One of Minnesota's all-time great high school female distance runners, Shakopee junior Maria Hauger, learned something vital at the Class 2A state track and field meet last weekend at Hamline University.

Long concerned about her inability to finish with a strong kick, Hauger won the 3,200-meter race by pulling ahead on the last lap. She treated the Hamline University crowd to late dramatics Saturday as well, bursting from second to first in the 1,600 over the final 50 meters. She discovered her runner DNA included a kick after all. She just needed to use it properly.

"I've been racing [at state] since seventh grade, but as an 11th-grader I'm finally figuring it out," Hauger said. "I always have come in with the top seed in the [1,600] and thought, 'I can just lead from start to finish,' but that is not how it is in the mile. So I'm definitely running smarter. I figured out I was doing my final kick on the first lap rather than the last lap."

Lakeville South won the girls' Class 2A team competition ahead of Alexandria and Minnetonka, which tied for second.

Farmington tied with Hopkins for fourth place in the Class 2A girls' field. The Tigers were paced by a pair of victories from junior Nadia Lorencz. She upset two-time defending champion Jessica January of Richfield in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing three hundredths of a second faster. Lorencz also won the long jump with a leap of 17-11.75.

Kilbride wins scholarship

Also, Twin Cities In Motion (TCM) named Megan Kilbride of Lakeville South as one of the recipients of organization's college scholarships. The TCM College Scholarship is a one-time $5,000 grant open to all high school seniors who participate in cross-country or track and reside in the Twin Cities metro area.

Kilbride was selected from a pool of applicants based on academic performance shown through both grades and the strength of their curriculum; leadership at school or in a peer group; a commitment to community service or helping others; and a dedication to maximizing running potential.

Two losses, one record

Farmington's softball team went 0-2 in its first state tournament appearance in nine seasons. But the Tigers didn't go quietly. Junior Ashley Betzold tied a state tournament record with two home runs in an eight-inning, 4-3 consolation semifinal loss to Bloomington Jefferson.

One and done

Lakeville South boys' golf coach Tomas Adalsteinsson, a former junior champion in Iceland who played on the Icelandic National Team before coming to America to earn his master's degree in sports psychology, resigned after one season. He will coach men's and women's golf at Macalester.

Continuing ...

The boys' and girls' state golf tournaments wrap up Wednesday at three metro-area courses. All three classes teed off Tuesday morning after this edition went to print. Check www.mngolfhub.com for photos and updates.

Staff writer Brian Stensaas contributed to this notebook