Track relays great success
Boys track 4×800 meter relay team advances to Hamline Elite meet
April 25, 2014
As senior Thomas Djerf rounded the final curve on the track in the 4×800 meter race, teammates, coaches and fans alike were roaring with excitement.
The relay team, made up of seniors Nick Sokolowski and Thomas Djerf; sophomore Christopher Trotter and freshman Jackson Sokolowski, placed first in the St. Louis Park Invitational meet on April 22. The team beat the meet record with a time of 8 minutes and 22 seconds.
Distance coach Chris Nordstrom said he was very proud of his team’s performance in the recent invitational. According to Nordstrom, the plan for his relay team was to get under 8 minutes and 30 seconds, but the team surpassed his expectations.
“It was like icing on the cake to beat the meet record,” Nordstrom said.
The most important preparation for the meet was getting the athletes into the best shape possible along with building up their confidence, according to Nordstrom.
“A big thing was keeping the kids confident- having the kids believe in themselves and in each other,” Nordstrom said.
Senior captain Nick Sokolowski said he was very pleased with his team’s performance in the home meet.
“We were really impressed with how fast we could all run,” Sokolowski said.
Djerf said he feels honored to have the opportunity to compete with such elite competition.
“This is only my second year doing track and I’ve qualified for one of the biggest meets in the state,” he said. “It feels really cool. I’m excited and very humbled.”
Nordstrom said he feels good about his team’s chances at the Hamline Elite meet this Friday, April 25.
“I feel confident that if things line up, we can go out and compete for a top spot,” Nordstrom said.
Nordstrom said he is very optimistic about the future of the team and sees this achievement as the first of many great things to come.
“We have a lot of good young talent. The future for our team is very bright,” Nordstrom said.
