Century runs off with titles in city boys and girls meets
May 21—Now what are you going to do, Nathan Nelson?
On Tuesday, the Century junior set the school record in the pole vault, clearing 14-feet-9.
On Friday in the Rochester All-City track-and-field meet at John Marshall, Nelson came up with something better than that. He upped his total another 3 inches, clearing 15 feet.
So now what?
Well, Nelson still has some things he wants to check off his list. After his recent outbursts, nothing seems too much.
"My original goal this season was the school record, which was 14-6," Nelson said. "My goal now is to get first in the state meet and go 15-6. I think I can do it (win the state title). I'm only 3 inches behind the guy (in Class AAA) who is front of me."
That last statement came about an hour before he did what he did Friday, sailing cleanly over 15 feet. Now nobody in Class AAA is front of Nelson.
He's certainly worked for this. Nelson devoted much of last summer to increasing his speed and strength, both vital to being a standout pole vaulter. He also did plenty of actually vaulting, heading to the Twin Cities to get special training.
And now look at him. He's going 15 feet — and counting.
John Marshall has one of southeastern Minnesota's most up-and-coming triple jumpers. That is sophomore Mawang Garang. In this, his first of triple jumping, Garang has already gone 41-9.
It didn't take Garang long to establish himself as someone with big potential. In his first crack at it this season, he cleared 36 feet. On Friday, he went 40-2 to win the event at the All-City meet.
"I love the triple jump," said Garang, who is unusually short for a star triple jumper, at just 5-7. "When I first got into it, I didn't really know many of the movements. But I'm getting there."
Garang's biggest trouble is with the event's second phase. But he's working at that second of three jumps and likes his chances of taking another big leap before this season is done.
He's got a goal.
"I want to get to state," he said.
Century's Shaun Wysocki finished second to Garang, with a 39-6 distance.
Jaden Wysocki is best known as a standout basketball player. The Century senior has accepted a basketball scholarship to Division II school Minot State University next year.
But instead of dribbling and shooting this entire spring, the 6-foot-7 Wysocki is working on his overall athleticism, having gone out for track and field.
That's worked out nicely for him. Wysocki, who hadn't done track and field since eighth grade, has shown that the layoff didn't hurt him much. He is already Century's top long jumper, having gone 21-2. On Friday, he cleared 20-1 to finish first.
"I like track," Wysocki said. "I took a break from it the previous few years to do AAU basketball. But this helps with my overall athletcism and body control and just bcoming more athletic for basketball."
That he excels at track and field oesn't hurt his taste for it, either.
"I'd like to get close to 22 feet and get to state," he said.
Track-and-field newcomer Max Comfere dominated the sprints on Friday. The Century senior, who was All-State in soccer the last two years, won the 100 (11.31) and the 200 (22.22) in the All-City meet. John Marshall junior Michael Nicometo was second in both on this breezy day, in 11.39 and 22.73, respectively.
Century edged out John Marshall in team scoring, with 77.5 points in the All-City meet. JM had 77, while Mayo, with most of its athletes competing at Stillwater in the True Team state meet, scored 19.5 points. Lourdes also did not take part in the meet.
The Century girls romped to the girls All-City title with 106 points. Mayo scored 60 and John Marshall 14. Mayo was minus among southeastern Minnesota's biggest stars, hurdler/triple jumper Hannah Hanson.
It was the Panthers' sprints that were most impressive, particularly their relays.
That was no surprise as Century returned the bulk of its 4x100 and 4x200 teams from a year ago. The Panthers were second at state in the 4x100 last season and just missed advancing to state in the 4x200.
Favor Omijuanfo, Madson Habberstad, Sarrah Lindner and Megan Lund combined to run a 49.73 for first place in the 4x100 Friday. In the 4x200, Kaia Berry, Habberstad, Lindner and Addison Clarey were first in 1:47.97.
