Boys Track: Hyytinen, 3 relays going to state

Justin Hyytinen to state in 3 events (all photos by Jim Lindquist)

Eight Tiger athletes earned the right to perform on the big stage of the state track meet with first or second place efforts at last Saturday's Section 1AA Championships held at Lakeville South.

Sophomore iron man Justin Hyytinen had his fingerprints on three of the Farmington state qualifying efforts, taking second in the 1600-meter rum in 4:23.58 and running a leg on the winning 4x800 and second place 4x400 relay teams.

Tyler Lerbakken, Devon Webb and Jared Wolt joined Hyytinen in winning 4x800 relay in a school record 8:03.80 and Lerbakken, Hyytinen, Tommy Weigel and Tanner Grubb made up the victorious 4x400 team that clocked 3:28.14.

The quartet of Mason Auge, Ryan Parco, Weigel and Grubb took second in the 4x200 in 1:30.79  to earn its trip to state.

"This meet is all about getting people to the state meet," Tiger coach Brian Helmstetter. "Winning the team championship would be nice but that would be a bonus."

Tyler Lerbakken on two state relays

The Tigers didn't win the team title but did finish in a second place tie with Owatonna with 70 points, 12 fewer than champion Rochester Century.

Lakeville North and Faribault finished two points back in fourth place, followed by Winona 64, Kasson-Mantorville 56, Lakeville South 52, Austin 45, Rochester John Marshall 40, Rochester Mayo 39, Red Wing 21, Northfield 17, Dover-Eyota/St. Charles 5 and Albert Lea 5.

Two Tigers finished within a place of making the state meet field. Lerbakken ranked third in the 400-meter run and Wolt took third in the 800-meter run.

Nehemiah Rockett finished fourth and fifth respectively in the 110 and 300-meter hurdles and Grubb scored fourth place points in the open 200 meters.

Auge clocked a season-best in his sixth place finish in the 100-meter dash and Dan Berg placed seventh in the high jump.

Conner Phu took eighth in the pole vault and Jacob Earp placed eighth in the long jump.

"The boys knew what they had to do today and for the most part they did what we expected," Helmstetter said. "It will be interesting to see how they do next week."

Tanner Grubb anchored two state meet relays

Helmstetter stayed away from making any predictions for next weekend, saying only that he expected his state entrants to be "competitive" at state..

"There are some awfully good times around the state in the events we will be running," he said. "Stillwater may break the state record in the 4x800. It will be great competition."

The state meet finals are slated for Saturday morning at Hamline.

Mason Auge

Ryan Parco

    

Devon Webb

Tommy Weigel