Back in November, when Mounds Park Academy senior Mason Ferlic won the cross-country state championship, he already had a new goal in mind: triple crown.
Seven months later, as Ferlic came bounding across the 1,600-meter finish line -- with the rest of the pack left in the dust behind him -- the dream was translated into fruition. After notching his second consecutive championship in the 3,200 Friday, Ferlic took his third gold of the year in his final 1A event -- the elusive 1,600 -- on Saturday at Hamline University.
"As soon as I crossed the line, half a second later, I was like 'Oh my god, I did it,' " he said, grinning widely. "That was the race I wanted to win."
Last year, Ferlic took the 3,200 on the first day of events but barely came in second to Worthington's Mubarik Musa in the 1,600 the following day.
"I think it was more mental," he said. "I'd already won the 3,200 and ... I was relaxed. I just didn't want the same thing to happen; I knew I had to pull away."
Ferlic did just that, turning on the gas on the final lap to win by nearly five seconds. His time was 4:16.23 -- 0.4 seconds better than the winning time from last year. After Ferlic pulled away, Musa dropped off and finished sixth.
First wheelchair raceRose Hollerman won the inaugural girls' wheelchair 1,600 and 800 as the event's only participant after she and her family petitioned last year to have the contests added to the state championships.
"It's a big deal, because I've never gotten a chance to do something like that before," said the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown freshman, who has competed in national events in a wheelchair. "It's more like being part of the community -- I get to be in Minnesota."
Kathryn Lubahn of Pine Island was the lone participant in the wheelchair shot put.
Gold in four eventsIt might seem as though Bagley-Fosston's Analisa Huschle, a six-time state champion, could be out of major landmarks at the state meet. Not so, as she notched another emotional goal Saturday, claiming the gold in four events: the long jump, the triple jump, the 100 and 200 meters.
"I've never done it before, and it's always been a goal," said Huschle, who had never run the 100 at state before, opting for the relay instead. She will run for North Dakota next year.
More on horizonFor the second year in a row, Calvin Clark swept the 100, 200 and 400, but despite the lofty achievement, the St. Paul Humboldt senior said he wasn't even doing it for himself.
"I have more to run for this year," said Clark, noting his family, coaches and 3-month-old daughter. But there's another reason on the horizon, as well. Clark will be running at Concordia (St. Paul) next year.
"I'm only relaxing for a minute," he said.
Team championsBagley/Fosston and St. Peter shared the girls' title, with both teams scoring 53 points. Caledonia/Spring Grove handily won the boys' title with 57 points.
