N.D. Class B track and field: Hook responds well to big meets

BISMARCK -- Tournament jitters bring out the best in Kali Hook.

The Griggs County Central junior was the only shot putter to exceed 38 feet here Friday in the opening day of the North Dakota Class B girls high school track and field meet. In fact, Hook surpassed 39 feet three times, with a winning throw of 39 feet, 6 inches.

"My goal was to hit 40 feet," said Hook, a third-place finisher in the shot at state as a sophomore. "But I was really happy to hit three 39-footers.

"I was worried I wasn't going to hit it. I get nervous pretty easily."

Hook hit her first 39-footer in the prelims. She's topped the 39-foot mark in four meets this season. Twice, she's surpassed 39 feet more than once in a meet -- in the Region 2 meet last Saturday, then again on Friday.

"I like the competition in the bigger meets," Hook said. "It pushes me to do better."

Reimers finds his niche

Shawn Reimers didn't start competing in the triple jump until midway through his sophomore season. The Finley-Sharon standout ended his career as one of the best in North Dakota Class B boys track.

Reimers, a senior at Finley-Sharon High School, went 41-10 to finish second. Kevin Miller of Sheridan County had a winning leap of 42-7.

"I'd never tried the triple jump, then we were in a big meet (in the 2007 season) and I asked if I could try it," Reimers said. "I got third in the meet and I wanted to keep doing it.

"It looked interesting. I figured I'd give it a shot, that it would be for the one meet. If I was bad at it, I wasn't going to keep doing it. I was just an average athlete. I didn't picture this happening, at all."

Reimers is a two-time state placer, finishing fifth last season. He was in ninth place entering his final jump in the 2008 meet; Friday, he was in fourth place entering his final jump. "That situation, that last jump, gets the adrenaline going," Reimers said.

Yri leads Benson County

Benson County leads the Class B girls division entering today's final competition with 32 points to second-place Velva-Drake's 21. Benson County had one state individual champion, as Sharisa Yri won the long jump with a leap of 17-3¼.

Yri, a junior who was seeded first, made her winning jump on her second attempt in the prelims.

"I was expecting there to be better jumps after that," Yri said. "But it's a little bit of a relief, knowing that you have a good mark early. It can get the other jumpers frustrated."

Benson County also got second-place finishes from its 4x800 relay team and from seventh-grader Alyssa Anderson in the 1,600. Anderson is the younger sister of former Benson County standouts Krista and Lindsay Anderson, who had won the 1,600 in the previous six state meets.

"I used to watch them at state," Alyssa Anderson said. "Now I get to run -- this is more fun."

She says she feels no pressure running in the shadow of her older siblings. "I like being their little sister. I want to keep the family tradition going. But I just expect to go out and do my best."

New Town leads the boys division entering today's competition with 34 points to runner-up North Sargent-Sargent Central's 21.

Webster repeats

Alex Webster is at a new school, but with the same success.

Webster won the girls javelin title competing for Rolette-Wolford last season. She transferred to Wing and won the title for Kidder County on Friday. The difference was that a year ago Webster was the No. 6 seed, whereas she was ranked first entering Friday's competition.

"Last year was easier," Webster said. "The pressure wasn't there. This year, I knew I had to do something again. I had high expectations for myself. I put more pressure on myself than anybody else did."

DeVillers reports on sports. Reach him at (701) 780-1128; (800) 477-6572, ext. 128; or send e-mail to gdevillers@gfherald.com .