Last week, this “back in time” track and field feature looked at the years of the one-class state meet, which existed in Minnesota from 1929-1972. For three years in the mid-1970s (1973, 1974 and 1975), there were three classes for track and field. During that span several area athletes tasted success at the state-meet level.
Fulda, Chandler-Lake Wilson, Adrian, Ellsworth, Heron Lake, Okabena, Brewster, Round Lake and Sioux Valley were all able to compete in Class B, the smallest of the three divisions, while Slayton was positioned in the middle division, Class A.
Slayton’s greatest success came a few years later — in the two-class system — when the Wildcats won a Class A state championship in dramatic fashion in 1978. The story of the athletes who fashioned that amazing achievement will be highlighted in next week’s feature.
This week’s article focuses on the state-meet accomplishments of a trio of gutsy performances by mile relay teams (two from Slayton and a near state championship run by Fulda), along with individual placing efforts by three Fulda athletes and two runners from Chandler-Lake Wilson.
Fulda’s Doug Landsman was a two-time medalist in the state meet, placing third in the Class B shot put in 1973 as a junior with a distance of 48 feet, 10 and three-eighths inches. He improved nearly four feet the following year, earning second place as a senior in 1974 with a mark of 52’5 ½.”
To read the rest of this article – pick up a copy of this weeks Fulda Free Press or subscribe to our e-edition at http://eedition.fuldafreepress.net/sub/account_login.asp
