Martensen's hurdle title caps season for MHS

     When Monticello senior Avery Martensen crossed the finish line first in the 110-meter high hurdles at the state meet, it gave both him and the Panther team a reward for their hard work in a challenging season.

     Martensen finished in 15.07 seconds, earning not only a state title but the Panthers’ only 10 points at the state meet, held May 16-18 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

     “It was a great way for Avery to end his career, and a great way for us to end the season,” Monticello coach Greg Williams said. “He worked hard for four years, and committed himself to the weight room and extra running.”

     Martensen had reached the finals in 2018, and was in the hunt for the championship when he clipped a hurdle and stumbled, winding up with a seventh place finish.

     Not this time. Martensen was dominant in the preliminaries on Friday morning, and strong enough to edge Seth Eden of Dike-New Hartford by .06 of a second in Saturday’s finals.

     “It feels great,” Martensen said after the race. “This year I made sure to put in the work in the off-season, and it paid off. Good things happen when you put the work in.”

     “All the extra time paid off for Avery,” assistant coach Donnie Kremer agreed. “He put in a lot of extra work and hit the weights to make him stronger and faster.”

     Martensen also competed in the 400-meter hurdles during a downpour on Friday, and finished 19^th in 58.60.

     Also on Friday, senior Wade Picray threw in a steady rain during the discus competition. Picray threw 138-foot-4 to finish 10^th.

     “I think Wade was ready to throw well and compete at a high level,” Williams said. “It’s too bad he didn’t have a better day to compete. Those were some of the worst conditions I’ve ever seen for one of our throwers.”

     Monticello also competed in the distance medley relay with the team of Gavin Cooper, Colin Jordan, Martensen and Jasper Nietert, and finished 22^nd in 3:52.79.

     “We competed well in the medley,” Williams said. “Two of the guys hadn’t been to State, so they learned what it’s about, and we can use that as a stepping stone next year.”

     “I thought Gavin and Colin ran really well in the 200s of the medley, and Avery gutted out the 400 after just running the 400 low hurdles,” Kremer said. “Jasper was spot on through 600 meters of his anchor leg.”

     As a team, the Panthers finished in a tie for 25^th place with 10 points.

     Williams said the team will miss the10 seniors who will be graduating, but added that the team will return plenty of talented athletes.

     “I’m excited,” Williams said. “We improved as a team. We have a lot of talent coming back, so we can be a more well-rounded team next year.”

May 16-18

State Class 2A Meet

(at Drake Stadium,

Des Moines)

MONTICELLO RESULTS

     Discus: 10, Wade Picray, 138-4.

     400 hurdles: 19, Avery Martensen, 58.60.

     Distance medley: 22, Monticello (Gavin Cooper, Colin Jordan, Avery Martensen, Jasper Nietert), 3:52.79.

     110 hurdles: 1, Avery Martensen, 15.07.