McKenzie returns while Forsman, Seaton, Nordby, Greene and Meyer debut

Three individuals and one relay team will represent the Wildcat track team and Section 7AA at this weekend’s state tournament: senior Luke McKenzie in the 800 meter run, junior Abby Forsman in the 1600 meter run, senior Brent Seaton in the pole vault, and the 4x400 relay team of junior Beka Meyer, Forsman, freshman Sarah Greene and freshman Hannah Nordby.

Senior Zoe Hansen and freshman Lauryn Delzer will travel to state as alternates for the 4x400 relay. Wildcat head coach Karen Manske said “All of these athletes have worked extremely hard during the season, so it is a joy to see them reap the rewards of all their efforts.” The athletes qualified for state this past weekend at the Section 7AA Tournament at Princeton. The state tournament will take place this Friday and Saturday at Hamline University in St. Paul. McKenzie was boxed in during the first lap of the 800 meter run, but was able to work his way to the front of the pack. “He came within a breath of winning it,” said Manske. McKenzie finished second by .07 seconds, with a time of 1:58.97 to earn a berth at state. It will be McKenzie’s second trip to the state tournament; he qualified in the 800 meter run last year, too. Forsman set two Wildcat records at the section tournament, and one of them earned her a trip to state: she took the lead early in the 1600 meter run and never let it go, finishing first in a school record time of 5:11.11.

And while her fourth place finish in the 3200 meter run didn’t qualify for the state tournament, her time of 11:21.50 set the another school record. Seaton easily won the pole vault with a vault of 13’6”. Seaton set the school record earlier this year with a vault of 14’4” at the St. Louis Park Invitational. Manske said “Brent is hoping for a personal record vault at state, which would also establish yet another school record.” In the girls 4x400 race, each of the Wildcat runners established a personal record on her leg of the race and together they set a school 4x400 record of 4:05.33. Grand Rapids pulled ahead in the last 100 meters to win the race, but the Wildcats finished a solid second to earn a trip to state.

Three athletes fell just short of going to state. Sophomore Andy Magnuson finished third in both of his races. In the 1600 meter run, Magnuson’s time of 4:33.75 was .18 seconds, or less than two steps, out of second place. And Magnuson’s time of 9:49.31 in the 3200 was just one and a half seconds out of second place. Junior Eric Brown finished third in the 100 meter dash, just .07 seconds out of second place. And senior Zoe Hansen leaped 35’0.5” in the triple jump for a third place finish, just three inches out of second place. Hansen finished fifth in the 100 meter hurdles, but her time of 15.92 seconds in the event set a new school record.