Huskies win at Hamline, host first home meet

Owatonna track and field had an exciting stretch of meets last week after hosting its first ever home meet and sending multiple runners to the Hamline Elite Meet in the Twin Cities.

The Huskies came out on top in both boys’ and girls’ competitions at home and had one winner at Hamline University with the boys’ 4x200 squad scorching the competition.

“Hamline’s insane. You're surrounded by all of the best athletes in the state – future Olympians and all that. Coming in as the No. 1 seed, we had a target on our back. We knew we had to get it done, and we did it,” said Owatonna 4x200 relay runner Nolan Ginskey.

The Huskies’’ 4x200 relay team took first with a time of 1:27.32 to beat St. Michael-Albertville’s 1:28.47 for first place.

While the win at Hamline is huge for the Huskies’ hopes and confidence in a state title, it wasn’t even the team’s fastest run of the week.

The squad of Ginskey, Garret Karsten, Luke Webber and Keanan Larson torched the competition with a 1:27.29 at home in the team’s first-ever home meet just two days prior.

The time earned the Huskies the fastest 4x200 finish in the state at all levels.

Wednesday’s home meet saw sunny weather and plenty of Huskies on the podium as Owatonna’s girls team won its triangular with Rochester John Marshall and Albert Lea with 116 team points – more than doubling the Rockets’ 54 points in second place.

Equally as dominant was the boys’ team, which scored 104 points for first.

Winners on the day included: Keanan Larson (100-meter, 4x200 relay), Jozie Johnson (100-meter, 4x200 relay), Garret Karsten (200-meter, 4x200 relay), Halle Theis (200-meter, 4x200 relay, 4x400 relay, long jump), Nolan Ginskey (400-meter, 4x200 relay, triple jump), Maryn Pool (400-meter), Dawson Levy (1,600-meter), Clara Sennott (3,200-meter), Seth Johnson (110-, 300-meter hurdles), Maya Badger (100-meter hurdles, 4x200 relay), Carsyn Brady (300-meter hurdles, 4x400 relay), Naomie Delarosa (4x400 relay), Audrey Dowling (4x400 relay), Michael Halverson (4x800 relay), Colin Zimmerman (4x800 relay), Kaiden Struss (4x800 relay), Jack Sorenson (4x800 relay), Leah Leckner (4x800 relay), Ava Cox (4x800 relay), Harmony Piepho (4x800 relay), Kendra Melby (4x800 relay), Zachary Dahnert (shot put), Kyleah Miller (shot put), Torrin Smith (discus), Nyalual Chan (discus), Terell Miller (high jump), Jaiden Williams (high jump), Spencer Copeland (pole vault), Emma Johnson (pole vault), and Johanna Spielman (triple jump.)

Both teams will compete next on Thursday, May 2 at 4;30 p.m. with the boys’ team traveling to White Bear Lake High School and the girls’ competing at Rochester Mayo High School.