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A second-place finish at the MSHSL Class 1A state track and field meet in the pole vault wasn’t what she wanted, but she’s trying to put it in perspective.
Stever, a La Crescent High School junior, tied her career best with an 11-foot, 3-inch leap on a warm and sunny Saturday at Hamline University.
Senior Lyndie Bosshart of St. James won the title, tying a state record with an 11-6 — something Stever fully plans on doing.
“I’m coming for it next year,” she said.
Stever was relatively happy with second. After all, last year she came in with the second-best jump in state and didn’t get opening height.
This year, she had the best jump in state — 11-3 — and got exactly that. What’s bittersweet is Bosshart’s best height of the season was 11-0 coming in.
Right before Stever had to clear 11-0, she had to take part in the 400-meter relay with sophomore teammates Kiki Benish, Stacy Schiltz and Kylin Duffy. The Lancers finished eighth out of nine finalists with a 51.19.
“She had four minutes after that race to clear 11 and 11-3,” La Crescent pole vault coach Ben Leonhardt said.
Stever cleared both heights without a scratch.
“The fall after clearing (those heights) is the best feeling ever,” Stever said.
When the bar was placed at 11-6, Bosshart had to go first and cleared it on her first attempt. Stever began to feel the pressure.
“It made me shake in my boots a bit, or my spikes, I should say,” Stever said.
That height tied a 2001 state record set by Pine Island’s Amanda Frame.
Stever had three tries to tie Bosshart, and came close, but couldn’t get it.
“I’m still happy,” she said. “That’s still pretty high on that podium.“
Wrapping up her second day on the podium was Lanesboro/Fillmore Central’s Yvonne Freese. The junior finished sixth in state in the shot put (37-2½). She finished fifth in discus on Friday.
Rushford-Peterson/Houston’s Kristen Ostrem wrapped her second and final trip at state with an eighth-place finish in the 800 (2:23.49).
Caledonia/Spring Grove junior Samantha Wermager finished the triple jump in 10th place (34-0).
In Class 2A, Winona High sophomore Kayla Ewert finished 13th in the 1,600 with a season-best time of 5:16.57.
