2011 Spring Preview: MSA Dragons have largest team in history

With the largest track and field team in school history, fourth-year head coach Daniel Scheff said he hopes Math and Science Academy will send at least five people to the Minnesota state meet this year, send 20 people to the section championship meet and, of course, have fun.

“If we work hard, the kids stay committed and dedicated, we have the potential to have a very successful track and field season,” Scheff said. “I tell our kids every day in training, if we want to be the best, size does not matter, it’s the heart, passion and dedication you have to the sport that makes all the difference.”

According to Scheff, the Dragons bring back a very strong group of seniors, led by senior captain Nirmal Mekala for the boys, along with a very talented young girls team led by senior captain Allison Crump.

Mekala is a sprinter and jumper who had the 14th best triple jump in Class A in the 2009-10 season and finished fifth in the event at the Section 4A meet. Crump is the leader of the girls team and key component in the throwing events.

Additionally, eighth grader Greta Siekmeier hopes to make a return back to the Class A state meet along with her teammates. Siekmeier, a distance runner, finished in 14th place last year in the 3200-meter run at state.

Other key returnees to the Dragons include, sophomore Jacob Siekmeier, a distance runner who placed seventh in 1600-meter run last year and reached the state cross country meet this past fall, and senior Charlie Fasbender, a middle-distance runner who will be a key component to the Dragons’ 1600 and 3200-meter relay teams.

In all, 22 boys and 14 girls make up MSA’s track team this year.

Scheff said the teams to beat this season in Section 4A will be Mayer Lutheran and St. Croix Lutheran on both the boys and girls sides.

Math and Science Academy kicks off its outdoor season on Friday, April 15, at the Lakeville North Mega Meet. The Section 4A True Team meet will be held Tuesday, May 10 at Sibley East High School. The high school league’s Section 4A subsection meet will be held May 26 at St. Croix Lutheran, with the Section 4A Championships at Macalester College on June 3.

Tags: 2011 spring preview, sports, dragons, prep, updates