State Meet Preview - Girls Class A and Class AA

Class AA

Sprints (100, 200, 400) – Sasha Davis (Park Center) has an opportunity to repeat her triple crown from 2010 with top seed times in the 100 and 200, and the second fastest seed time in the 400.  Top challengers in the 100 will be Taylor Browning (Apple Valley), 2010 runner up Sid'Reshia Floyd (Robbinsdale Armstrong) and Rose Jackson (Willmar).

2010's top three finishers all return for the 200 with Davis, Browning and Rosey Erickson (Alexandria Jefferson). Anuli Okonkwo (Osseo) has posted a sub-25.00 time and may be a spoiler for the returning trio.

Four of the top five finishers from 2010 return in the 400 Bridget Sweeney (Hopkins) posting one of the fastest times this spring.  It will be a close race with Davis and Paige Stratioti (Duluth Central) rounding out the top competitors.


Distance (800, 1600, 3200) - Haylie Zenner (Fergus Falls) will look to move up from her runner-up spot in 2010 to take over the top of the podium but she will need to overtake Hannah Borowski (Hopkins) who has the fastest time this spring.  Stephanie Knight (Orono), Stephanie Murray (Rochester Century), and Taylor Scholl (Prior Lake) could also make their way into the top spot.

2010's top three finishers return in the 1600 in Jamie Piepenberg (Alexandria Jefferson), Rebecca Dyson (Roseville) and Maria Hauger (Shakopee) but the race is wide open with the season's fastest time going to Mara Olson (St. Louis Park) who nearly broke the 5 minute mark in the 7AAA True Team Meet. Taylor Scholl (Prior Lake) has also been running well and could challenge for the gold.

Piepenberg and Hauger will battle it out for the top spot in the 3200, both posting sub-11 minute races and gaining MileSplit US First Team Elite status. Scholl, Olson, Christina Monson (Albert Lea) and Eryn Stewart (Eden Prairie) will be vying for third.


Hurdles (100H, 300H) - Jessica January (Richfield) returns to defend her title in both races and will be the favorite in the 100 with a sub-15.00 race in her section meet.  It will be a tight race for second with Hannah Mueller (Cambridge-Isanti), Emily Pratt (Lakeville North) and Chanel Miller (Apple Valley) all posting times within 1/100th of a second of each other.

Mariah Witt (Hopkins) will challenge for the top spot in the 300 race, posting the fastest time in the state this spring. Alyssa Parco (Farmington), Kirsten Whitney (Spring Lake Park), and Marolyn Saulsberry (Minneapolis Southwest) will also contend for the top spot.


High Jump - Morgan Piere (Lakeville South) and Tatyana Pashibin (Minneapolis Southwest) are the favorites in the high jump, both earning MileSplit US First Team Elite status this spring and hitting the 5-08 mark in their respective section meets.


Long Jump - Farmington's Nadia Lorencz is the favorite in the long jump with an 18-08 leap in the section meet, earning her MileSplit US First Team Elite status.  Angie Anyaogu (Lakeville North), January, and Mueller will likely vie for the silver.


Triple Jump - Alex Beckman (Eastview) will attempt to defend her title with Kathryn Biewen (Edina), Bailey Alston (Rochester Mayo) and Lindsay Rothschiller (Chaska) all hoping to move into the top spot on the podium.


Pole Vault - Sara Tseng (Richfield) and Alex Stych (Mounds View) both enter the meet having met the MileSplit US First Team Elite standard.  Kayla Wiltrout (Rochester Mayo) will also make a run for the top spot.


Shot Put/Discus - Sophomore Maggie Ewen (St. Francis) is the clear favorite to win both events with Jennifer Svobodny (Lakeville North) and Sydnie Mauch (Brainerd) hoping to take the second spot on the podium.

In the discus throw, Angie Guenther (White Bear Lake), Elly Reinke (New Prague) and Emma Erickson (Lakeville North) should contend for 2nd place.


Relays - In the 4x800 there are 8 out of the 9 teams making a return appearance.  Rochester Century has posted the fastest time in the group and should take the gold with Hopkins, Eden Prairie and Mounds View all looking to grab the second spot.

Hopkins returns to defend their title in the 4x400 but will need to hold off Minnetonka and Rosemount.

