Posted: 5/14/03

No longer a bridesmaid

Berk Brown
Sports Editor

In each of the past three years, the Forest Lake girls track team has been left to hold the bouquet while White Bear Lake celebrated a Section 5AAA true team championship.

Things changed this year, though, as the Rangers dominated the Bears and the rest of the field to earn the team championship on Tuesday, May 6, and qualify for the state true team Friday at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Forest Lake finished more than 60 points ahead of White Bear Lake to qualify for its first true team state meet since 1998. Head coach Janet Howe said while she was optimistic this would be the Rangersí year, she learned in the past not to underestimate the Bears.

ìIn the past, weíve done well in early meets only to have White Bear Lake come back at the true team and beat us,î Howe said. ìThis year, we knew (White Bear Lake) were down a little, but when you run so many relay meets (the first half of the season), you never know because you never get a good look at other teamsí depth.

ìWe expected this would be a close battle. White Bear Lake always seemed to find a way to beat us, but we knew there was a window of opportunity for us this year.î

Last year, White Bear Lake edged the Rangers by a mere 13 points to win the title. It was even closer in 2001, when the Bears earned the trip to state over the Rangers by 3.5 points.

The duel between the two even dates back to 2000, when White Bear Lake won the team title by a slight 27.5 points.

All the near misses simply made the team championship this year that much more special, Howe said.

ìIt makes it a lot sweeter, especially because the seniors (this year) have been around for all of those (close meets),î she said. ìFinally, this team got the payoff for all its hard work.î

Where Forest Lake seemingly was able to catch White Bear Lake was in the field events.

Unlike years past when the track events carried the Rangers, Forest Lake got a significant boost from the field.

In the six field events, Forest Lake had five first-place finishes.

ìThis year, weíre very balanced,î Howe said. ìThe field has stepped-up and filled in where we needed points.î

Jackie Larson did some of the biggest point scoring on the day for the Rangers by winning both the long jump (16-3) and triple jump (34-2 1/4).

In the triple jump alone, the Rangers scored 50 points as Julia Kouneski (33-3 3/4) and Katie Bolenbaugh (32-7 3/4) placed second and fourth, respectively, in connection with Larsonís first-place finish.

In the shot put, Ashley Wintheiser finished first (37-6) and Stephanie England was fourth (31-2 1/2) and in the discus, Becky Alexander finished first for the Rangers (106-4) while Wintheiser was fifth (95-7).

Forest Lake also dominated the pole vault as teammates Chylenne Pringle and Beth Zienty tied for first by clearing 8-6 each.

Even with Forest Lakeís success in the field events, the Rangers were still dominant on the track, especially in the hurdles.

Forest Lake combined to score 91 points in the 100 high hurdles and 300 low and had first-place finishes in each.

In the 100 high, Ashley Bayer took first for the Rangers in 17.26 while Beth Zienty (17.42) and Becky Schirmer (17.45) were third and fourth, respectively.

In the 300 low, Schirmer placed first in 49.66 and Bayer was third in 51.51.

Forest Lake also racked-up the points in the 200, led by Carrie Evensonís third-place finish in 27.77 and in the 400 where Kristi Buerkle (1:02.06), Bolenbaugh (1:02.57) and Evenson (1:02.74) finished 3-4-5 for the Rangers.

Forest Lake also scored well in the distance races. Kristin Howe (5:26.61) and Laura Edlund (5:26.75) went 2-3 in the 1600 and then went 2-5 in the 3200 for the Rangers.

Section 5AAA True Team
Team Standings

1, Forest Lake 622.5; 2, White Bear Lake 555.5; 3, North St. Paul 432.5; 4, Cambridge-Isanti 374.5; 5, Centennial 361.5; 6, Cretin-Derham Hall 359.5.

Event Winners and
Forest Lake Results

100 HH ñÝ1, Bayer, FL, 17.26; 3, Zienty, FL, 17.42; 4, Schirmer, FL, 17.45.

300 LH ñÝ1, Schirmer, FL, 49.66; 3, Bayer, FL, 51.51; 11, Martin, FL, 53.72.

100 ñÝ1, Rue, WBL, 13.29; 6, Buerkle, FL, 13.77; 8, Larson, FL, 13.87; 11, Enfield, FL, 14.08.

200 ñÝ1, Beechman, CDH, 27.12; 3, Evenson, FL, 27.77; 5, Buerkle, FL, 28.03; 9, Haseltine, FL,
28.45.

400 ñÝ1, Christensen, WBL, 1:00.58; 3, Buerkle, FL, 1:02.06; 4, Bolenbaugh, FL, 1:02.57; 5,
Evenson, FL, 1:02.74.

800 ñÝ1, Delin, WBL, 2:27.87; 6, Charpentier, FL, 2:35.84; 7, Buck, FL, 2:36.59; 8, McNamara,
FL, 2:36.93.

1600 ñÝ1, Dedeyn, C, 5:25.47; 2, Howe, FL, 5:26.61; 3, Edlund, FL, 5:26.75; 14, Milligan, FL,
6:16.05.

3200 ñÝ1, Heinz, CDH, 11:45.85; 2, Howe, FL, 11:48.12; 5, Edlund, FL, 12:03.56.

400 relay ñÝ1, North St. Paul, 52.47; 2, Forest Lake, 52.50.

800 relay ñÝ1, White Bear Lake, 1:49.97; 2, Forest Lake, 1:50.07.

1600 relay ñÝ1, White Bear Lake, 4:11.81; 2, Forest Lake, 4:14.77.

3200 relay ñÝ1, White Bear Lake, 10:06.71; 5, Forest Lake, 10:27.29.

Long Jump ñÝ1, Larson, FL, 16-3; 9, Bolenbaugh, FL, 14-8; 10, Kouneski, FL, 14-4 1/2.

Triple Jump ñÝ1, Larson, FL, 34-2 1/4; 2, Kouneski, FL, 33-3 3/4; 4, Bolenbaugh, FL, 32-7 3/4.

Shot Put ñÝ1, Wintheiser, FL, 37-6; 4, England, FL, 31-2 1/2; 12, Alexander, FL, 26-11 1/2.

Discus ñÝ1, Alexander, FL, 106-4; 5, Wintheiser, FL, 95-7; 16, England, FL, 83-6.

High Jump ñÝ1, Suedbeck, WBL, 4-10; 4, Koski, FL, 4-8; 9, Bayer, FL, 4-6; 14, Martin, FL, 4-4.

Pole Vault ñÝ1, (tie) Pringle, FL, Zienty, FL, 8-6; 10, Connley, FL, 6-6.

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