The best of the best in Minnesota high school track and field met at Hamline University for the annual Hamline Elite Meet Friday.
The Hamline Elite Meet features the top track and field athletes in every event regardless of what class their respective schools compete at. The Owatonna and Blooming Prairie track and field teams were represented in Friday’s Elite Meet.
The Owatonnas boys 4x200 relay team challenged its own state-best time, while boys junior Seth Johnson competed in the 110 and 300 hurdles, girls senior Carsyn Brady ran in the 800m, and the boys 4x400 relay team rounded out the Huskies’ team.
Meanwhile, Blooming Prairie boys senior Gabe Hein and girls senior Annaka Forsberg compete in their respective high jump events.
Boys 4x200 highlights Huskies’ meet as champions
When Keanan Larson flexed as he crossed the finish line at Owatonna’s home triangular meet, the 4x200 relay team with Garrett Karsten, Luke Webber and Nolan Ginskey were jumping with joy.
Not only had they broken the school record and set the fastest 4x200 relay time in the entire state, they showed the entire state that they are the frontrunners for a potential Class AAA 4x200 relay title. The Hamline Elite Meet only strengthened that.
Their state-best time of 1:27.29 was threatened of being broken by them as they finished a mere 0.05 seconds behind their current record. Karsten, Webber, Ginskey and Larson stood on the stage as champions with their first place time of 1:27.32.
St. Michael-Albertville’s relay team of Will Barthel, Muhiz Bada, Tate Songstad and Maverick Kneefe set the fastest non-Owatonna 4x200 relay time at the Elite Meet, but still sit a second behind the Huskies with STMA’s time of 1:28.47.
Larson and Nolan Ginskey also competed in the 4x400 relay with Jacob Ginskey and Seth Johnson, which currently holds the ninth fastest 4x400 relay time in the state. The 4x400 relay team finished fourth in the Elite Meet with a time of 3:29.28.
Individually, Johnson competed in both boys hurdle events. His best placement was a fourth place finish at 39.98 seconds in the 300m hurdles, while finishing seventh at 14.94 seconds in the 110m hurdles.
Brady represented the girls team as a returning state qualifier in the girls 800m. The soon-to-be North Dakota State Bison finished sixth out of 12 runners with her time of 2:15.66. That time also ranks sixth in the state with the five times ahead of her also becoming top girls 800m times in the state.
Forsberg on pace to 3-peat; Hein emerging as boys contender
For the past couple of seasons, Blooming Prairie’s Annaka Forsberg has been one of the best girls high jumpers in the entire state. The two-time Class A state champion and Coastal Carolina commit is now working towards becoming a three-time state champ.
Forsberg has taken a big stop towards her goal of three-peating in the girls high jump as she finished in first place at the Hamline Elite Meet with her new season-best jump of five feet, six inches. She won her 2023 Class A state title by clearing five feet, four inches.
The only jumper to match Forsberg was Minnetonka’s Maya Folken, who also cleared five feet, six inches. The state’s leading jumper is Blake School’s Sidney Albright at five feet, 10 inches, but didn’t compete at Hamline.
Her main competitors as of now include St. Croix Academy’s Mayah Otto, who finished sixth in the Elite Meet at 5-02 and has a season-best of 5-04 to tie for ninth in the state. Park Christian’s Annika Aakre is also tied for ninth at 5-04.
Hein has been an emerging name in the boys high jump after clearing six feet, four inches earlier in the year. He once again cleared six feet, four inches to finish third overall in the Elite Meet.
Lac qui Parle Valley’s Brayson Boike also cleared six feet, four inches to edge out Hein for second place and tie him for fourth in the state. GMLOKS’ Sam Snitker remains as the Class A boys favorite after winning the event at six feet, eight inches.
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