On Tuesday, Lund, Habberstad, Lindner and Addison Clarey set a school record in the 4x200 with a 1:45.44 time.
Besides winning those relays, Century was also first in the 4x400 (Ezmae Severson, Ella Schrandt, Nora Lynch, Kennedy Speer) and 4x800 (Sophia Comfere, Ellie Flodstrom, Nora Lynch, Sophia Trabuco) in the All-City meet.
Then there was Century's individual sprinters. Lund won the 100 (13.17), Omoijuanfo won the 200 (27.46) and Clarey won the 400 (1:01.05). The Panthers also captured another race that is almost a sprint, the 800. Sophia Comfere was the winner there, in 2:28.31.
Omoijuanfo appreciate the competition that comes every day among the Century sprinters, particularly as she and Lund vye to be the fastest Panther.
"Megan pushes me to be so much better than I already am," Omoijuanfo said.
Lund likes that competition just as much.
"It is really nice to have Favor out there," Lund said. "She makes me work a lot harder."
Besides all kinds of talent in the sprints, the Panthers girls also have plenty of it in the jumps.
Sarrah Lindner and Habberstad are generally the top two long jump jumpers, while Anna Henrichsen and Lindner both excel in the triple jump.
In the All-City, it was Mayo's Farah Salama who finished first in the long jump with a 16-7 1/2 distance. Lund was second (16-7) and Lindner third (32-10). Lindner won the triple jump with a 34-10 distance. She has gone 36-3 this season.
Lindner says she is hoping for a 17-4 clearance this season.
BOYS
Team scores
Century 77.5, John Marshall 77, Mayo 19.5
Individual results
100 — 1. Max Comfere (C) 11.31; 2. Michael Nicometo (JM) 11.39; 3. Brian Paul (JM) 12.05. 200 — 1. Max Comfere (C) 22.22; 2. Michael Nicometo (JM) 22.73; 3. Chris Garcia-Lara (C) 23.79. 400 — 1. Wyatt Lundstrom (C) 55.16; 2. Jameel Atak (JM) 55.48; 3. Ben Reider (JM) 56.71. 800 — Garrett Eick (JM) 2:12.54; 2. Lovinsky Burmester (C) 2:12.66; 3. Eoin Porrata (M) 2:17.26. 1,600 — 1. Garrett Eick (JM) 4:50.73; 2. Gabriel Girmay Robison (JM) 4:55.88; 3. Andrew Sonnabend (JM) 5:02.71. 3,200 — 1. Aidan Feda (JM) 11:26.62; 2. Jaden Anderson (JM) 11:27.87; 3. Caleb Iverson (C) 11:48.40. 110 hurdles — 1. Josh Kyei-Baffour (C) 16.93; 2. Thout Aguek (JM) 19.53; 3. Mateo Wilkins (JM) 20.59. 300 hurdles — 1. Damian Gerads (C) 41.15; 2. Thout Aguek (JM) 42.37; 3. Josh Kyei-Baffour (C) 44.29.
Relays
4x100 — 1. Century (Chris Garcia-Lara, Damian Gerads, Nathan Nelson, Max Comfere) 43.76; 2. Mayo 48.49. 4x200 — 1. Century (Douglas Lee, Gavin Vogel, John Shannon, Yahir Leiton Vado) 1:36.40; 2. Mayo 1:42.22; 3. JM disqualified. 4x400 — 1. JM (Thout Aguek, Jameel Atak, Ben Rieder, Salaheldin Buraie) 3:43.78; 2. Mayo 4:00.70; 3. Century disqualified. 4x800 — 1. JM (Peter Jones, Matthew Duncan, James Garcia, Kyle Matthew Pido) 9:19.08; 2. Century 9:29.07; 3. Mayo 9:40.60.
