Cretin-Derham Hall’s Brieasha Hunter and Megan Linder arrived separately for practice one day this week at Macalester College track, where they train but never together.
Separately is how Minnesota’s top sprinting tandem at this weekend’s state track and field meet prefers things.
“At this point,” their coach Jerry Macken said, smiling, “they don’t want to be doubled up.”
On the track that afternoon, the two weren’t together for more than 10 minutes, during which time they posed for photos, then they were off again to train on their own.
Hunter, a sophomore, and Linder, a senior, rank first and second, respectively, in the state heading into their races in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes at Friday’s Class 2A preliminary rounds at Hamline University.
Both say their relationship is closer to that of opponents than teammates.
“It’s no different than someone being on another team,” Hunter said. “Like, we’re not on the same team, we don’t practice together. So it’s just … she’s just there.”
Linder, who has signed with the University of Tennessee, looks to claim her third straight title in the 400. Posing her greatest challenge presumably will be Hunter, who placed third in the event as a freshman last year and whose time of 55.08 seconds topped Linder’s mark of 55.26 in the Section 4AA finals last week. Hunter’s times in the 100 (11.92) and 200 (24.42) also are best among the field this weekend.
Linder had spent four years rewriting Cretin-Derham Hall’s record book, beginning with her first recorded 400 time as a freshman that replaced a 30-year-old mark. But now that book is being rewritten by Hunter, who this season set records previously held by Linder in all three races at the Suburban East Conference meet and in the 100 and 200 at the sectional.
“When Megan came in, I never thought I’d have another athlete of that caliber for quite some time or maybe ever, and then Bri comes along,” Macken said. “Now they’re pushing each other and setting new PRs every week.”
As Macken sees it, their constant presence has “pushed them towards what they’re doing now.”
Hunter and Linder, though, said their motivation has other sources.
Hunter recalls the year she began sprinting in the seventh grade and the coach who challenged her to race against the best from the girls group, and she recalls fondly the look on that coach’s face when she outran them all. Not so fondly, she recalls the name of the one boy who beat her in the coach’s next challenge.
She pursued sprinting from then on and began writing down her goals each spring with the dream of one day being in the Olympics.
“I like how it’s just really intense, and I like competition,” she said. “I always want competition.”
Linder credited her own drive she’s developed since her dad started coaching her as a toddler. She cites the part of herself that refuses satisfaction, the part of her that has, over the years, looked at sprinters’ times from other states to set her own standards.
“I just try to focus on the big picture. I have the big picture ahead of me as I plan to run professionally,” she said. “Now I’m just trying to enjoy my senior year, have fun.”
For the final shot in the photo shoot, Linder appeared to be having just that. She and Hunter leaped with their arms thrown back and their smiles stretched wide.
Then, after a few takes, they parted ways without a word.
“They’re very different,” Macken said. “But they both have the same kind of goals.”
Follow Seth Boster on twitter @SethBoster.
