Boys track get 7 events into state

by Anthony Robinson

The Atlantic Trojans track team will officially send seven events to state (May 19-21, Des Moines, Iowa). Junior Tyler Hovey will participate in the shot put and discus at state. Another junior, Blake Esbeck will compete in the 800 meter run. Sophomore Dalton Franken who has been favoring an injury over the past few weeks, qualified for state in the long jump. Senior Dan Thomsen will be running the 200 meter dash. Senior Luke Karamitros, the AHS record holder for the fastest 1600 meter run, will run the 1600 at Drake Stadium. The 4×800 team will also run at state in Des Moines.

Hovey’s first place throw of 49 feet 3 and one half inches at districts is 13 best among the qualifiers. His discus throw is 16 out of the 24 participants.

Esbeck will run in tight 800 meter field. Behind Glenwood’s Kyle Wheeler’s time of 1:56.40 10 runners qualified within the 2:00 and 2:02 time. Esbeck’s 2:00.62 puts him in the eight seed of the race.

Franken’s district jump of 20 feet 7 and three quarters puts him in the number 11 seed.

Thomsen’s second place finish at districts was just fast enough to get him in the field of 24 as the 23 seed. Thomsen ran his slowest 200 of the season at districts

and hopes to change the tides at state.

In the 1600 run, Karamitros will represent AHS as the four seed. The top four seeds in the 1600 are from the Atlantic district.

Finally, the 4×800 team comprising of seniors Parker Hoye, Trevor Knuth, Karamitros, and Esbeck are seeded third in the event.

Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 19

Discus: (FINALS) Flight 1- 11:30 a.m. (Tyler Hovey)

4×800: (FINALS) Section 2- 12:20 p.m.

200 meter dash: (preliminaries) Heat 2, lane 8- 1:10 p.m. (Dan Thomsen)