Field events
Discus — 1. Cole Elbing (C) 122-3; 2. John Shannon (C) 119-2; 3. Miles Prochnow (C) 109-08. High jump — 1. Jayden Wysocki (JM) 5-8; 2. Gavin Johnson (JM) 5-6; 3. Mateo Wilkins (JM) 5-2. Pole vault — Nathan Nelson (C) 15-0; 2. Douglas Lee (C) 12-6; 3. Griffin Kukla (M) 9-0. Long jump — 1. Jaden Wysocki (C) 20-1; 2. Mechwa Meermarew (JM) 19-11 2; 3. Mawang Garang (JM) 19-2. Shot put — 1. Anthony Mulatre (M) 41-8; 2. Jack Weiser (C) 40-2; 3. Luke Backholm (JM) 40-0. Triple jump — 1. Mawang Garang (JM) 40-2; 2. Shaun Wysocki (C) 39-6; 3. Nolan Radtke (JM) 36-1.
GIRLS
Team scores
Century 106, Mayo 60, John Marshall 14
Individual results
100 — 1. Megan Lund (C) 13.17; 2. Favor Omoijuanfo (C) 13.33; 3. Farah Salama (M) 13.78. 200 — 1. Favor Omoijuanfo (C) 27.46; 2. Farah Salama (M) 28.33; 3. Madison Meyer (M) 28.37. 400 — 1. Addison Clarey (C) 1:01.05; 2. Shannon Chen (M) 1.02.60; 3. Kaia Berry (C) 1:03.55 800 — 1. Sophia Comfere (C) 2:28.31; 2. Shanon Chen (M) 2:33.94; 3. Kennedy Speer (C) 2:35.86. 1,600 — 1. Jazzlyn Hanenberger (C) 5:34.39; 2. Amelia Decker (M) 5:39.84; 3. Adeline Crow (C) 5:45.14. 3,200 — 1. Abigail Tri (JM) 11:57.35; 2. Katarina Larsen (M) 12:45.36; 3. Hadley Jensen (M) 12:54.62. 100 hurdles — 1. Paige Cardwell (JM) 17.49; 2. Mathani Mohamed (C) 18.48; 3. Amaliya Benjamin (C) 18.77. 300 hurdles — 1. Jordyn Sutton (C) 52.04; 2. Sarah Fox (C) 54.45; 3. Mathani Mohamed (C) 55.10.
Relays
4x100 — 1. Century (Favor Omoijuanfo, Madison Habberstad, Sarrah Lindner, Megan Lund) 49.73; 2. Mayo 52.38; 3. JM 54.69. 4x200 — 1. Century (Kaia Berry, Madison Habberstad, Sarrah Lindner, Addison Clarey) 1:47.96; 2. Mayo 1:49.96; 3. JM 1:55.56. 4x400 — 1. Century (Ezmae Severson, Ella Schrandt, Nora Lynch, Kennedy Speer) 4:33.95. 4x800 — 1. Century (Sophia Comfere, Ellie Flodstrom, Nora Lynch, Sophia Trabuco) 10:08.93; 2. Mayo 11:07.36; 3. JM 11:54.43.
Field events
Discus — 1. Elise Jensen (C) 110-4; 2. Bailey Klote (C) 108-6; 3. Ayla Larson (M) 91-2. High jump — 1. Gabriele Buhrow (M) 4-10; 2. Addison Clarey (C) 4-10; 3. Lauryn Brady (JM) 4-8. Pole vault — 1. Madison Habberstad (C) 10-0; 2. Natalie Drake 7-6; 3. Madeleine Schmidt (C) 6-0. Long jump — 1. Farah Salama (M) 16-7 1/2; 2. Megan Lund (C) 16-7; 3. Sarrah Lindner (C) 16-7. Shot put — 1. Erica Matey (M) 38-0; 2. Elise Jensen (C) 32-10; 3. Bailey Klote (C) 32-2. Triple jump — 1. Sarrah Lindner (C) 34-10; 2. Kaia Berry (C) 31-3/4; 3. Kaitlyn Simons (C) 29-6.
