MANKATO — Talk about a tough act to follow.
Last spring, the Mankato Loyola boys track and field team went to its first true-team state meet since 1991, finishing eighth overall. This spring, the Crusaders must get back to the state meet with a much younger team. Loyola lost 17 seniors from last year’s state team, but will return many athletes with state tournament experience in other sports.
One of those athletes is hurdler Jack Michaletz. The 6-foot-6 senior improved his personal record time in the high hurdles by about two seconds last offseason, and finished last spring with a personal best of 16.5 seconds.
Perhaps most impressive about the feat, Michaletz is a standout for the Crusaders on the football field in the fall and on the ski slopes in the winter.
“There is not a whole lot of time to do much,” Michaletz said. “Just staying in good shape overall and working on your form is all you can do in the beginning.”
Indeed, it is early in the season, but judging by Michaletz performance Monday at the Crusaders Indoor Track and Field meet at Bud Myers Field House, he’s already in mid-season form. One of the team’s co-captains, Michaletz won the 55-meter high hurdles and 55 IM hurdles Monday.
“Not bad,” Michaletz said.
Michaletz said his goal is to do whatever he can to help lead the Crusaders back to the state meet this year, and maybe set a new personal record in the process.
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