June 2, 2013
Duluth News Tribune

Denfeld pair runs to state in Section 7AA meet
By Rick Weegman

J.D. Foldesi came out for track the first time last year because his Duluth Denfeld soccer teammates told him his speed would make him a natural for the sprints.

One of those teammates, Boston Braack, used his speed to go twice around the Malosky Stadium oval faster than any Denfeld athlete ever has.

Now both seniors will sprint off to this week’s Minnesota Class AA state meet.

After heartbreak in the 100-meter dash, Foldesi came in second in the 200 to qualify for his first state meet. Braack did likewise with a second-place finish in the 800 at the Section 7AA meet on a cold, wet day Saturday at Minnesota Duluth.

Foldesi, fourth in the 100 and sixth in the 200 at last year’s sections, was pinning his hopes in the 100, where he entered as the top seed after Wednesday’s preliminaries. But he was nipped at the finish line for second place by one-hundredth of a second (the top two runners qualify in each event).

He used that disappointment for motivation in the 200, starting out strong and hanging on in a photo finish in 23.09 — .01 faster than the third-place runner. Andover’s Chris Larson won in 22.92 for one of his four victories at the meet.

“I didn’t even think I was going to make finals in this event — it was a big shock to make it,” Foldesi said. “I am amazed I made it this far in this event.”

Braack was expected to qualify, having the No. 2 seed time behind Andover’s Steven Cotter. His strategy was simple: don’t allow anyone to get between him and Cotter.

“(Cotter) tried to go and I just tried to stay with him,” Braack said. “I couldn’t feel my body in the last 100, but just kept it in my mind that I was in second and I needed to go hard.”

Braack broke a 28-year school record in Wednesday’s preliminaries and needed only three days to reset the mark, finishing in 1 minute, 56.16 seconds. Cotter and Braack each broke the previous section record of 1:56.33.

Foldesi led off the Hunters’ 1,600 relay and Braack ran an impressive third leg, but a third-place finish means they will leave their baton in Duluth. The Hunters place fourth in the team competition with 57 points; Forest Lake won with 96.