Northland Area Girls Join Saints Track & Field

Nov 26, 2012

Northland Sports Online

The St. Scholastica indoor track & field season is little less than two weeks away from starting with “The Opener” in the Burns Wellness Fieldhouse on Saturday, December 8. Lets take a look at some of the newcomers on the women’s team.

Lynsey Anttila

Maple, Wis. / Northwestern

– 3 Year Varsity Athlete

– 5 Time Sectional Finalist

– 8 Time Regional Finalist

– 2012 Heart of the North Conference 300m Hurdle Champion

– Team Captain

– Most Valuable Senior Athlete Award

– Most Improved Track & Field Award

Kirk Nauman: “Lynsey comes to our program after being an integral part of a successful high school program. At the college level, we are going to focus in on the hurdles, refining her technique and taking her to the next level. She is known as a hard worker, so I know anything I throw at her she will be able to have success with it.”

Liz Braml

Almena, Wis. / Turtle Lake

– 4 Year Varsity Athlete

– 6 Time State Qualifier in Track & Field and State Qualifier in Cross Country

– 8 Time Sectional Finalist

– 9 Time Regional Finalist

– Lake Conference Record Holder in the 800m

– Multiple Time Conference Champion in 800m and 1600m

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– School Record Holder in 800m, 1600m, 1600m Relay, 3200m Relay

– Team Captain

– Team MVP in Track & Field and Cross Country

– National Honor Society Member

Kirk Nauman: “What we saw in Liz was someone who has progressively improved during her high school career. That culminated in 6 appearances at the state meet and we feel there is still a lot of room for growth as a runner. She has good foot speed which allows a lot of range for what she can do on the track. It is quite possible she can contribute to our program from the 800m to the 5000m.”

Amy Campbell

Cloquet, Minn. / Cloquet

– 6 Year Varsity Athlete

– 5 Time Section Finalist

– 4 Time Lake Superior Conference Champion

– Conference Record Holder in the 4 x 800 m

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– School Record in the 300 m hurdles

– Team Captain

– Team MVP

– 4 Year Honor Student

Kirk Nauman: “After missing parts of the last two seasons due to knee surgery, Amy comes to the program with the opportunity to regain her stride as a quality hurdler and sprinter. Amy is intriguing because she has all the tools to be a great 400 hurdler. We look to train her for the 400 and 600 indoors while preparing her to hurdle again.”

Nicole Christenson

Coon Rapids, Minn. / Coon Rapids

– 4 Year Varsity Athlete

– State Qualifier in the High Jump

– Section Champion in High Jump

– Conference High Jump Champion

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– Team Captain

– Team MVP

– Team Performance Award

– US Army Reserve National Scholar-Athlete Recipient

Kirk Nauman: “Nicole joins us after a stellar season at Coon Rapids in which she was the third ranked senior high jumper in Minnesota. She had a great summer of training and we hope she continues her growth as a high jumper at the collegiate level.”

Rachael Hoium

Hermantown, Minn. / Hermantown

– 5 Year Varsity Athlete

– State Qualifier in the Triple Jump

– Section Champion in Triple Jump

– 5 Time Lake Superior Conference Champion

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– 2 Time Team Conference Champions

– School Record Holder in the Triple Jump

– Team Captain

– Team MVP

– Academic All State Selection

– National Honor Society Member

Kirk Nauman: “Rachael has been one of the top jumpers and hurdlers in the area over the last 4 years. She brings so much potential to the triple jump due to her athleticism and her height while still having the opportunity to make great strides as a hurdler at the collegiate level.”

Maggie Kurtovich

Andover, Minn. / Andover

– 4 Year Varsity Athlete

– All State Selection

– 2 Time State Finalist in the 4 x 100 m relay finishing 5th in 2011 and 3rd in 2012

– 2 Time Section Champion in the 4 x 100 m relay

– Conference Champion in the 4 x 100 m relay

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– School Record Holder in 40 m, 4 x 100 m Relay and 4 x 400 m Relay

– Team Captain

– Rookie of the Year as a Freshman

– Stick Award Winner

– Academic All State Selection

– National Honor Society Member

Kirk Nauman: “Maggie led off one of the most successful 4 x100m relays in Minnesota over the past couple of years. She is versatile sprinter/jumper who can be an asset to our program in the 60m to the 400m and the long jump. She knows what it takes to have success and that will definitely give her an edge in college.”

