Section 1A is the place to be for track and field in the state of Minnesota, and the Cobras made a statement by qualifying for the section meet in 20 events. In a loaded field, Triton fared well, sending a number of athletes to the finals, and qualifying three athletes in four events for the state meet.
The section meet was held at Triton on May 28 and 30, and the competition was hot. The top two athletes in each event earn an automatic berth to the state meet, while additional athletes may qualify by bettering the standard set based on the 9th best performance in the state meet in previous years. Section 1A had several events in which 5 or 6 athletes qualified for state, a testament to the great athletes in our region.
For the Cobras, the section highlights included medaling performances a number of athletes. Pierce Petersohn leaped to a 2nd place finish, qualifying for state in the high jump at 6’ 6”. He also qualified in the 400 by finishing fourth and running a state-standard and personal best time of 49.93. Averee Henslin finished 3rd in the 400 in a personal best time of 1:01.43 and 6h in the 200 in 26.44 seconds. Olivia Weber finished 3rd in the 300 hurdles in a state-qualifying personal best time of 47.12 and finished 9th in the 100 hurdles. Craig Knutson re-broke his personal and school record in the discus, finishing 5th and qualifying for state on standard with a throw of 149’ 2” The girls 4x800 meter relay team (Ava Cummings, Reagan Essig, Abrielle Emanuel, and Autumn Froyum) and girls 4x200 team (Romina Medina, Maddi Maes, Weber, and Henslin) earned 9th place finishes.
This week, at the state meet at St. Michael-Albertville high school, the three state qualifiers looked to better their marks against the best in the state. Weber, Petersohn, and Knutson represented Triton well. Weber finished 15th in the 300 hurdles with a time of 48.18. Knutson also added a 15th place finish in his state debut in the discus, throwing 140’ 2. Petersohn was a double medalist in his 2nd state appearance, after having competed in the high jump last year. He raced to a 5th place finish in the 400 in 50.48 seconds after finishing 6th in the high jump with a jump of 6 feet, 4 inches.
The state meet was a great way to cap off the season for the Cobras, and the coaching staff is so proud of all our athletes. Every single member of the team improved from the beginning of the season to the end, while having opportunities to grow their work ethic and resilience. Additionally, nine track and field athletes earned Academic All State honors by meeting both academic and athletic standards. Congratulations to Pierce Petersohn, Craig Knutson, Brady Staub, Ameryn Dostal, Ava Cummings, Romina Medina, Autumn Froyum, Reagan Essig, and Olivia Weber!!
Other award winners for the season included:
Most Valuable Track Athletes: Pierce Petersohn and Olivia Weber
Most Valuable Field Athletes: Craig Knutson and Reagan Essig
Most Valuable Teammates: Mason Noaeill and Lauryn Nauman
Most Valuable Parents: Joni Noaeill and Laurie Essig
We’re already looking forward to seeing what our athletes can do next season! GO COBRAS!!