In the 4x200, Osseo poses a threat to defending champ Hopkins - Robbinsdale Armstrong will round out a three-way battle for first place.

The top 5 teams from 2010 all return with Hopkins hoping to defend another relay title.  2010 runner up Apple Valley has posted the fastest seed time, running a 47.53, and may be the spoiler in this race.

 

Wheelchair Events - JoLynn Super (Spring Lake Park) will compete in the first ever 800 Meter Run Wheelchair.


1A

Sprints (100, 200, 400) - Analisa Huschle (Bagley) will try to win both the 100 and 200 races, entering at the top of the leader board in both events and having posted a sub 12 second 100 meter race earlier in the season. There is a strong field who will challenge Huschle in this race, including Brooke Aeikens (Annandale), McKayla Stowell (LeSueur-Henderson) and Claire Gapinski (Foley).

In the 200, Gapinski will once again challenge for the top spot.

Malayshia George (Breck School) will look to defend her title in the 400 and has posted the fastest seed time this spring.  Ann Marie Healy (Providence Academy) should win the race for second.


Distance (800, 1600, 3200) - The 800 will be a three-way race with Tara Roelofs (Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet), Laurel Ramer (Kasson-Mantorville) and Ahna Buntrock (Dover-Eyota/St. Charles) all hoping to grab the top spot.

Section 5A athletes McKenzie Holt (St. Cloud Christian) and Elena Danielson (St. Cloud Cathedral) may go 1-2 in the 1600.  Gabi Swoboda (Redwood Valley), Tierney Winters (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown), Emi Trost (Cannon Falls) and Elle Case (Jordan) will try to prevent that from happening as they all have posted excellent times this spring.

Danielson will attempt to make it a double in the distance races, and is the clear favorite in the 3200.  Holt and Clare Flanagan (The Blake School) should lead the rest of the pack to the finish line.


Hurdles (100, 300) - Alanna Dietz (New London-Spicer) comes in with the fastest time in the 100 hurdles but will have to hold off Marissia Hagedorn (Blue Earth) and defending champion Katlyn Sawtelle (Luverne) to take the gold.

The 300 hurdles will be a much closer race with Bree Woelber (Pipestone) and Danielle Larson (Saint Peter) posting identical times in their section races.  Zoe Novak (St. John's Preparatory School) and Lovisa Gronros (Fairmont) also posted identical seed times and should also find their way to the medal stand.


High Jump - Larson, Emma Lange (Caledonia) and George have all met the MileSplit US First Team Elite standard and could make it an interesting chase to the top of the podium.


Long Jump - Huschle will look to defend her title in the long jump, but will need to hold off Woelber.  Dani Wubben (Central Minnesota Christian), Larson and Aeikens will also be competitors to watch in this event.


Triple Jump - Huschle has posted the best mark in the state in this event but will need to fend off 2010's runner up Sarah Cham (Worthington) who placed ahead of Huschle at the Hamline Elite Meet.


Pole Vault - Rachel Moser (Morris) and Kristine Novak (Lake City) will vie for the top spot with Moser holding the edge to win.


Shot Put/Discus – Ashley Thooft (St. Clair) returns as the defending champion but will need to hold off Becci Osterdyk (Mora) who has posted the best throw in Class A this spring.  Katie Gruys (Annandale) could also challenge for the top spot

Gruys will also contend for the top spot in the discus, along with Hannah Steele (Windom), Thooft and Katelyn Weber (St. Clair).


Relays - The 4x800 field is made up of veteran teams with Kasson-Mantorville and Dover-Eyota/St. Charles holding the top times.  

Breck has a strong time in the 4x400 but will need to hold off La Crescent, St. Peter and Dover-Eyota/St. Charles to move up from their 2010 runner up status

Breck also posts the fastest time in the 4x200, with a chance to take the title in two relays.  Esko and Bagley-Fosston will challenge for the top spot.

Any team could take the 4x100 race but St. Croix Lutheran and Esko have posted the fastest seed times.  Don't count out Waseca and Osakis, though, as they will contend for the title as well.

 

Wheelchair Events - Rose Hollerman (Waterville-Elysian-Morristown) will compete in the 800 and 1500 Meter Run Wheelchair events and Kathryn Lubahn (Pine Island) will compete in the Shot Put Wheelchair event.