Brittany Ludwig

Alexandria, Minn. / Jefferson

– 4 Year Varsity Athlete

– 2 Time State Qualifier in the Discus

– Member of 2 Time State Runner Up Track & Field Teams

– 2 Time Section Runner Up in Discus

– 3 Time Central Lakes Conference Champion

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– Conference Team Champions

– Team Captain

– Team MVP

– Coaches Choice Award

– 3 Time Academic All State Selection

– Outstanding Academic Achievement Award

– Scholar Athlete Award

– National Honor Society Member

Kirk Nauman: “We are interested to see what Brittany can do as a thrower at the collegiate level. She has had success in the discus at the state level. We feel with some more development and technical work, she can do some big things in her 4 years of throwing in college.”

Emily Lundgren

Aitkin, Minn. / Aitkin

– 5 Year Varsity Athlete

– State Qualifier in the 400 m

– Multiple Time Section Finalist

– Sub Section Champion

– Multiple Time All Conference Selection

– School Record Holder in 400 m

– Team Captain

– Team MVP

– Iron Woman Award

– Rookie of the Year as a Freshman

– Voted Most Athletic at Aitkin High School

– Voted Female Athlete of the Year

– Jostens Gold Award Winner

– National Honor Society Member

Kirk Nauman: “Emily may be small in stature, but she has a big motor and the will to succeed. She has carried her team while competing in a number of events over her high school career. I am really interested to see what she can accomplish when we focus her in training on just one or two events.”

Laura Nielson

Sartell, Minn. / Sartell – St. Stephen

– 5 Year Varsity Athlete

– 2 Time All State Selection

– 2 Time State Qualifier in the High Jump

– Multiple Time Section Finalist

– Central Lakes Conference High Jump Champion

– 7 Time All Central Lakes Conference Selection

– Member of 2 Conference Championship Teams

– Team Captain

– Most Versatile Athlete Award Winner

– Jumper of the Year

– Multi-Event Athlete of the Year

– Scholar – Athlete Honor Roll Selection

Kirk Nauman: As a 2 time state finalist in the high jump, Laura brings many years of success to the event. She has a career best of 5’6”. We are hoping to bring more consistency to her jumps which will ultimately lead to good things for her.”

Gloria Ohaju (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Central HS)

Duluth, Minn.

– 1 Year Varsity Athlete

– 3 Time Section Finalist

– State Honor Roll Selection in the Long Jump and Shot Put

Kirk Nauman: “Gloria brings a ton of raw talent that appeared this past spring during her first season of track & field. She barely missed qualifying for state in the long jump and shot put with a little more than 2 months of experience under her belt . She is a blank slate just waiting to be coached into who knows what over the next 4 years.”

Krista Pylkki

Saint Paul, Minn. / Totino–Grace

– U.S. Paralympic Team Member

– Placed 10th in the 400m at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships

– 3 Time U.S. Paralympic National Champion in the 100m, 200m and 400m

– 9 Time U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Championships Finalist

– 3 Time U.S. Paralympic Track & Field High School All American

– Former American Record Holder in the 400m

– Member of 2 True Team State Champion Teams

– Member of 2 True Team Section Champion Teams

– Jostens Academic Achievement Award Recipient

– 4 Year Honor Student

Kirk Nauman: Krista is the first St. Scholastica Track & Field recruit that has competed at some of the highest levels of the sport. She has represented the United States internationally at the IPC World Championships and competed many times at the US Championships. Krista’s big picture goal over the next 4 years is to represent the US as a member of the United States Paralympic Team in Rio in 2016. We are excited that she decided to train with us in hopes of achieving her big goals.”

Nikki Roach

Hermantown, Minn. / Home School

– 5 Year Varsity Athlete

– State Qualifier in Cross Country

– 5 Time All Lake Superior Conference Selection in Track & Field

– 3 Time All Lake Superior Conference Selection in Cross Country

– Team Captain

– Cross Country MVP

– Distance MVP for Hermantown High School

– Honor Student

Kirk Nauman: “Nikki has been consistently one of the best distance runners in the area over the last number years. She competed for Hermantown High School where she qualified for state and was an all conference selection many times over. She is coming off an injury that happened over the summer, but we are hoping she has the opportunity to contribute by the time we get to outdoor season.”

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