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The Wildcat boys’ 4 x 800 team – consisting of seniors Andy Magnuson and Carson Velaski and juniors Carl Osterberg and Quinton Lee -- finished ninth at last week’s state Class AA track and field championship to get the last spot on the championship podium and set a school record of 8:08.28 in doing so.  Wildcat assistant coach Ken Orwoll described the Wildcats’ climb to the podium.  “It was a fun day regardless of the weather,” said Orwoll.  “I guess last Saturday at sections got us prepared for this one.  It was delayed 30 minutes because of rain instead of four hours because of lightning.  We knew it was a hard task having the second slowest seed time of the 16 qualifying teams.  We were also running in the first heat, the slow heat, and not with the fastest teams.  Our goal going in was to lower the school record and win our heat.  We achieved the first goal of setting a new school record but finished second in our heat.  After seeing our time we knew we had a chance to get on the podium, if our time beat 3 teams in the second heat.  It was an intense 8 minutes 10 seconds as we watched the second heat with an eye on the clock.  We not only beat four teams in our heat, but three in the 2nd to get the last spot on the podium for 9th place.  I'm so proud of these guys.  They set the goal to get to state in this event before the season even started.  They have worked very hard all season and it’s great to see them reach their goals and have success.”

If Friday’s 3200 meter boys’ final, Magnuson ran a personal best of 9:44.21, but still finished last.  Orwoll said “Competition is crazy good at state.”

And sophomore Emma Leah Trandahl, in her first time at the state championships, competed in the high jump. 

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