ST. PETER -- Obang Ojulu didn’t endear himself to track and field officials on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College on Friday. But what he did to hurdles, he made up for in the eyes of his fans.
Ojulu, a senior at Worthington High School, wrecked the second hurdle as he sprinted toward a second-place finish in the 300-meter intermediates in St. Peter during the Section 2AA track and field meet. No matter. He placed second overall in a new WHS record time of 39.61, earning him a trip to the 2018 Minnesota state meet.
“It was a goal that he’s been going after for a long time,” said Trojans co-head coach Cory Smidt.
On his way into the WHS history books, Ojulu struck a hurdle and busted it.
“And now we’ve gotta pay Gustavus (for the hurdle),” Smidt explained. “It just went flying. And he was flying.”
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Ojulu will compete in the Class AA state meet (hurdles beware) next Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, at Hamline University in St. Paul. Preliminary races begin on Friday. Finals are slated for Saturday.
The Trojans turned in several fine performances on Day Two of the sectional meet on Friday. Ojulu placed fifth in the 110-meter high hurdles with a 15.96 time. Bryce Olsen was sixth in the discus with a throw of 127-3. Emmett Bickett was eighth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles at 43.13.
The Trojans’ 4x200-meter relay team of Alex Luong, Bickett, Robert Street and Ojulu placed seventh in 1:33.88.
Worthington junior Taylor Eggers was strong in multiple events. She got a third in the girls 100-meter dash (12.87) and placed fourth in the 200 (26.12). Emma Thuringer was ninth in the 400 (62.52). The Trojans’ 4x200-meter relay foursome of Brooklyn Scheitel-Taylor, Kara Thuringer, Emma Thuringer and Eggers was seventh in 1:48.
Eggers competed last year at state in the 200-meter race.
