Bears Take State!
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2006 Minnesota State High School League
Girls Track and Field Championships
Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota
6/9/2006 to 6/10/2006
1) The Blake School 52
2) Litchfield 44.50
3) Watertown-Mayer 40
4) Pillager 36.50
5) Jackson County Central 36
6) Sauk Centre 33
7) Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Yankton 31
8) Saint Cloud Cathedral 29
9) Grand Meadow High School, LeRoy-Ostrander High School, Southland 28
9) United South Central/Alden-Conger 28
During one of those cold winter "hot stove league" moments Blake Head Track and Field coach Jason Shantz developed what is now, a State Championship strategy, "I thought about this way back in January and presented it to the coaches in March. My plan was to focus on relays with our sprinters instead of open events due to the strong section we compete in. Plus, it gives the girls more confidence running as a collective whole versus open events."
It's tough to argue with Shantz's strategy, the Bears ultimately captured their second Girls' State Track and Field Championship under his direction.
On Friday, Laura Komarek threw the discus and placed third and Claire Richardson ran the 3200m run and placed second giving the team a score of 18 points going into Saturday.
The girls run prelims in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays also on Friday. The Bears were disqualified the 4x200 for making an exchange out of the exchange zone. Coach Shantz filed a formal appeal with the games committee for misinterpretation of the rules but lost. The reason given was that an official's judgment couldn't be appealed or that "judgment calls" can't be overturned.
Blake's 4X200 team is their premier relay squad and had an unofficial time of 1:44.97, four seconds faster than the eventual second place team.
Saturday was a little nerve wracking. Laura Komarek was the first competitor for Blake in the shot put. On her last throw in finals she threw 40' 6" to take the state title in the shot put. This is also a new Blake school record. This had a great calming affect on the team.
Next, the Bears 4x100 relay team sprinted to a fourth place finish with a time of 51.74. Claire Richardson ran the 1600m run and placed fifth overall running Blake's team total to 41 points.
Kyndal Hargrow ran in the 400m dash and placed 5th giving Blake five more points, and clinching the team championship with 46 points. As Coach Shantz quipped after the Championship was won, "All I have to say is, it's a beautiful thing when it all comes together."
The last event for Blake was the 4x400 relay and this team placed fourth with a time of 4:05.87 a new Blake school record. Pushing the grand team total to 52 points.
The Bears have placed 26th (1999), 13th (2000), State Champs (2001), 5th (2002), 3rd (2003), 75th (2004), 26th (2005) and State Champs (2006) during Shantz's tenure.
Go to http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/upload/MSHSL190628A%20Girls%20Results.htmfor complete Class A results.
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