Self Motivation: Packers push each other in sweep of AL

Published 9:15 pm Monday, April 8, 2019

The Austin track and field team has been spending a lot of time competing against itself in practice, and the Packers continued to push each other as they swept a boys and girls dual meet over Albert Lea at Larry Gilbertson track and field Monday.

The Packer boys won 90-51 and the Packer girls won 120-24.

Austin junior Caroline Williams bounced back from a minor injury in her first meet of the year for the Packers as she won the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash. She edged out her teammate Kendall Gister by .6 of a second in the 100-meter dash and Williams beat her teammate Madison Herrick by just over .1 of a second in the 200-meter dash.

Austin’s Connor Byram takes a hand-off from Andrew Chesak in the 4 x 200-meter relay in Larry Gilbertson track and field Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

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“My teammates have been pushing me better this year and I’ve been improving my time. They keep telling me that I’m doing better. I feel I can get better throughout the season,” Williams said. “I love sprinting. It’s really a big deal for me to be out here.”

A pair of Packer throwers have pushed each other to their best throws of their careers so far this spring. Thomas Kroymann, a senior, threw personal record distances to win the shot put over junior Oliver Andersen, who also had personal records in taking second in each event. Kroymann edged out Andersen by just one inch in the discus and he won the shot put by a little over a foot.

“We’ve just been pushing each other in practice and we both want to beat each other,” Kroymann said. “It’s nothing personal, we just both want to beat each other. He pushed me to a 15 foot PR today and I think that’s the best I’ve ever thrown a discus in practice or competition.”

Austin’s Oliver Andersen celebrates hitting a PR distance in the shot put in a meet in Larry Gilbertson track and field Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

Andersen said that Kroymann has served as the ultimate motivator for him in practice and in meets.

“I just find it great to have an upperclassman that I can always look up to and follow,” Andersen said. “Thomas’s work ethic is something I always try to emulate and try to beat, but I don’t think I ever have. He’s a great role model.”

Austin’s Kiley Kusick competes in the long jump at Larry Gilbertson track and field Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

AUSTIN BOYS RESULTS

1. Austin 90; 2. AL 51

100-meter dash: Andrew Chesak (first, 11.74); Okello Ojulu (second, 11.91)

200-meter dash: Sean Poczos (first, 24.02)

400-meter dash: Josh Belden (first, 55.58); Kaden Murley (second, 57.37)

800-meter run: Henry Hinchcliffe (first, 2:11.58); Brockdon Lawhead (second, 2:15.66)

1600-meter run: Henry Hinchcliffe (first, 4:45.77); Jackson Marsh (third, 4:56.99)

110-meter hurdles: Connor Byram (first, 16.39)

4 x 800-meter relay: Austin (first, 9:22.08)

Pole vault: Samuel Keenan (first, 10-9); Lucas Evanson (second, 9-0)

Long jump: Samuel Misoi (first, 19-4); Elijah Johnson (third, 18-8)

Triple jump: Samuel Misoi (first, 37-10.50)

Shot put: Thomas Kroymann (first, 48-7.50); Oliver Andersen (second, 47-5.50)

Discus: Thomas Kroymann (first, 143-1); Oliver Andersen (second, 143-0)

Madison Herrick runs for Austin in Larry Gilbertson track and field Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com

AUSTIN GIRLS RESULTS

1. Austin 120; 2. AL 24

100-meter dash: Caroline Williams (first, 13.24); Kendall Gister (second, 13.67)

200-meter dash: Caroline Williams (first, 28.33); Madison Herrick (second, 28.45)

400-meter dash: Muye Ojulu (first, 1:06.21); Nakeita Neitzell (second, 1:11.74)

800-meter run: Molly Garry (first, 2:34.57); Renata Vaughn (second, 2:42.80)

1600-meter run: Morgan Hose (first, 6:06.65); Cassidy Shute (second, 6:17.72)

3200-meter run: Abby Lewis (first, 12:11.40)

110-meter hurdles: Taige Iverson (first, 16.34); Hannah Quandt (second, 18.17)

300-meter hurdles: Megan Heimer (first, 53.45); Madelynn Murley (second, 57.48)

4 x 100-meter relay: Austin (first, 56.60)

4 x 200-meter relay: Austin (first, 1:58.16)

4 x 800-meter relay: Austin (first, 10:37.11)

High jump: Ava Boverhuis (first, 4-8); Megan Heimer (third, 4-6)

Pole vault: Eliana Bently (second, 7-0)

Long jump: Eliana Bently (first, 15-10.50); Nyahoth Dup (second, 14-1)

Triple jump: Kiley Kusick (first, 31-5); Toria Strampe (second, 30-8)

Shot put: Kyra Walters (first, 31-10)

Discus: Nyaweng Deng (first, 83-6); Kyra Walters (second, 82-7)