BISMARCK -- There were no visions of grandeur when Garrett Pic arrived here this weekend.
As a freshman last season, he finished sixth in the discus in the North Dakota Class B boys high school track meet. The Park River Area sophomore was hoping to move up a spot or two and maybe break his personal record.
Winning a state championship?
"No-o-o-o," Pic said, shaking his head and smiling. "I figured I would place. I didn't figure I could win. I was figuring somewhere around that sixth spot again.
"But the throwing events can be very unpredictable."
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Pic is now a state champion.
On Friday, his personal-record throw of 146 feet, 11 inches on his first attempt in the finals was good enough to capture the state discus title. His throw beat runner-up and top-seeded Tyler Meyer of Milnor/Wyndmere-Lidgerwood by eight inches. Pic entered state seeded sixth with a 144-4 season best. Four opponents, all seniors, had throws of 152 feet or longer entering state.
"I was very nervous," Pic said. "You see the big numbers of the other guys before the meet, their stats. I felt I could get a little better distance here, but not enough to win it.
"And going against the older guys, the juniors and seniors -- beating them is probably the biggest surprise."
Park River Area coach Robert Goll said the fact that upperclassmen came into the meet with bigger numbers may have worked to Pic's advantage.
"There are some big throwers here," Goll said. "But we told Garrett that it only takes one big throw. And he's been pretty consistently around 140 to 144 feet.
"Garrett is a relaxed, loose kid. The big throwers tighten up sometimes with the big expectations. Garrett didn't have any pressure on him."
Dinius finishes second
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Langdon-Munich junior Julie Dinius has been the most consistent girls Class B pole vaulter this season. She entered state having cleared 9 feet, 9 inches in four meets; only two other vaulters had reached that mark, none more than once.
But consistency couldn't win Dinius a state title. Watford City sophomore McKayla Haugeberg won the championship, going 10-6. Dinius was second with a 10-foot vault.
"I had a decent day," Dinius said. "My form wasn't real good. When I hit 10 feet, that was the first time I really felt good. I felt I was close at 10-3. I am disappointed because I hit 10-3 at the regional.
"You have to be consistent. But you have to peak at the right time, too. Winning state is awesome. But I'd rather get second at state with a 10-footer than win state with a 9-footer."
Dinius is two-time defending state champion in the 200. She's in the finals in three events Saturday. In Friday's prelims, she had the second-fastest time in the 100, third-fastest in the 300 hurdles and fifth-fastest in the 200.
The vault was a strong event for area participants. Larimore's Thea Erickson was fourth (9-9), Debbi Thompson of Finley-Sharon/Hope-Page sixth (9-0), Langdon-Munich's Abbey Braaten seventh (8-6) and Grafton's Mackenzie Einarson tied for eighth (8-6).
Helmer, Tommies place second
Two other area participants had runner-up finishes Friday.
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In Class B girls discus, Griggs County Central junior Shaleen Helmer was runner-up in the discus for the second straight season. Thompson was second in the girls 4x800 relay, with Velva/Drake-Anamoose taking the title with a strong finish.
Velva/Drake-Anamoose leads the girls B division heading into Saturday's final competition with 30 points to runner-up Watford City's 18. Killdeer (15), Langdon-Munich (12) and Benson County (11) round out the top five.
Parshall leads the boys division with 18 points, one ahead of Lisbon. Rugby (16), New Town (14) and Velva/Drake-Anamoose (14) round out the top five.
