By RICK SOLEM
ricks@mwfbroadcasting.com
Taylor Gibson’s career at La Crescent High School ended strong.
Gibson finished with a second and a pair of thirds at the Class A MSHSL track and field championships last weekend at Hamline University.
Gibson came into the 800-meter dash with the second-fastest time in the state during the season and that’s just where she finished. Gibson took the silver in 2-minutes, 16.57-seconds, while CannonFalls junior Emi Trost won (2:15.05). Trost held the fastest time in state.
Gibson also finished third in the 1,600 (5:10.14). She came in with the sixth-fastest time in state.Blake junior Clare Flanaganwon in 4:48.41, a Class A record.
And finally, teaming up with Claire Shepardson, Katie Shepardson and Brielle Bierman, in the 1,600 relay, Gibson helped get one more medal, with a third-place finish (4:06.91). Osakis won in 3:58.34.
Bierman, a junior, also took sixth in the 300 hurdles (47.19). Blue Earth freshman Taylor Grandgenett won in 45.03.
C/SG MEDALS TWICE IN HIGH JUMP
For the second time in a row, Caledonia senior Emma Lange finished the runner-up in the high jump.
Warroad senior Deidre Han won it with a 5-foot, 6-inch height. Lange cleared 5-5, her best leap of the season, but couldn’t get 5-6.
Teammate West Pier, a junior, took fifth in the high jump on the boys side, clearing 6-5. Matt Neururer, a Pillager senior, won (6-6).
COTTER FINISHES FOURTH
Winona Cotter’s 3,200-relay team came into the weekend with the fastest time in the state (8:06.08).
The team of Jacob Johnson, Matt Schrupp, John Killen and Emiio Taiveaho could not find that gear at state, however.
Cotter finished fourth (8:11.34), while Perham won in 7:57.58. This was the third year in a row Cotter medalled. The Ramblers took second last year.
Teammate Joe Koll finished sixth in the 300 hurdles (42.27) and eighth in the 110 hurdles (15.71). St. Croix Lutheran sophomore won both events in 42.27 and 14.72, respectively.
Cotter senior Kenny Kirkvold finished seventh in the shot put (49-4¼). Blake junior Jake Hoops won (51-6¾).
RUSHFORD-PETERSON EIGHTH GRADER FINISHES STRONG
He was one of two eighth graders at state in the triple jump. Rushford-Peterson’s Noah Carlson got a medal with an eighth-place finish (42 feet). Walnut Grove senior Jeff DeCoock won (45-9).
Fellow eighth-grader Josh Heiman of Ely finished with a 41-foot mark.
MSHSL TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS A
at HAMLINE UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL
(Top times and local results)
GIRLS
1,600: 1. Clare Flanagan (Blake, jr.) 4:48.41 (A record) 3. Taylor Gibson (La Crescent, sr.) 5:10.14.
300 HURDLES: 1. Taylor Grandgenett (Blue Earth, fr.) 45.03, 6. Brielle Bierman (La Crescent, jr.) 47.19.
800: 1.Emi Trost (Cannon Falls, jr.) 2:15.05, 2. Gibson (LaCr) 2:16.57, DNQ. Katie Shepardson (LaCr, sr.).
1,600 RELAY: 1. Osakis 3:58.34, 3. La Crescent (C. Shepardon, K. Shepardson, Bierman, Gibson), 4:06.91.
3,200: 1. Clare Flanagan (Blake, jr.) 10:27.895, 13. Sylvia Lechnir (LaCr, soph.) 12:07.4.
HIGH JUMP: 1.Deidre Hahn (Warroad, sr.) 5-6, 2. Emma Lange (Caledonia/Spring Grove) 5-5.
SHOT PUT: 1. KatelynWeber (St. Clair, jr.) 42-8½, 14. Aly Folz (C/SG) 34-2¼.
BOYS
3,200 RELAY: 1. Perham 7:57.58, 4. Winona Cotter (J. Johnson, Schrupp, Killen, Taiveaho), 8:11.34.
110 HURDLES: 1. Jon Tollefson(St. Croix Luth., soph.) 14.72, 8. Joe Koll (Win.Cot., sr.) 15.71.
300 HURDLES: 1. Tollefson, 39.9, 6. Koll (Win.Cot., sr.) 42.27.
100: 1. Tyler Beehler (Foley, jr.) 11.11, DNQ. Ryan Pitts (C/SG, jr.).
200: 1. Beehler, 21.85, DNQ. Pitts (C/SG, jr.).
800: 1. Matt Neururer (Pillager, sr) 1:56.52, DNQ. Emilio Taiveaho (Win.Cot., sr.).
HIGH JUMP: 1. Neururer, 6-6, 5. West Pier (C/SG, jr.) 6-5.
SHOT PUT: 1. JakeHoops (Blake, jr.) 51-6¾ , 7. Kenny Kirkvold (Win.Cot., sr.) 49-4¼.
TRIPLE JUMP:1. Jeff DeCock (Walnut Grove, sr.) 45-9, 7. Noah Carlson (Rushford-Peterson, 8th) 42-0.