Minnetonka Girls Win State Track and Field Championship

Strong performance in the relays and field events propelled Minnetonka to a Class AA state track and Field championship Friday and Saturday at Hamline University.

Minnetonka’s 94.5 points were 15.5 points above runner-up Lakeville South.

Sophomore Meghan Janssen, senior Anne Haakenstad, freshman Lucille Hoelscher and junior Elizabeth Endy finished the 4x800 meter relay in 9:06.71, nearly nine seconds faster than second place Wayzata.

In the 4x400 meter relay, sophomore Karina Smiley, Hoelscher, Haakenstad and Endy finished with a time of 3:54.04, edging out second place Farmington by about a 1 ½ seconds.

The girls also finished second in the 4x200 meter relay (junior Alexandra Orlowsky, Smiley, Janssen and junior Carolina Bowe), while Endy finished second in the 400 meter dash.

The Skippers did well in the field events, too. Junior Mia Barron won the long jump with a leap of 18-feet-3-inches. Meanwhile, Barron and junior Piper Jensen fought an extremely tight contest in the triple jump. Jensen took first with a jump of 38-feet-¾-of-an-inch, just ¾ of an inch better than Barron’s 38-foot jump.

In the boys’ competition, Minnetonka finished fifth in the 4x200 Meter Relay. Senior Bennett Celichowski, sophomore Paul Afflitto, Quinn Shepherd and senior Justin Bader finished with a time of 1:29.10.

Minnetonka boys also finished 10th in the 4x800 meter relay. Senior Jack Snyder, junior Riley Nelson, senior Casey Halbmaier and junior Scott Kvidera ran a time of 8:06.78.