Maple Grove senior sprinter Jordyn Borsch tossed her event winner's T-shirt to the Hamline Elite Meet crowd Friday evening, and the rolled-up trophy failed to go the width of the Klas Field track.
Nothing Borsch did on the track fell short. She won the 100-meter dash in 12.19 seconds, crushed the field in the 400 in 55.19 seconds and capped her meet by cruising to the 200 title in 24.92 seconds. The trifecta was a solid night's work considering the mid-40s temperature and damp track.
Friday's results started with last season's breakout performance at the Class 3A state meet, where she won the 100 and 400 and placed third in the 200.
"It changed my mind-set for this season," Borsch said. "I want to do better than I did last year and know I did my best — whatever that looks like."
Borsch claimed she tried her best on her T-shirt toss.
"I got the little hop in my throw," Borsch said. "But I don't think it really helped,"
Drevlow repeats
At this rate, Hopkins sophomore Sydney Drevlow is going to need at least two pages for her athletics résumé.
Drevlow defended her 1,600 Elite Meet title, the latest in her growing list of great finishes on the track, the cross-country course and the snow. This one surprised Drevlow. Her time of 4 minutes, 50.93 seconds stood as a dramatic drop from the 5:07 range she managed just two weeks ago.
In addition to her Elite Meet success, Drevlow won the 1,600 title in the Class 3A state meet last spring. Last fall, she placed second in the cross-country state meet. She failed to defend her Nordic skiing title in February, only because she was competing for the U.S. U-18 team at the Nordic Nations Cup in Jyväskylä, Finland.
Class warfare
The Elite Meet stands apart for bringing together many of the state's best high school track athletes, regardless of their school's competitive class.
"It's cool to see athletes coming from everywhere, not just the big schools," said Drevlow, who won her 1,600 race over second-place Isabelle Schmitz — who competes for Hutchinson in Class 2A.
Athletes from other 2A schools represented well. Rockford junior Brian Schloeder won the pole vault. The Mankato East boys won the 4x800 relay. In the boys 4x200, Waseca placed second behind Eagan but ahead of Champlin Park. And Calia Chaney of Pequot Lakes placed second in the girls 800, sandwiched between champion Abby Downin of Edina and third-place finisher Taylor Heimerl of Rosemount.
Class 1A could claim champions as well: Blooming Prairie junior Annaka Forsberg (high jump), Nevis senior Jade Rypkema (3,200) and Perham junior Jaden Hackel (triple jump).
Home cooking
Event winners take part in a Q&A on the infield stage, and Brainerd junior Brandon Stark got a head start on a Mother's Day gift.
Stark won the 400 and gave mom Cindy Stark a shoutout for her mashed potatoes and gravy and pasta.
"Those are her specialties," Stark said.
