Girls Track: Ferm, relay headed to state

Isabelle Ferm back to state (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Junior Isabelle Ferm battled through a sore hip to defend her Section 1AA 400-meter title in 57.43, a new school record, to earn a return trip to the state meet at the Section 1AA Championships held Saturday at Lakeville South.

Ferm, who finished sixth in the 400 at state last year, also teamed up with Maria Kiminski, Alicia Hett and Megan Graham to take second in the 4x400 relay in a season-best 4:01.60  to punch their return ticket to state.

Ferm, Graham and Hett all ran on the same relay team that placed sixth at last year's state finals.

The Tigers also had four third place finishes, one place short of qualifying for the state meet.

"We had some very good performances today and it's always good to have our girls going back to state," coach Tom Hart said. "It's mildly disappointing to come so close in so many other events, but that is the nature of track. You only get one shot at state."

The Tigers finished third in the final 15-team standings. Lakeville South ran away with the title, finishing with 190 points. Lakeville North took second with 123, followed by Farmington 58, Rochester Century 56, Winona 41, Rochester Mayo 34, Austin 33, Dover-Eyota/St. Charles 27, Rochester John Marshall 27, Northfield 26, Owatonna 23,  Albert Lea 19, Red Wing 18, Kasson-Mantorville 17and Faribault 10

The four Tiger entrants that finished just out of the state meet sweepstakes were the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x800 relays and Destiny Schmitz in the triple jump.

Destiny Schmitz 3rd in triple jump; 7th in high jump (photo by J. Lindquist)

Schmitz came the closest to the state berth, actually tying for second place with a distance of 35-2.75 but losing the state bid on a tie-breaker.

"Destiny broke her personal best by almost two feet," Hart said. "She had a great day."

The third place 4x800 team consisted of Kiminski, Hett, Alex Frost and Sofia Chadwick. Kelli Elmer, Nicole Doran, Morgan Cecchittini and Emma Record ran the 4x100 and Racquel Beckett, Jennifer Miller, Cecchittini and Graham competed in the 4x200.

Defending state 100-meter hurdles and long jump champion Nadia Lorencz returned to the track after suffering an ankle injury earlier in the year and scored a pair of fourth place finishes in those events.

Missota Conference shot put champion Aly Grebner ranked seventh in the section meet as did Schmitz in the high jump. Record took eighth in the 100 and 200-meter dashes.

The state meet will be held next Friday and Saturday at Hamline University on St. Paul.

Alicia Hett

Megan Graham

Maria Kiminski (all photos by Jim Lindquist)