Competing in her final high school track & field meet, Velva/Drake-Anamoose’s Anya Olson successfully defended her state titles in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes on the last day of the Class B state meet at the MDU Resources Community Bowl in Bismarck on Saturday, May 23.

Olson ran a season-best in both events. The Class B Senior Athlete of the Year ran the third-fastest time during the 200 prelims with a 25.30 before winning her second straight title in the event by running a 24.43 in the finals. She just beat out Rolette/Wolford’s Ella Pederson, who ran a 24.48 to place second. Olson set a personal record in the 200 at the state meet last year, when she finished in 23.73.

Olson was back atop the award stand following the 400-meter dash. For the third consecutive year, Olson captured the state title in the event with a season-best finish of 56.44. She ran the second-fastest time during the preliminary round with a 58.37. She bested Northern Cass’ Kadence Husar, who ran a 56.99. Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark’s Brynn Hanson finished third (57.51). Olson was a perfect 3-for-3 in the 400 at state. She won as a sophomore with a time of 56.39 and again as a junior in 55.91.

Pederson denied Olson of a three-peat in the 100. Pederson finished the sprint in 12.16, with Olson coming in second at 12.28. Olson won the event as a junior with a time of 11.56. Olson completed her career with six individual state titles. Since her first appearance at state as an eighth grader, Olson never finished outside the top five in any of her events.

Olson’s performance on the track helped the Aggies finish tied for fifth with Lisbon with 32 points. Hillsboro/Central Valley won the Class B girls title with 74 points. Central Cass was second with 51.5 points. Rolette/Wolford (39) and New Rockford-Sheyenne (35) rounded out the top five.

Beulah’s Addison Scheep captured the state title in the 100-meter hurdles, running a 15.26. She took fourth in the long jump with a distance of 16 feet, 10 inches.

Along with her third-place finish in the 400, Hanson was the runner-up in both the 800 and 1600. She set a personal record in the 800, finishing the race in 2:13.69. She completed the 1600 in 5:14.02. Hillsboro/Central Valley’s Claire Grinde won both events, setting a new meet record in each race. Grinde ran a 2:13.40 in the 800, besting Watford City’ Christine Bruins’ meet record of 2:13.46 set in 2005. She finished the 1600 in 4:55.34, topping Benson County’s Lindsay Anderson’s mark of 4:56.96 set in 2005.

Beulah and DL-B/L&C both accumulated 30 points to finish in a three-way tie for seventh with Shiloh Christian.

Fargo Oak Grove claimed the Class B boys team title with 67 points, just beating out Bowman County, which took second with 63 points.

In Class A, the Minot High girls 4×400 relay team captured a state title by less than a half-second over Wahpeton. The team consisting of Marlie Stamps, Sophia Lade, Eve Knutson and Kaylee Jackson finished the relay in 4:01.83, coming in just ahead of Wahpeton’s team, who crossed the finish line in 4:02.03.

The 4×400 relay team joined Blake Anderson as state champions for Minot High. Anderson won both the shot put and discus earlier in the week.

Lade finished third in the 800 with a time of 2:16.16.

Minot North’s McKinnley Kragh reached a height of 11 feet in the pole vault to place third.

Bismarck Century won the Class A girls title with 100 points. Bismarck High was second with 96, followed by Bismarck Legacy (63), Mandan (61) and Fargo Davies (59). Minot High and Grand Forks Central tied for ninth with 30 points. Minot North placed 20th with six points.

Legacy claimed the Class A boys title in a runaway, accumulating 125 points. Bismarck High was second with 85 points. West Fargo Sheyenne (63.5), Dickinson (50.5) and Fargo Davies (50) rounded out the top five. Minot High was eighth with 34 and Minot North was 16th with 16 points.