Prep track: CHS' Golebiowski comes up just short in 3,200
ST. PAUL Nick Golebiowski knew he needed to run a championship style race, much like he hopes to be doing the next four years in college.
While it was Perham's Keeghan Hurley vs. St. Cloud Cathedral's Golebiowski in the boys' Class A 3,200-meter final Friday, it also was the Southern Utah Thunderbirds dueling the Georgetown Hoyas, or at least a future Thunderbird and a soon-to-be Hoya.
Hurley, who is headed to Southern Utah, won the race in 9 minutes, 36.58 seconds. Golebiowski, the future Hoya, was second in 9:39.12. Rochester Lourdes' Ian Torchia, a Nordic skiing star, took third in 9:41.76.
It was one of a handful of finals Friday at the state Class A track and field championships at Hamline University's Klas Field.
The 3,200 was as strategic as they come and rare during the regular season because rarely do so many college caliber athletes run in one place at one time.
"I didn't know how the race was going to play out," Golebiowski said. "It was a championship style race, the kind you see all the time in college.
"The 3,200 is different than most high school races. You never see guys drop the hammer off the gun and go for it. Times really don't matter. In your senior year, the only thing on your mind is winning."
Hurley led most of the way. He took second last year, falling to Foley's Charlie Lawrence, who ran a 9:33.73 in 2013.
Golebiowski stayed with Hurley, usually just over his right shoulder, most of the race. The Cathedral senior fell back to fourth for a while, but always was in the lead pack of runners.
Late, Hurley took control and won. Golebiowski took a strong second.
"This summer, working on my strength is one my focal points," said Golebiowski, who weighs 130 pounds. "That's something I've got to get better at to get to the next level."
In the meantime, there's a 1,600 to run Saturday. Golebiowski took second last year. Defending state champion Shane Streich also returns. He also is in the 800 finals and runs the anchor leg in the 1,600 relay.
Hurley also is running after taking third in the 1,600.
"It should be fun," Golebiowski said. "It's definitely going to be an interesting race.
RECORD GOES DOWN
Golebiowski was just one of dozens of stories involving area athletes Friday at the state meet. Another to watch: the historic pursuit of state records by Foley's Tyler Beehler.
The defending state 100 and 200 champion qualified for the finals in both events, as well as the 400 relay with Ryan Kurtz, Hunter Beehler and Luke Kelvington.
In the 200, Tyler Beehler set the state record with a wind-assisted time of 21.45 seconds. The old mark was 21.62 set by Jordan's Cameron Roy in the preliminaries in 2009.
"I'm excited for this one," Beehler said. "It feels great. Amazing.
"Quite obviously, the job's not done yet."
He ran a 10.96 in the 100, which is the third best seed, though he easily won his heat. He had a rocky start because he said the person holding down his starting block was too light and didn't do it correctly.
He made an adjustment for the 200 and it paid off.
"That was about getting the record," said Beehler, who is headed to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs to play football. "That's what it's all about."
In the 100, he is behind Moises CJ Daney of Prairie Seeds Academy, who ran a 10.86 and had the top seed time coming into the meet with a 10.73.
Isaiah Brogden of Bethlehem Academy in Faribault ran a 10.93.
"I can handle that," he said.
The Falcons' 400 relay is a top seed, too, with a time of 43.58. It's made up of two seniors, Beehler and Kelvington, and two freshmen, Ryan Kurth and Hunter Beehler, Tyler's little brother.
"We're going to win it," Kurtz said.
The relay agreed there is room for improvement. The handoffs weren't smooth. And still their time was just a shade slower than the school record of 43.55.
"We'll break it tomorrow," Kurtz said.
"We're feeling pretty good right now," said Kelvington, who is headed to St. Cloud State to play football. "(Head coach Dave) Dahlstrom has us ready to go.
"We'll be fine as long as we've got that kid running," said Kelvington, as he nodded toward Beehler.
LAST RUN
It was the last 3,200 for two of the most-decorated runners in the Times' area, Annandale's Courtney Alama and St. Cloud Christian's McKenzie Holt.
Alama took fourth with a time of 11:24.68. Holt was fifth in 11:34.80. Cannon Falls senior Emi Trost won in 10:56.30.
"It's bittersweet," said Holt, who was running in her 10th state meet, including five in cross country and five in track.
"We're done," Alama said. "It is bittersweet."
Alama will continue her distance running career at the University of Minnesota. Holt is headed to Minnesota-Duluth to do the same.
The two lingered on the infield of the track after the award ceremony, both wanting their high school careers to end.
"I'll definitely be back to watch next year," Alama said.
"I hope I get to run the 10,000 on this track next year," Holt said.
CAKE TIME
Set a school record at Albany and there's a cake, presented by head coach Kathy Conrad.
Three more are needed after Friday. Mitchell Kollodge (300 hurdles), Emily Weiss (the 800) and Kevin Lamb (also the 800) all broke school records.
Weiss turned in a 2:16.37 to earn the second seed in Saturday's final. Kollodge, who missed the finals in the 110 high hurdles, ran a 39.38 in the 300 hurdles to easily win his heat and earn another cake. He's right behind Minnehaha Academy's Samuel Lundquist, who had a 38.78.
"Mitchell had like seven cakes last year," Weiss said. "This year, he's had five."
Lamb's time of 1:58.42 also was a school record. He missed qualifying for the finals by 6/100th of a second.
