Graduation hit the Minnetonka Girls Track and Field team hard. One outdoor meet into the 2015 season, the Skippers still got what it takes to be among the top teams in the state.
Led by a strong hurdle crew, continued dominance in the 4x400 and 4x800 relays, and long and triple jump groups, Minnetonka placed second in the girls team competition at the Lake Conference Relays April 10 at the University of Minnesota.
In total, 10 teams competed, including Chanhassen, Minneapolis Washburn, Henry Sibley, Elk River, and Monticello in addition to the five Lake Conference squads.
Minnetonka won the 300-meter hurdle competition led by a fourth-place individual finish from senior Rebecca Moore in 50.37. Three athletes from each school competed in each event with times and distances totaled for a team score.
The Skippers were second in the 100-meter hurdles with sophomore Tess Sutton third in 16.99.
In traditional relays, the team of Moore, Meghan Janssen, Katie Morrison, and Lucy Hoelscher ran a blistering time of 4:08.51 to win the 4x400 relay, with Grace and Lucy Hoelscher joining Janssen and Marla Bailey for first place in the 4x800 relay (9:47.58).
In jumps, freshmen Olivia O'Brien and Faith Robinson, and junior Katherine Steele combined to place first, third, and fourth in both the long and triple competition. O'Brien was the champion in each, leaping 16-6.75 in long jump and 36 feet in triple jump.
Minnetonka scored 124 points to that of champion Wayzata with 140. Chanhassen was fifth with a score of 93.
The Storm girls won the 4x100 relay by a tenth of a second over Wayzata as anchor Jedah Caldwell pulled ahead down the backstretch. Other members of the relay, which ran 50.78, were senior Brittany Ness, sophomore Quinn O'Connor, and eighth-grader Sophie Pawlyshyn.
Chanhassen was second in the sprint medley (100-100-200-400) in a time of 1:57.64. O'Connor and Ness opened the race followed by junior Ryan Kinsella and Caldwell.
Senior Grace Loeslie was sixth in the one-mile run (5:28.79) with sophomore Anastasia Korzenowski third in the 3,200 meters (11:22.24) in distance events.
In field events, Chanhassen was third in shot put and triple jump. Senior Emily Johnson was fourth individually in shot with a throw of 32 feet, nine inches. Senior Katelyn Hagen led the jump team with a sixth-place leap of 32 feet, six inches in triple.
Junior Linnea Lynum tied for fifth place in high jump with a height of four feet, 10 inches. Junior Lee Stelten also was sixth in pole vault in seven feet.
In the boys competition, Minnetonka and Chanhassen were third and seventh with 116 and 87 points, respectively. Wayzata was team champion with 152 1/2 points.
A Chanhassen victory came in the 800 sprint medley with the all-senior team of Maxon Hutton, Kenyon Brannon, Robert Brantley, and Quinn Lanners combining for a time of 1:37.12.
Senior Tyler Kobilarcsik was the top distance performer in the 3,200 meters in 10:23.78. He ran the anchor leg of the fifth-place 4x800 squad of Lanners, senior Grant Magnuson and junior Corey Johnson in a time of 8:41.22.
Chanhassen's 300-meter hurdles team, led by a sixth-place individual time of 42.76 from sophomore Jordan Kiesow, was second behind Eden Prairie.
In field events, the Storm tied Hopkins for the lead in high jump with senior David Zydowsky first with a height of six feet, four inches. Hutton (5-10) and senior Chad Mapes (5-10) tied for seventh place.
Chanhassen had top performers in all jumping events with sophomore Anders Janes third in pole vault (11 feet), Zydowsky and Brantley fourth and sixth in long jump (19-11.25 and 19-8.75), and sophomore Alexander Spillum seventh in triple jump (40-4).
Senior Isaiah Kent-Schneider was fourth in shot put (45-1.25) with senior Ben Carlson fifth in discus (120-6) for the Storm.
For Minnetonka, the 4x100 relay of freshman Goodness Akindemowo, junior Jack Samuelson, and seniors Paul Afflitto and Vance Barnes won the sprint race in 42.78.
Afflitto anchored a winning 4x200 relay as well in 1:32.44 along with seniors Matthew Dille and Anthony Wilkerson, and junior Noah Baurle.
Minnetonka was also fourth in the 1,600 sprint medley (200-200-400-800) and distance medley (800-400-1,200-1,600).
Individually, senior Cole Hugo was seventh in the 300 hurdles (42.98) with senior Grey Liedtke 10th in the 110 hurdles (17.13).
Minnetonka fared well in the field events led by the long jumping crew of Afflitto (22-1.75), Dille (21-0.50) and sophomore Thomas Kohn (19-7).
In shot put, seniors Sam Bixler and Tyler Heredia were sixth and seventh, respectively, with throws of 43-10.5 and 43-5.5. Minnetonka was runner-up in the event. Bixler was third in discus at 121 feet, five inches.
Minnetonka also had two of the top-five pole vaulters in junior Jesse Holds and Sean Kvidera with a height of 11 feet, tying for third place.