - 1, Vanessa Clarida, Bloomington Kennedy 24.24; Carrie Evenson, FL, 26.7.
Pole Vault - 1, Andrea Smith, Bemidji, 11-06.00; 15, Beth Zienty, 9-0.0.
Tripple Jump - 1, Alissa Ochs, Osseo, 38-06.25; 11, Jackie Larson, 34-8.50.
4x800 Meter Relay - 1, Minnetonka, 9:17.25; 11, Forest Lake, 9:57.57
1,600 Meter Run - 1, Shannon Bergstedt, Hopkins, 4:53.25; 13, Kristen Howe, 5:23.60.

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