Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

GRAND MEADOW – It was the day before the last day of school at Grand Meadow High School, and the mood was cheerful as many of the state qualifiers from the GMLOKS track and field team were able to march through the hall ways and hear the cheers of well wishers from grades K-12 on Thursday.

The send-off was especially meaningful for Grand Meadow senior Lauren Queensland, a AAA award winner who has stood out in volleyball, basketball and track and field, choir, and solo and ensemble for GM, throughout her high school tenure. Queensland will represent GMLOKS in the high jump, which will be her first time competing at state since she ran on the 4 x 800-meter relay team as an eighth grader.

“It was always one of my goals to go to state, especially this season. I was really trying for the high jump, and it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders to make it,” Queensland said. “I just want to go out there and compete. It’ll be anyone’s night and it will come down to whoever just shows up. It will be really fun.”

Queensland said that combining schools for the GMLOKS program makes everything more competitive, and she’s lucky enough to be bringing her teammate Nevaeh Shaw, a Southland senior, along with her to state in high jump.

“It’s really fun on this team, and everyone pushes each other,” Queensland said. “I get to high jump with Nevaeh and we’re both going to state; that’s something exciting and you don’t see very often.”

While Queensland is wrapping up her time as a track and field athlete, Southland sophomore Tate Goergen is still getting started. After taking second in the 800-meter run at state last year, Goergen is seeded No. 1 and he is aiming to bring home a state title.

“Taking second last year definitely helps,” Goergen said. “You get to run at state and there’s a lot of good people there. I’m hoping to win it this year, I know I can win it. I’m just gonna prove to everyone what I can do.”

The 800-meter run combines all of Goergen’s skills as his distance stamina carries him through the first 600-meters before he turns into a sprinter down the stretch. He said it’s all a matter of having enough gas in the tank to finish strong.

“You’ve got to get out in front, then you’ve gotta give it. You’re all and push at the end,” Goergen said. “Sometimes the adrenaline kicks in and it does help, sometimes it’s just experience and that helps.”

The Class A preliminaries will be held at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in St. Michael/Albertville, with the finals taking place at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Michael/Albertville.

BOYS SEEDINGS

300-meter hurdles: GMLOKS senior Zach Reiland is seeded third with a time of 40.02 seconds.

800-meter run: GMLOKS sophomore Tate Goergen is seeded first with a time of 1:56.84.

4 x 400-meter relay: The GMLOKS team of Zach Reiland, Kaleb Yunker, Carter Glynn and Tate Gorergen is seeded fourth with a time of 3:26.62.

GIRLS SEEDINGS

100-meter dash: GMLOKS senior Chantle Reiland is seeded sixth with a time of 12.43 seconds.

4 x 200-meter relay: The GMLOKS team of Lydia Redman, Brynn Nelson, Breeley Galle, and Chantle Reiland are seeded seventh with a time of 1:417.21.

200-meter dash: Chantle Reiland is seeded sixth with a time of 25.50 seconds.

Long jump: Chantle Reiland is seeded 14th with a distance of 17-3.25.

High jump: GMLOKS senior Lauren Queensland is seeded sixth with a height of 5-feet, two inches and Nevaeh Shaw is seeded 20th with a height of 5-feet.

Pole vault: GMLOKS freshman Amelia McCabe is seeded 12th with a height of 9 feet, 8-inches.