Esko girls track take second, boys fourth at True Team

Over years of coaching, Tim Lindquist has seen the Esko girls track and field team do a laundry list of impressive things.

But Saturday, he witnessed a first.

Using flat-out speed and strength, the Eskomos claimed the runner-up spot at the Class A State True Team Meet Saturday afternoon in Stillwater, Minn. Their second-place finish was the highest place the Esko girls have ever earned under Lindquist’s direction.

“It was a bittersweet finish,” said Lindquist. “Our goal was to win the championship and we were close. For us to finish right at the top says a lot about this team.”

Esko’s 422 total team points was only second to state champion Luverne’s 428 on the afternoon.

“It was exciting,” recalled Lindquist. “We went back and forth with them throughout the day and it came down to the final event. It doesn’t get much better than that. It really made for a neat time down there.”

Esko won five of the 18 events, while they claimed second in four more.

“The girls were focused, and even though we didn’t win, we had an absolutely great time,” he said. “We have a lot of leadership on this team and they really know how to compete at the highest level.”

The Esko boys competed fairly well, too, finishing fourth Saturday with 341 total points.

“I’m not a historian, but I think that’s the highest we’ve ever finished,” said Esko boys head coach Gary Beaudot. “The kids did really well and we could’ve even scored more, too.”

A disqualification in the 400-meter relay plagued the Eskomos, yet Beaudot’s boys still managed to claim seven top-three finishes in the 18 events.

“It was a big deal to our kids to get down there and I think they got a sense that they could compete,” said Beaudot. “A lot of kids stepped up for us and we were only 46 points from the winning the whole thing.”

Pipestone was declared the boys champion when all said and done.

“It was nice to see all of the different teams,” continued Beaudot. “Having been there before, it was finally nice to get back. It was a good experience for our kids.”

But it’s not over. Now it’s on to sections.

“We’re not done yet,” said Lindquist. “We’re looking for more.”

“Our goal is to send as many kids to the state track meet as we can,” added Beaudot.

The Eskomos will compete in the Section 7A Meet on June 4 at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Tags: track and field, sports, track