"We're getting a lot of cake," Lamb said.
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
Paynesville ninth-grader Katelyn Spanier is headed to the 400 finals. She ran a 58.87 to earn the second seed.
"It's amazing," Spanier said. "I never thought I could do what I'm doing. I've improved so much this year, I can't believe it."
She first came out for track in eighth grade and wrapped up the 2013 season with a time of 1:03.
"I just thought I might as well try out," she said. "I started doing well and then I thought, 'I might have a future in this.'"
Class A results
Boys
Team scores (through 7 events) — 1. Perham 22; 2. Pequot Lakes and Ottertail Central 20; 4. St. Croix Lutheran 13; 5. Chatfield 12; 6. St. Cloud Cathedral, Luverne and Breck 10; 9. Rochester Lourdes 8; 10. Rushford-Peterson/Houston, St. Clair, Park Rapids, Byron and Windom 6; 15. Jackson County Central, Park Christian and St. Paul Academy; 5; 18. South Ridge/Cherry/Northwoods, Greenway/Nashwauk/Keewatin, East Grand Forks and Minnehaha Academy 4; 22. Litchfield and Belle Plaine/Holy Family Academy 4; 24. BOLD/BLH, Royalton, Esko and Jordan 2; 28. Fairmont, St. James, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Glencoe-Silver Lake and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 1.
Finals
3,200 meters — 1. Keeghan Hurley (Perham) 9:36.58; 2. Nick Golebiowski (Cathedral) 9:39.12.
Triple jump — 1. Tony Ukkelberg (Ottertail Central) 44-11; 11. Grant Bullert (Holdingford) 41-6.5.
Preliminaries
110 hurdles — 4. Grant Wennerberg (Foley) 15.50; 10. Mitchell Kollodge (Albany) 15.88.
100 — 3. Tyler Beehler (Foley) 10.96.
800 relay — 7. Annandale (Zach Chollett, Barrett Baialle, Spencer Ogden, Andrew Fort) 1:32.23.
400 relay — 1. Foley (Ryan Kurth, Hunter Beehler, Luke Kelvington, T. Beehler) 43.58.
400 — 10. Robbie Skiba (Pierz) 50.44; 16. Logan Smith (Holdingford) 52.33.
300 hurdles — 2. Mitchell Kollodge (Albany) 39.38.
800 — 10. Kevin Lamb (Albany) 1:58.42.
200 — 1. T. Beehler (Foley) 21.45.
1,600 relay — 11. Holdingford (Zachary Juaire, Logan Smith, Abraham Skwira, Brody Davidson) 3:31.39.
Girls
Team scores (through 7 events) — 1. Mesabi East 13; 2. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, St. Clair, Central Minnesota Christian and Cannon Falls 12; 7. Mayer Lutheran, LCWM-Nicollet and Norman County 10; 10. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 8.7; 11. Trinity School River Ridge and Zumbrota-Mazeppa 8; 13. United North Central, Annandale, Lanesboro/Fillmore Central/Mabel-Canton and Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 6; 17. St. Cloud Christian, Mounds Park Academy, Tri-City United, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 5; 21. Belle Plaine/Holy Family Academy and Plainview-Elgin-Millville 4.7; 23. Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd and Ashby/Brandon/Evansville 4; 25. Barnesville, Breck and Luverne 3; 28. International Falls 2; 29. Concordia Academy-Roseville, Adrian, Cromwell 1; 32. West Central Area 0.7.
Finals
3,200 — 1. Emi Trost (Cannon Falls) 10:56.30; 4. Courtney Alama (Annandale) 11:24.68; 5. McKenzie Holt (St. Cloud Christian) 11:34.80.
Long jump — 1. Danielle Wubben (Central Minnesota Christian) 17-0.125; 3. Kinlee Swanson (BBE) 16-10.5
High jump — 1. Carlie Wagner (NRHEG) 5-6; 6. Taylor Gregory (BBE) 5-2; 18. Stephanie Koetter (Upsala/Swanville Area) 5-0.
Discus — 1. Katelyn Weber (St. Clair) 126-1; 16. Sadie Gertken-Eggert (Albany) 81-10.
Preliminaries
100 hurdles — 7. Kari Hoeft (Paynesville) 15.58; 13. Allie Terpstra (Milaca) 16.01.
100 — 12. Vanessa Brenny (Foley) 12.90.
800 relay — 5. Foley (Kerstin Strosahl, Alycia Chmielewski, Abby Genereau, Vanessa Brenny) 1:46.80; 14. Holdingford (Rachael Preusser, McKenzie Schulte, Lizzy Solarz, Arianna Vasilj) 1:48.03.
400 relay — 7. Foley (Gretchen Wipper, Genereau, Chmielewski, Brenny) 50.953; 8. Annandale (Madison Kasper, Emmy Whitesell, Calisha Nordgren, Kamryn Dheilly) 50.956.
400 — 2. Katelyn Spanier (Paynesville) 58.87.
300 hurdles — 9. Hoeft (Paynesville) 46.84; 14. Summer Storm (Hold) 47.44.
800 — 3. Emily Weiss (Albany) 2:16.37.
1,600 relay — 8. Albany (Allyson Wenzel, Emma Seiler, Cassandra Solis, Weiss) 4:06.38; 11. Holdingford (Preusser, Storm, Solarz, Vasijl) 4:09.33
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