Packer state qualifiers all took different paths to excellence
Published 5:40 pm Monday, June 2, 2025
Austin’s Triumph Ogbeide clears a hurdle in practice at Larry Gilbertson track and field. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Myles Taylor stretches out in practice Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@autsindailyherald.com
Austin’s Myles Taylor, left, and Triumph Ogbeide are both set to represent the Packers at the state meet next week. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s Laura Bekaert throws at practice Monday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin senior Laura Bekaert is set to finish her time as a Packer at the Class AA state track and field next week at St. Michael-Albertville. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
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As it often goes with track and field, Austin’s three state qualifiers have taken different paths on their way to their first state meet as they prepare for Class AA competition, which will take place at St. Michael-Albertville on June 10 and June 11, with a 9 a.m. start time on both days.
Austin senior Laura Bekaert had to overcome a debilitating injury to get to the big meet, junior Myles Taylor was motivated by soccer, and junior Triumph Ogbeide was simply trying to one-up his little sister.
Bekaert qualified for state in the discus with the second longest throw in AHS history, and she’s hoping to carry that high into the state meet next week, which will be her final time competing in track and field.
“I’ve just been focusing on little technique work, where I can focus on one little thing, while putting the whole together. It’s been a long road back after an injury,” Bekaert said. “It does test you a lot, especially if you’re having a rough day. If you’re in your head, it’s not going to go well at all.”
Bekaert is going to go into the state meet with a positive attitude and she’s going to give it her best. It’ll be her last time throwing, but not her last time with AHS as she plans on coaching with the team next season.
Ogbeide will compete in the 110-meter hurdles, which has been his specialty event all year, and the high jump, an event that he returned to two weeks ago when his eighth grade sister Praise began high jumping with the varsity.
“In hurdles, I’ve noticed that I get faster times when I have good competition,” Ogbeide said. “For high jump, I don’t even know what good or bad competition looks like, because I just started it two weeks ago, and now I’m going to state. It’s crazy. I was just trying to be the cocky older brother, like I’m better than her, and that got me boosted up.”
Ogbeide competed in high jump as a freshman for a short time, but he gave it up after struggling. His opportunity came this season when an injury to fellow state qualifier Taylor allowed Ogbeide to leave the 4 x 200-meter relay team and start high jumping.
Ogbeide sustained an ankle injury on the first day of the Section 1AA meet last year, but this year he’s coming in fully healthy.
“It’s quite nerve racking because this is my first time going to state. Last year, I sprained my ankle on the first day of sections and I didn’t even get a mark for long jump,” Ogbeide said. “I just thank God now that my ankle is healed, I’m doing way better. I’m really excited, because this has been my dream since I first started putting effort and work into track.”
Ogbeide put himself in the all-time top-ten list for AHS in the high jump, 110-meter hurdles, long jump and 100-meter dash this season.
Taylor initially joined the track and field team to speed up for soccer, but this year he found himself excelling in the triple jump. After missing the final home meet of the season due to an injury, Taylor was able to get over the hump and advance to state.
“I had a lot of rest, but good form got me to state. I couldn’t make it to the board, but good form got me the distance,” Taylor said. “I was a little shocked. I’m really happy to be going and I’m thinking I’ll be able to go all out. I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”
Soccer may have brought Taylor to the track and field team, but his passion for technique and learning the finer points of triple jumping have kept him working hard. Taylor’s sprinting ability still comes in handy with the triple jump, but he’s learned much more about the event since picking it up halfway through last season.
“I’ve always been fairly explosive and I originally joined track to get faster for soccer and then I found out I was actually pretty good,” Taylor said. “I originally tried high jumping, but it turned out I wasn’t very good at that, so I switched to triple jump last year and I’ve liked it ever since.”
SEEDINGS
110-meter hurdles: Austin junior Triumph Ogbeide is seeded 12th overall with a time of 15.22 seconds. Lorenzo Hampton III of Fridley is seeded first with a time of 14.01 seconds. The preliminaries are set for June 10 and finals are on June 11.
High jump: Ogbeide is seeded 11th overall with a height of six-feet, three-inches. Caleb Meyer of Worthington is seeded first at 6-7. The finals are set for June 11.
Triple jump: Austin junior Myles Taylor is seeded 21st with a distance of 42 feet, 1.50 inches. Darius Lockett of Fergus Falls is seeded first overall with a distance of 45-4.75. The finals are set for June 10.
Discus: Laura Bekaert is seeded second in discus with a distance of 129 feet, five-inches. Ella Thoebald of Stewartville is seeded first overall with a distance of 145-10. The finals are set for June 10.
