Carter Reckelberg of Becker competes in the boys long jump at the Class 2A track and field state meet Thursday at St. Michael-Albertville High School. He won the event for the third straight time. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

There are two runways and pits to serve participants in the long jump and triple jump at the St. Michael-Albertville High School athletic complex. They are located behind a fence, at the scoreboard end of the Knights’ football and track facility.

These horizontal leapers being somewhat isolated as competitors serves a long-held belief when it comes to track and field. For sure, all of this competition is extremely objective with very little influence from the officials.

You get there first, you soar the highest or the longest, or you throw the farthest, you win.

Watching the replay-filled, modern day whine-a-thons, we have to admit that’s darn great, don’t we?

For more on Carter Reckelberg and Becker's Class 2A title, click here to read this story on startribune.com.