Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

There were only five girls from Forest Lake taking part in the State Track and Field Meet at Hamline University, but when the competitions opened on Friday, June 8, it seemed like there was a Ranger participating in all facets of the championships.

Soon after Brittni LaFontsee took 15th place in the long jump with a leap of 16-3, the sprinters became the featured acts.

Kelsey Kosman turned in a time of 12.76 in the 100 meters, which resulted in a 17th place finish for the St. Cloud State recruit, and provided a perfect way for her to loosen up for the prelims of the 400-meter relay.

Kosman was joined by Kristi Buerkle, Adri Acosta and Kristie Miller, and the Frequent Flyers hung with the primo relay teams, qualifying for Saturday’s finals in a scorching 49.52. In early May, this same group set a school record with a time of 49.61.

In the finals, the girls managed a 50.04, giving them a medal as the seventh fastest quartet in Minnesota. This gave three points toward Forest Lake’s total of 14, which would put the Rangers in 25th place overall.

“To take seventh in the four by one was pretty special,” head coach Eric Kaluza said. “Especially since going in we were ranked 10th.”

From there it was a busy couple of days for Buerkle, who graduated with both Kosman and LaFontsee on Thursday night, and then had the relay as well as the prelims for both the 200- and 400-meter sprints to address on Friday.

Having competed at state since she was an 8th grader, Buerkle leaned on her experience and made sure she qualified in the two individual events, rather than exhaust herself with trying to win the opening heats.

Whereas Friday was cool and mild, Saturday was flat-out hot and sunny. Coming back to do an additional three races in approximately 75 minutes would not only require a lot from the Bemidji State recruit, but also take a lot out of her.

In the 400 meter sprint, Buerkle was in Lane 2, with the defending state champion Sade Pollard of St. Paul Harding setting the pace in Lane 3. Making the turn for the stretch, Buerkle put her head down and her arms started churning in her signature style. Even with Buerkle’s churning and burning, Pollard would hold on for the win with a time of 56.99 to Buerkle’s 57.14.

“Getting second in the 400 was more than I expected,” Buerkle said. “I went into the season hoping to be top three.”

“Obviously Buerkle had a phenomenal career, and the season was almost capped off with a state championship,” Kaluza said. “But to take second by two tenths of a second is remarkable.”

An hour later, after a week of academic finals, graduation and multiple races, a fatigued Buerkle would settle for ninth place in the 200 meters, closing out a high school career that began before she was even in high school.

“I think it ended pretty good,” Buerkle said. “I think sections was probably the best meet I’ve had. To end the regular season on a really good note — I think you look at state as a reflection of the whole season.”

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