ST. PAUL - Improvement was the theme for several area track and field athletes Friday afternoon at Hamline University in St. Paul.
One distance runner medaled, a pair of hurdlers ran their personal-best preliminary times to qualify for today's finals, while another notched his career-best shot put toss in his final prep high school sporting event during Day 1 of the Class A state track and field meet.
Fairmont freshman Lauren Friese led the way in the 3,200-meter run final, cutting 15 seconds off her sectional time to place sixth overall in 11:25.55 - a new personal best and the third best time in Fairmont school history.
Friese was running 13th place for the first half of the race, but kept passing runners until barely coming up short of the fifth-place medal that went to Le Center/Cleveland's Emily Phillips (11:25.53).
"I'm definitely pleased, I got my personal best. You can't do any better than your best," said Friese.
Immediately after the race, Friese was unsure how she placed in the photo finish with Phillips.
"Whatever that outcome is, it was a beautiful day and I had a lot of fun. ... I was just going out to try my best. I really wanted to medal - besides trying my best," said Friese.
Perham's Maddie McClellan claimed the Class A state 3,200-meter title, finishing in 11:00.99.
Blue Earth Area junior Nate Carr also put on his best show by cruising to second place in the second heat of the 300-meter hurdles in 40.06 seconds, qualifying for today's finals.
Carr's time also was a personal best.
"I was hoping to break 40 (seconds), but I have tomorrow," said Carr.
Indeed, as Carr will receive a chance at the state title in today's final at 5:38 p.m. back at Hamline University.
Carr finished with the second-best time overall among the 16 runners in the two heats, despite clipping the final two hurdles as he crossed the finish line.
"I was losing some gas. I guess I was too far back when I jumped," said Carr.
Paynesville Area's Travis Jimenez posted Friday's top preliminary time in the 300 hurdles in 39.56.
Carr's hurdling counterpart did not perform too shabbily either as Fairmont junior Mary Hitchcock also will compete in today's final.
Hitchcock placed third in the first heat and seventh overall in 46.08 seconds - her second straight meet with another personal best.
"I don't know what to even think," Hitchcock beamed after being told her time while sitting on the football field between races.
"I felt good - really good - that tailwind really helped.
"My goal is to run what I did at sections - running that or my personal best to get into the finals," said Hitchcock.
Hitchcock will have a chance to improve upon her time and place Friday as she hits the Hamline University track tar for today's 5:33 p.m. final.
Pipestone Area's Bree Woelber ran the top 300 hurdles preliminary time (44.37) on Friday.
Blue Earth Area senior Jake Lee also set a personal best in his event - the shot put - but did not make the finals.
Lee came into Friday's final with the second-shortest distance coming out of sectionals, but nearly reversed that in his flight by firing his second preliminary throw 47 feet, 6 1/2 inches for his best career effort to claim third in the second flight.
"I was second-to-last place (overall) coming in and placed third in the flight. It'll be interesting to see how everybody else does," Lee said upon the completion of the first flight.
However, the Blue Earth Area senior thrower did not finish in the top nine to qualify for the finals and instead had to settle for 10th place overall in the 16-thrower field.
"I PR'd (personal record), so that was one of the original goals," said Lee.
Mahnomen/Waubun's Anthony Lavoy, who came in with the top distance at sections, claimed the Class A state shot put title with a heave of 54-8 3/4.
Lee's other teammate, Blue Earth Area junior Kate Hassing, also extended her track and field season one more day by running under a minute in the open 400-meter dash preliminaries.
Hassing placed third in the second heat in 59.30 and placed fifth overall. She ran a 58.44 for runner-up honors at the section meet.
"I wasn't feeling too good today. It's hot and sticky today and the wind on the backstretch isn't very nice," said Hassing.
Today's 400 final is slated for 5:06 p.m. at Hamline University.
East Grand Fork's Ashley Tingelstad collected the best 400 preliminary time with a 56.65 in the first heat.
Martin County West's lone representative, sophomore Alyssa Taylor, ending up placing 14th of 15th in the high jump final with a leap of 4 feet, 10 inches. Taylor cleared 5 feet even to place second at the section meet.
Section 2A champion Holy Family Catholic freshman Hannah Schonhardt topped all competitors for the Class A state high jump championship with a leap of 5-6
In today's other finals, the Fairmont girls 4x800-meter relay squad of Hitchcock, Laura Hamp, Friese and Jami Riley hit the track at 3 p.m., before Blue Earth Area freshman Courtney Grandgenett competes in the 1,600 final at 4:23 p.m.
