State track and field: Montevideo's Avery Koenen is going out with a gold medal

Jun. 9—ST. MICHAEL — Montevideo's Avery Koenen wraps up a decorated, three-sport Thunder Hawks career atop the podium.

The 6-foot-3 senior leaped 37 feet, 11.25 inches to win the Class A state triple jump on Friday at St. Michael-Albertville High School.

"It was just a blessing to be able to compete," Koenen said. "I'm just so thankful."

Koenen entered the track and field season not knowing if she would compete. She has been battling tendinitis in her achilles since the beginning of the season.

"I was thinking I wasn't even gonna be able to run track," Koenen said "Then I tried (triple) jumping at (the West Central) Conference meet and I chose to go through the pain."

Koenen took first place at the Section 3A championship to make it to state in the triple jump for a third consecutive season.

The state meet marked her fourth time competing the triple jump this season.

"This was the event I chose to focus on," Koenen said. "I wanted to come back because I got second last year."

With three jumps remaining between Koenen, Perham's Jaden Hackel and Redwood Valley's Kendall Huhnerkoch, Koenen sat in first place with a distance of 36-11.25.

Huhnerkoch leaped 37-6 to take a first place lead. Hackel then followed with a 37-10.75 to put herself in first place with Koenen's final jump remaining.

That is when Koenen rattled off her career-best triple jump of 37-11.25 to secure the title.

"If I didn't get it, I knew that I'd still be happy for them because they're insane jumpers," Koenen said. "I just said a quick prayer and focused. My heart was racing. But I knew what I had to do and was going to be content with whatever outcome.

"I can't really look back and regret anything, so I'm very happy with how I finished and thankful that that's how it went."

Koenen is headed to North Dakota State University on a basketball scholarship.

Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd's Brayson Boike secured his second runner-up finish at state, this time taking second in the long jump with a leap of 22-3.25 behind Two Harbors' Tate Nelson, who went 22-5.75.

Boike's distance is a personal best and a LQPV/D-B program record.

"I just knew what I had to get and I just went for it," Boike said. "I just didn't think about it. It worked out well."

Boike also competed in the high jump, where he tied for seventh place with Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton's Grant Busker. The two leaped a height of 6-2.

"It was a little bit of a struggle today," Boike said of the high jump. "I definitely felt like I could have done better. My steps weren't on, but seventh place, I'll take that."

Boike, a sophomore, has high hopes for the future.

"(I want to) keep breaking school records," Boike said.

BOLD/Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart's Ryan King walks away from his high school career with three medals.

The senior took fourth in the long jump with a distance of 21-11.50 and helped the BOLD/BLHS 4x200 and 4x100 relay teams to two top-three finishes.

"Our handoffs were perfect," King said. "We ran as hard as we could. We grew up all the way to state, so there's nothing to complain about."

Both relays had their fastest times of the season. The 4x200 team of Jack Gross, Chase Hubin, King and Stevie McMath finished as the state runners-up with a time of 1:29.51 in a photo finish with Chatfield, which won in 1:29.43. The 4x100 team of King, Hubin, Hudson Vosika and McMath took third place in a time of 43.17 behind Minneapolis North Community's 42.72 and Chatfield's 42.92.

"Making these memories at BOLD is even more special," King said.

Montevideo's Francis O'Malley finished as the state runner-up in the discus.

The junior launched the discus a season-best 164-1. Park Rapids' Luke Hartung secured the title at a distance of 168-5. MACCRAY/Renville County West's Nathan Wieberdink was sixth at 151-5.

"I had a great day and we knew it was going to be tight and that whoever had their day was gonna take it home," O'Malley said. "Everybody knows what it takes to get here. Everybody knows that it's like to be a thrower. Sometimes it's on and sometimes it's not."

Hartung's winning throw came on his third attempt. O'Malley's first throw was his best of the day, as he had fouls on two of his six attempts.

"Laying out your best, you can't argue with it," O'Malley said. "When other guys have their day, you just gotta respect it, show good sportsmanship and tell them good job."

O'Malley leaves the state tournament a champion as well. He won the shot put title Thursday.

"(The experience has) been nothing less than great," O'Malley said. "I'm just trying to not let the outcome overwhelm the opportunity. It's been a great opportunity.

"We're just taking it all in, making the memories because in a couple of years that's all we'll have. I'm really just taking everything in, enjoying it and having fun."

Minnewaska ninth-grader Lauryn Ankeny led all other area competitors, finishing in third place in the 300 hurdles.

