By Pat Ruff
pruff@postbulletin.com
Meet records, especially at such prestigious meets as this one, are nice for Kasson-Mantorville’s Micah Hegerle. But they aren’t his No. 1 goal.
Hegerle is pushing for something even bigger than the mark he set Friday at the Hamline Elite Meet at Hamline University. With a throw of 179 feet, 11 inches, Hegerle set the discus record in the invitation-only meet in St. Paul. That bested the mark of 175-4 set a year ago by Owatonna’s Mike Shaver.
The Hamline Elite Meet, which included most of the state’s top talent in each event, was held in low-40s degree temperatures, with gusty winds.
ADVERTISEMENT
"What (setting the meet record) did was raise my confidence even more," said Hegerle, last year’s state Class A discus champion. "It showed me that I can throw well in conditions that aren’t so nice."
Hegerle’s true goal is the state record. That was set in 2000 by former Rochester Century discus thrower Karl Erickson. Erickson hurled it 201-7. Hegerle’s best throw so far this season is 189-5, done two weeks ago.
"I’d really like to throw it over 202 feet," Hegerle said. "That would be really fun."
• Despite the lousy weather, Rochester-area athletes participating in the Hamline Elite Meet were pleased to have been a part of it.
That included Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Travis Beniak.
Beniak turned in a personal-best 4:23.52 time in the 1,600 to take third in the event. Century’s Brian Wille was just behind him, in fourth at 4:24.17.
"It was a huge (adrenaline) rush just know that I was getting to race against someone," said Beniak, whose prior best was 4:24.
It was just Beniak’s fourth meet this season, after having had three of them canceled due to poor weather.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wille also had a personal best in the 1,600, his previous best was 4:30.
"That meet was a confidence boost for me," Wille said, "just knowing that I could run against the best runners in the state. Plus, it was a great honor to be there."
Also competing for Century at the meet were David Grissom and Shane Steele. Grissom was fifth in the 400 (51.31) and Steele sixth in the 3,200 (9:52.31).
Other Rochester-area athletes competing were Lewiston-Altura’s Tanner Ties in the pole vault (seventh, 13-0), Kingsland’s Carl Calabrese in the pole vault (ninth, 12-6), Schaeffer Academy’s Josh Dockter in the 800 (ninth, 2:04.50), and Kingsland’s Lance Arneson in the long jump (10th, 18-61⁄4).
• Lake City’s Maranda Dohrn was the only Rochester-area athlete competing in the girls portion of the meet. Dohrn was third in the high jump with a 5-4 clearance.
HAMLINE ELITE MEET
BOYS AREA HIGHLIGHTS
(Also event winner)
ADVERTISEMENT
400 — 1. Kevin Bradley (Mounds View) 49.58, 5. David Grissom (Century) 51.31; 7. Lance Arneson (Kingsland) 52.48. 800 — 1. Zach Mellon (Buffalo) 1:56.90; 9. Josh Dockter (Schaeffer Academy) 2:04.50. 1,600 — 1. Andy Richardson (Irondale) 4:15.26; 3. Travis Beniak (Zumbrota-Mazeppa) 4:23.52; 4. Brian Wille (Century) 4:24.17. 3,200 — 1. Jordan Carlson (Rosemount) 9:23.18; 6. Shane Steele (Century) 9:52.31. Long jump — Zach Bork (Rocori) 21-73⁄4; 10. Lance Arneson (Kingsland) 18-61⁄4. Pole vault — 1. Erik Romsdahl (St. James) 14-61⁄4; 7. Tanner Ties (Lewiston-Altura) 13-0; 9. Carl Calabrese (Kingsland) 12-6. Shot put — 1. Brian Leonhardt (Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony) 58-11; 5. Micah Hegerle (Kasson-Mantorville) 51-73⁄4. Discus — 1. Hegerle (Kasson-Mantorville) 179-11.
GIRLS AREA HIGHLIGHTS
(Also event winner)
High jump — 1. Katie Loberg (Princeton) 5-5; 3. Maranda Dohrn (Lake City) 5-4.
