Chatfield's LaPlante ahead of his time (and distance)

Jayme LaPlantesaved his best for last a year ago.

If he can do it again, LaPlante will have had himself one heck of a track and field season. He would also perfectly cap what's been a dynamic high school athletic career for the football, basketball and track and field star.

One week ago, in his second meet this season — and his first throwing the discus — the 6-foot-3, 220-pound LaPlante threw the discus a personal-best 171-feet-9.

A year ago in the state Class A meet, LaPlante was good for a then personal-best 167-9. That left him second overall. The first-place throw was 169 feet.

"I knew what Jayme was capable of," Chatfield coach Jeff DeBuhrsaid. "He put on a lot of muscle and weight this past offseason. But I didn't expect him to have a throw like this, this early."

LaPlante will play football at Minnesota State, Mankato in the fall where he's receiving an athletic scholarship (he also plans to continue in track and field). In preparing for football, LaPlante has gotten bigger and stronger. What's also helped him were the adjustments he made near the end of last season with his discus throw.

"Jayme figured out some footwork things that have made him more explosive," DeBuhr said. "He made some tweaks, and things really started to come together for him the end of last season."

LaPlante has taken those changes and carried them right into this season.

Still, he had to admit that he didn't see that 171-9 throw coming. Not this soon.

"That surprised me, because going into the meet I'd been throwing in the high 150s and low 160s," LaPlante said. "But I can't ever tell how far it's going to go. I just wait for the guy doing the marker at the meets to say my distance."

— Pat Ruff

BOYS TENNIS

Lourdes 2nd, Mayo 8th in poll

Rochester is once again well represented in this most recent Class A and AA boys state tennis polls.

Lourdes is ranked second in Class A, behind state defending champion Blake. Individually, junior David Turlingtonis ranked sixth in singles and fellow junior Nico Villarragoninth. Blake's Charlie Adams is ranked first. Adams was the 2013 state champion.

In Class AA, Mayo is ranked eighth. Fellow Section 1AA team Lakeville North is ranked 10th.

Elk River is ranked first and defending state champion Wayzata No. 2.

Rochester has no individual ranked in the top 10 in state Class AA.

— Pat Ruff

JM coaching search continues

Rochester John Marshall is still looking for a new head football coach. But JM Activities Director Paul Coxsays the school is getting closer to making a decision.

"I'm hoping we'll have it done in the next couple of weeks," Cox said.

The opening came after Jack Drewsstepped down the middle of February after 17 years on the job.

Cox said the school had 20-plus applicants for the opening.

— Pat Ruff