Ankeny's time of 46.46 was behind Trinity/Unity's Mariah Willard's winning time of 45.11 and West Marshall's Hannah Pederson's 46.32. Central Minnesota Christian School's Sophia Vogel took seventh place in 46.96.

"I'm really excited," Ankeny said. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without my teammates, coaches and fans."

Ankeny also ran in Minnewaska's 4x400 relay, which placed ninth, and 4x800 relay, which received a disqualification. After crossing the finish line in second place with a season-best relay time of 9:35.919, McKenzie Luetmer threw the baton, which resulted in the disqualification.

Rounding out area athletes with top-five finishes, Benson/Kerkoven-Murdock-Sunburg's Amber Rosemeier placed fifth in the 400 dash in 59.18 seconds. Minnewaska's Luetmer was ninth at 1:01.35.

GIRLS TEAM SCORING — (1) Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball 70 ... (2) Minnehaha Academy 49 ... (3) Perham 46

Winner and area finishers

HURDLES — (1) Ashley Kimman, Pierz, 14.98

300 HURDLES — (1) Mariah Willard, Trinity/Unity, 45.11 ... (3) Lauryn Ankeny, Minnewaska, 46.46 ... (7) Sophia Vogel, Central Minnesota Christian School, 46.96

100 DASH — (1) Chantle Reiland, GMLOKS, 12.48

200 DASH — (1) Taylor Kurtz, Dover-Eyota, 25.47

400 DASH — (1) Addison Hoof, Lester Prairie, 56.68 ... (5) Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, 59.18 ... (9) McKenzie Luetmer, Minnewaska, 1:01.35

800 RUN — (1) Katrina Sortland, Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 2:16.28

1,600 RUN — (1) Jade Rypkema, Nevis, 4:54.27

4X100 RELAY — (1) Minnehaha Academy, 49.00

4X200 RELAY — (1) GMLOKS, 1:43.62

4X400 RELAY — (1) Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball 3:59.20 ... (9) Minnewaska (Teagan Stark, Olivia Danielson, Ankeny, Luetmer), 4:08.80

4X800 RELAY — (1) Staples-Motley 9:33.33 ... (DQ) Minnewaska (Brooke Kolstoe, Olivia Danielson, Ankeny, Luetmer)

TRIPLE JUMP — (1) Avery Koenen, Montevideo, 37-11.25

POLE VAULT — (1) Gracie Morris, Perham, 12-0 ... (7) Rebekah Walz, Paynesville, 10-6 ... (14) Anna Gardeen, BOLD/Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, 9-0

SHOT PUT — (1) Kiley Kranz, Osakis, 41-11.75 ... (9) Jayda Kolstoe, Minnewaska, 37-00.75

BOYS TEAM SCORING — (1) St. Croix Lutheran 41 ... (2) Two Harbors 35 ... (3) Perham 34

Winner and area finishers

110 HURDLES — (1) Jonathan Cheney, Pierz, 14.81

300 HURDLES — (1) Griffin Paulsen, St. Croix Lutheran, 38.97

100 DASH — (1) Tate Nelson, Two Harbors, 11.00

200 DASH — (1) RJ Sylak, Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 22.25 ... (9) Edan Smith, Montevideo, 23.12

400 DASH — (1) Sylak, Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 49.83 ... (7) Maeson Tank, Minnewaska, 51.39

800 RUN — (1) Brandon Kampsen, Sauk Centre, 1:53.56

1,600 RUN — (1) Kampsen, Sauk Centre, 4:18.50

4X100 RELAY — (1) Minneapolis North Community 42.72 ... (3) BOLD/BLHS 43.17

4X200 RELAY — (1) Chatfield, 1:29.43 ... (2) BOLD/Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (Jack Gross, Chase Hubin, Ryan King, Stevie McMath), 1:29.51 ... (7) MACCRAY/Renville County West (Javin Mungai, Nathan Wieberdink, Brady Heiling, Sebastian Cisneros), 1:32.06

4X400 RELAY — (1) Mt. Lake Area-Comfrey 3:24.22

4X800 RELAY — (1) St. John's Prep 7:58.08

HIGH JUMP — (1) Tysen Grinde, Caledonia/Spring Grove, 6-6 ... (7t) Brayson Boike, Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd, 6-2

LONG JUMP — (1) Tate Nelson, Two Harbors, 22-5.75 ... (2) Boike, LQPV/DB, 22-3.25 ... (4) King, BOLD/BLHS, 21-11.50

DISCUS — (1) Luke Hartung, Park Rapids, 168-5 ... (2) Francis O'Malley, Montevideo, 164-1 ... (6) Nathan Wieberdink, MACCRAY/RCW, 151-5