by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Thanks in large part to Carter Olson’s efforts, the Sartell Sabre boys’ track-and-field team placed among the top three for the past four years in True Team competition.
True Team is based on efforts of the entire team, not individual competitions.
Olson, 17, a Sartell High School senior, is the son of Kristin and Kyle Olson. He has been a varsity track participant for five years, ever since eighth grade.
He’s bluntly honest about the sport. At times, he said, it’s really tough going.
“You can get what’s called runner’s high at the beginning of a race and toward the end,” he said. “But in the middle of a race, well, sometimes you just kind of want to die.”
One time, when he was in eighth grade, his legs buckled out from under him while running.
Grueling as competitive running can be, Olson loves the sport for its camaraderie.
“The other guys are so nice, we have good connections to the coaches, and I love that team aspect of track,” he said. “And it really helps me stay in shape.”
At 6-foot-3, Olson can really take long strides during a run. He used to play basketball. He still plays football (defensive end) and likes to lift weights.
His track specialty is as a mid-distance runner, the 300-meter solo run, and the four-member 400-meter relay. This season, he’s hoping to be a winner and is aiming to top his personal best in the 400-meter race. His current record is 52 seconds.
When Olson was in eighth and ninth grades, he used to take part in 800-meter races.
Sports were a huge component in his life when Olson was growing up. Not surprisingly, since his father was a school basketball coach in Barnesville, Royalton and Kimball and then at Sartell Middle School.
Practicing for track can be just as grueling as the actual track meets. Olson and other track teammates practice from 3:30 p.m. to as late as 5:30 p.m. every day and some Saturdays on the Sartell Middle School track.
“I do speed workouts, sprints eight times,” he said. “It varies, though.”
Track may be tough, but team members make it all worthwhile, Olson noted.
“Yes, it’s difficult, but all the team members keep our spirits up,” Olson said, “and that’s what I most like about it.”
Roster
The varsity roster for Sartell boys’ track, as posted on the Minnesota High School League website, includes the following: seniors Dean Amundson, Mitchell Dockendorf, Benjamin Gault, Jonathon Kremer, Phillip Misterman, Carter Olson, JP Schlect, Ethan Stark, Daniel Ufearo, Devin Vouk and Ian Weber; juniors Oluwakorede Adeyemi, Peter Amundson, David Anderson, Alex Bertsch, Caleb Clemens, Ryan Fernholz, Sam Fleischhacker, Garrett Freeman, James Fulgham, Even Gertken, Alexander Heckman, Patrick Hesse, Jacob Hoekstra, Joshua Hoekstra, Nicholas Juntunen, Oumar Kaba, Benjamin Meyer, Martin Miadok, Spencer Pierskalla, Benjamin Rohlfs, Riley Shaw, Brock Sorenson and Cody Steffes; sophomores Ethan Berndt, Cameron Boe, Hunter Boelz, Nicholas Buiceag-Arama, Cole Fibranz, Noah Gaffy, Zachary Harren, Logan Jesperson, Benjamin Kiewel, Drake Lalim, Aaron Lindner, Matthew Lindstrom, Michael Lindstrom, Cody Neitzke, Cameron Nelson, Alexander Nemeth, Alex Virnig and Nolan Wollum; and freshmen Sohaib Akram, Brian Amundson, Jacob Bjelland, Benjamin Boelter, Jack Engle, Joshua Fulgham, Ethan Hubert, Tyler Johnson, Dylan Joyce, Elijah Kigozi, Cooper Larson, William Nemeth, Zachary Nemeth, Lucas Nistler, Riley O’Connell and Cullen Schreiber.
At a meet in Willmar last week, track star Carter Olson runs the first 100 meters in his specialty, the 4 x 400 meter relay race.
