Cotton's Schofield wins triple jump title

ST. PAUL -- Consistency was the key for Cotton sophomore Kenny Schofield as he lept to the Class A triple jump championship Friday at the Minnesota high school track and field state meet at Hamline University.

Of his six jumps, Schofield topped 43 feet three times and had a winning distance of 43 feet, 10 inches. The other eight jumpers in the finals topped 43 a combined three times.

Dan Smelter of Stewartville entered the competition as the top seed with a44-6 and Schofield was second with a 43-8½. Smelter finished second with a 43-5.

"It fueled me," Schofield said of the seedings. "It made me want to jump farther."

Schofield's winning jump was his second personal record in a week. The average of his last five scoring jumps, including his old PR of 43-8½ at the Section 7A meet on June 1, is 43-5.

"Once I get one number, I can consistently keep doing it," Schofield said. "I don't know why. It's something mental. Like the 43-8½ [at sections], then it will be in me and I do better."

Schofield also had three scratches.

"He was just pushing for his [44] goal," coach John Williams said. "He didn't get it, but a state title is good enough."

Schofield finished 12th at state as a freshman and said this year doesn't compare.

"It's the best feeling ever," Schofield said "You have to give 500 hugs."

Cagle second in discus

Jessica Cagle was in a familiar place but in an unknown position.

The Grand Rapids sophomore was making her third state meet appearance, but in the previous showings she was an under-the-radar eighth-grader and freshman.

This year, Cagle was marked. The discus thrower held the top seed with a distance of 148 feet, 7 inches, a mark that was 12-3 longer than second seed Michelle Potter of Winona. Earlier this year, Cagle broke 1994 and 1995 state champion Kristin Ogle's school record with a 150-8, and set a new Section 7AA mark of 148-7, topping 1991 and 1992 state champion Jamie McKibbon of Hibbing.

Yet unlike Ogle and McGibbon, both two-time state champions, Cagle finished second with a 139-4. Potter won the state title in 146-9.

"She's been to state two straight years and was in the middle of the pack, but now she's a veteran and the No. 1 seed and there was more pressure," Grand Rapids throwing coach Dan Jinks said. "There were no expectations then and she got pats on the back just for being here, but it's a huge difference this year with a 150-8, the best [distance] in the state. That's a rapid turnover."

Cagle finished eighth at the 2006 meet and fifth in 2005. Her second-place finish Friday earned the Thunderhawks 10 points for a total of 12. Edina was the first-day leader with 22.

On Friday, Cagle's first preliminary throw was 131-0 with her second at 139-4, which stood to be her best. Potter posted her winning mark in the prelims and Cagle had to play catch-up.

"It was the first time she had to out-throw someone," Jinks said. "She was always the one people chased."

Cagle beat Potter 136-6 to 132-4 at the Hamline Elite Meet on April 27.

"Coming in, I thought, 'I beat her before and I can beat her again,' " Cagle said. "The pressure didn't get to me as an eighth- or ninth-grader, but it got to me a little this year."

Defending champ Felisha Willaert of Lakeville South finished fifth in 130-2.

"[Cagle] was throwing more with her arms instead of her hips and legs," Jinks said. "It's a lot of little things that can go wrong when throwing the discus."

Cagle will compete in the shot put today.

"I haven't done good in [shot] all year until sections," said Cagle, who has a fourth seed with a 40-5. "I'm just happy to be there."

GELO EARNSPOLE VAULT CROWN

Raphy Gelo of International Falls won the Class A state championship in the pole vault with a 14-0.

He came into the meet with a seed height of 13-2.

BUTLER ADVANCESIN HURDLES

Grand Rapids senior Jessica Butler had a wake-up call in her first running event at the Class AA state meet Friday.

In the 100-meter hurdles, Butler, who competed in the high, triple and long jumps at state last year, hit her knee on the third hurdle.

"I didn't think I had a good start," Butler said. "There were a lot of people around me, and when I hit the third hurdle I concentrated better."

Butler finished in 15.1 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles and 45.2 seconds in the 300 hurdles to advance to today's finals. Butler also finished eighth with a 5-2 in the high jump, her fourth straight top-eight finish in the event.

CORA SET TO DEFEND

Duluth East senior Garrett Cora will defend his Class AA crown in the 100 meters after a preliminary time of 10.89 seconds. Jerrell Hancock of Anoka (10.6) and Kevin Koglin of Hutchinson (10.87) had the only faster times. He missed the finals in the 200, finishing 10th with a time of 22.3 seconds.

ANDERSON GETS TWO

Chris Anderson of Duluth Central was seeded No. 2 in the 100 and 200 going into Friday's preliminaries.

The senior finished fifth in his 200 heat and fourth in his 100 heat and advanced to today's finals.

ANDY GREDER covers high school track and field for the News Tribune. He can be reached at 723-5315 or by e-mail at agreder@duluthnews.com .