REGIONAL- Three Ely girls completed their journey to the state track and field meet at St. Michael-Albertville high school last week, with sprinter Violet Udovich claiming a second-place silver medal in the 400-meter finals on Wednesday.
Udovich qualified for the state championship in two events, the 400 and 200. In her first race, the 400, she qualified second with a time of 56.54, but failed to post a qualifying time in the 200, finishing last in the field of 24. That was a strategic decision according to Coach Jill Ellerbroek.
“Violet pulled a muscle running the 200 at sections,” Ellerbroek told the Timberjay on Wednesday morning. “Yesterday, after running the 400, she could feel that muscle starting to pull, so she had a choice – go all out in the 200 and possibly re-injure it and be out of the finals today, or take it easy in the 200, rest, and treat the muscle overnight and hope to be able to run well in the 400 finals today. She feels good today.”
The decision paid off for Udovich, as the freshman speedster clocked a time of 56.84, just three tenths of a second slower than the winner, senior Trinity Giddings of Two Harbors.
Meanwhile, discus thrower Kaylin Visser and high jumper Lydia Shultz saw their seasons come to an end in event finals on Tuesday, June 10. Visser took eighth place with a throw of 119’01”, a personal best. Shultz cleared five feet in the high jump to finish 18th.