May 19, 2005 at 8:03 a.m.
It’s a sweep for the Vikings - state is next!
It’s a sweep for the Vikings - state is next!
Last Tuesday at the Section 7AA True Team Meet, the Vikings picked up two huge trophies as both the boys and girls teams qualified for the True Team State Meet. Both teams finished first among seven teams.
In the boys race, the Vikings showed off their balance by at least 10 points in every event but one. The True Team Meet hands out different point values for each place, from first to 14th. First place gets 14 points, 14th place gets one point. During the relays, the winning squad gets 21 points. At the end of the meet, the team with the most overall points wins.
North Branch quickly climbed their way up the ladder, finishing the meet with 354 points, more than 59 points ahead of second place Chisago Lakes. It’s the second straight year the Vikings have qualified for the State True Team Meet.
On the track, 84 of their points came in the relays as all four relay teams finished first. In addition, Josh Beach took first in the 300 meter hurdles, and Beach, Al Moore, Korey Hutchings and Nick Ramberg all grabbed second place finishes in their events. Of the eight individual track events, North Branch had two athletes finish in the top 10 in six of the races.
While their performance on the track gave the Vikings a leg up on the competition, their excellence in the field stole the show. North Branch won five of the six events, grabbing firsts in the high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put and pole vault.
Al Moore saved his best for the field, winning the high jump, long jump and triple jump. In addition, Joe Lofboom won the pole vault and Billy Oehlers shredded the competition with a toss of over 55 feet in the shot put, winning the event by more than seven feet. The only event that the Vikings didn’t win in the field was the discus, still, thanks to a second by Oehlers and a third place throw by Zack Backus, North Branch still picked up 25 points towards their overall team score.
“We had a terrific meet,” said Brian Hasleiet, North Branch head track and field coach. “Everything really fell into place with both the girls and boys teams. Our kids really made it happen. They were focused and ready to compete and they showed that with their performances.”
The girls made it happen as well, punching their ticket to the state meet- their first. Like the boys, the girls squad racked up points in every event, using their balance to take control.
North Branch won three of the four relay events, grabbing wins in the 4 X 100, 4 X 400 and 4 X 800. In addition, Jenny Anderson won the 300 hurdles and Haley Hasleiet picked up a win in the 3200 meter relay. That’s just the beginning. The Vikings also took three seconds and three thirds, including the 200 meter dash where Kacie Ramberg and Sarah Swanson went two-three.
In the field events, Trissica Bye added to the North Branch day with a first place finish in the pole vault and Jenny Anderson took second in the high jump.
“That was one of the best days of track and field since I’ve been coaching at North Branch. That’s the first time the girls have qualified for the State Meet and the second time for the boys,” mentioned Hasleiet. “As good as these athletes are, they continue to work hard and they keep trying to improve. They are never satisfied and they are always striving to get better. Our coaches (Ward Gilkerson, Mike Leadholm, Ian McWilliams, Diane Jones and Norm Nagle) really know the events and are great teachers of their events. I feel lucky and privileged to coach such a talented and hard working group of athletes and coaches.”
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