Track: Here they go again! By JIM JOHNSON, Sports Editor

Timmy Myles is sporting a mohawk (his dad cut for him), while Jake Jensen and Shawn Filipiak have gone blond. Even head coach Paul Hjelle has a new haircut ... and is now blond.

As the Bronco track and field coaches played a game of “lighting” Tuesday in the Falls High Gym, Hendrickson and Filipiak were helping Jensen become a blond. Myles would later help Hjelle shave his head and become a blond.

Hendrickson, Myles, Filipiak and Jensen are all returning to the Class A state track and field meet this week, and the experience from last year’s competition is evident. Everyone is more relaxed and wants to medal.

“All of them are definitely capable of doing that,” said Broncos assistant track and field coach Dan Zika, who coaches all four athletes in the pole vault and high jump.

The foursome qualified for state Friday in wet and foggy conditions at the Section 7A championships at Griggs Field in Duluth. The top two individual finishes in each event, plus the top relay qualified for state.

Hendrickson surpassed her own school record in the pole vault and finished first at 9 feet, 9 inches, while Jensen also finished first in the pole vault at 13-0. Myles escaped a potential tie for second to finish first in the high jump at 6-2, while Filipiak was right behind his good friend in second at 6-0. Pole vault was the only event that took place indoors.

Myles nudged the bar on his third and final attempt at 5-10, but it stayed put to send the duo to state. Filipiak, who had already cleared 5-10, had a big smile on his face when Myles advanced. Three others finished tied for third at 5-10.

“We both want to medal,” Filipiak said.

Last year all four finished well outside of a medal, which is top eight. Myles had the best finish of the group at 11th, but Filipiak, Jensen and Hendrickson all finished 15th. Sixteen athletes qualify for state.

“I just want to place good, get a medal and set a (personal-best),” Jensen said. “Just want to have a good day of vaulting.”

Hendrickson, participating in her third straight state meet, was forced to use a different helmet at the last minute last year and became flustered when she couldn’t find one that fit. She’s cleared 8-6 in back-to-back state meets, but has much higher expectations after setting the school record this spring.

“I got faster, so that helped,” she said.

If all of them can perform around or better than their personal-bests, bringing home four medals is not out of the question. Last year’s experience can only help.

“Oh yea, big time,” Jensen said about the effect of last year’s experience. “Last year I was settling into the state environment. Now I’m used to it.”

Jensen vaults at 3 p.m. Friday, while Filipiak, Myles and Hendrickson participate at 3 p.m. Saturday at Hamline University in St. Paul. The Class 2A state championships is in the morning both days, beginning at 9 a.m.

Section 7A results

Numerous other Broncos performed well in uncomfortably wet conditions at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. A constant drizzle battered athletes the entire day, while a fog rolled in during the afternoon. By the end of the meet, spectators couldn’t see across the track.

Just missing the state championships were Savannah Olson and Brandon Richards in the shot put. Olson, a seventh-grader, finished fourth at 32-2.25, while Richards also finished fourth at 44-0.25. Breanna Shofner had a chance coming down the home stretch of the 200-meter dash, but she fell and finished 14th in 39.19 seconds. She got up and finished the race to an ovation from the large crowd. The boys’ 4x100-meter relay of Tyler House, Myles, Richards and Jensen also fell just short, finishing second behind Esko in 45.75. Esko had a time of 44.77.

In other relays, the girls’ 4x100 with Grace Thorstad, Shofner, Courtney Olson and Hendrickson finished fourth with a season-best time of 53.27, while the boys’ 4x200 of Myles, Marco Griffith, House and Richards finished third in 1:37.22. The girls’ 4x800 finished sixth in 10:48.73.

Here’s a recap of the other individual finishes at sections:

5th place — Auran, pole vault (8-0)

5th — Cade MacKay, pole vault (11-0)

6th — Ethan Johns, shot put (42-10)

7th — A. Hendrickson, triple jump (30-5)

8th — Thorstad, triple jump (30-2)

8th — Dakota Ruelle, pole vault (9-6)

8th — Reggie Gorden, 800 (2:10.19)

8th — Filipiak, 110 hurdles (17.52)

9th — Amber Harms, 3,200 (12:52.66)

9th — C. Olson, 100 (13.81)

9th — Griffith, 400 (55.17)

9th — Myles, 200 (24.03)

9th — A. Hendrickson, long jump (14-3.25)

10th — Thorstad, long jump (14-1.5)

10th — Jensen, 100 (11.83)

11th — Johns, discus (119-9)

12th — Britni Hendrickson, discus (75-8)

12th — Rachel Foss, 800 (2:40.58)

12th — Auran, 3,200 (13:09.32)

13th — Jason Pumper, high jump (5-4)

14th — House, 100 (12.35)

14th — Aaron Marx, 400 (56.98)

16th — Therese Youso, pole vault (6-6)

Track notes

• Jensen, Filipiak and Myles were the only athletes from the 2010 boys squad to crack the Bronco Top 10 list in their respective events. Jensen’s 13-8 pole vault is good for sixth all time, while Myles is tied for third at 6-3 and Filipiak tied for second at 6-4 in the high jump. Raphy Gelo (2008) holds the record at 14-7 in the pole vault and Wayne Roberts (1983) holds the record at 6-7 in the high jump.

• On the Bronco girls Top 10 list, Alicia Hendrickson, Thorstad, Auran and Youso made the list. Thorstad tied for ninth in the triple jump at 31-10.5. The rest were in the pole vault. Hendrickson is first at 9-9, Auran is tied for fifth at 8-0 and Youso is tied for 10th at 6-6. Becky Hoffman (1995) holds the triple jump mark at 35-3.5.

• Coach Zika earned the Dick Ostroot Award this season for his contributions to the track and field program. The award, which started in 2000, was given to a senior athlete the first 10 times before Zika reeled in the award this year.

Dave Tomevi earned the Bruce Schmidt Award for contributions to track and field winners. Started in 2005, this award is given to an individual or individuals for their outstanding contributions to the program.

• At sections, the Bronco boys finished fourth overall with 56.5 points, while the girls finished eighth with 30 points. Esko won both meets, finishing with 103 in the boys meet and 148 in the girls meet.

If you go

WHAT: Class A State Track & Field Championships

TIME: 3 p.m. Friday, Saturday

WHERE: Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn.