The Hermantown boys' track team won the state track meet. With that accomplishment, it became the first men's team sport in school history to win a state championship since the school opened more than half a century ago.
Jonah Shermer summed up his senior season with two words: "dream season."
Nikki Holt, a senior who competed in the 4x4 and the 100-meter dash, said that he was shocked when he found out they had won. This was Holt's third experience at the state meet, and a great one, he added.
"Our season went great. ... We didn't even come in thinking we would win the state meet," he said.
At the state tournament held at the National Sports Complex in Blaine, the Hawks had seven athletes compete, yet they didn't have one person place first. This is a testament to the team's depth; everyone pitched in for the team victory.
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The efforts of the seven athletes gave the Hawks 36 points, only three points ahead of second-place Caledonia-Spring Grove-Mable.
Kyle Schmidt placed third in the 200- and 400-meter dashes. The 4x400 team, consisting of Josh Halverson, Holt, Chad Kucza and Kyle Schmidt placed second. In the 110-meter high hurdles, Dave Chiarello placed fourth, and Jonah Shermer placed fourth in the high jump.
Hawks Head Coach Tad Forsell was impressed with his team's performance at the state meet.
"Our core people pretty much dominated the events they were in," Forsell said of his runners.
On their way to the state tournament, the Hawks won the sub-section by about 70 points and the section by about 50 points, assistant coach Jim Prisk said. As a team, they also won the Lake Superior Conference.
The team will graduate three athletes: Holt, Schmidt and Shermer.
Last season, the Hawks came in second place in the section, and that was in the back of their minds, Forsell said.
During the last two seasons, the Hermantown men's track team has beat or tied nine school records. Last season, they beat two class A state records in the 4x200 and 4x100. Forsell says that the 4x100 record was 20 years old.
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The players attribute much of their success to their coaches, Forsell and Prisk.
"Our coaches know a lot about track," Holt said.
Coach Forsell, who has been coaching at Hermantown for the past 17 years, said his team is deserving of the victory.
"They worked very hard, and they deserve everything they get," he said.
