Hamline Elite Meet: All out with the best

Nearly 10 years ago, Paul Schmaedeke and Lynden Reder, track and field coaches at Hamline University, brainstormed a unique meet in which top prep athletes, regardless of their high school classification, competed head-to-head for individual glory.

They discussed the concept with Adam Steele when the former NCAA 400-meter champion interviewed for a job. Both parties agreed that while the job would not work out, the meet should happen.

"[Steele] might have even used the term Elite Meet," Schmaedeke said. "We looked at each other and said, 'What a heck of an idea.' "

Born in 2006, the Elite Meet marks its 10th running Friday evening at Hamline in St. Paul. The competition is strong; many of the competitors will return in June for the state meet. The meet pace is fast; all but two of the events are finals only. The result is a showcase pleasing to athletes and fans alike.

"Personally, I like it a little better than the state meet," said Farmington senior Justin Hyytinen, who last season won the 1,600-meter race in an Elite Meet record time. "The setup. The atmosphere. It's a no-pressure situation where you can go out and give your all."

Held about six weeks before the state meet, the Elite Meet offers a high-profile checkpoint for top athletes. Hopeful qualifiers could submit their times, heights and distances until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday of this week. The field will be announced Thursday, about 24 hours before the meet's 5:30 p.m. start time.

The short turnaround has not discouraged past competitors from traveling great distances. In 2009, Warroad's Moses Heppner made the six-hour drive south and won the 1,600 against a Class 2A-heavy field. Schmaedeke called Heppner's commitment "pretty humbling" and "very fulfilling."

Not every coach shared Schmaedeke's vision at the start.

"It's developed over time," Schmaedeke said. "The first couple years there were some coaches at some real good programs that were a little leery. They didn't like the concept; they thought it was too elitist. They thought it took something away from the team aspect. Some of those coaches have come to see it as an opportunity for some of their best kids to get better."

Veterans such as Wayzata girls' coach Lori Cade and Mounds View boys' coach Ross Fleming embraced the Elite Meet and have seen the experience pay dividends.

"We've had some kids go there and it's like, 'Oh my,' " Cade said. "My 4x200 relay went there last year, got a chance to race against top competition, and we ran about 3 seconds faster. That's a huge drop and it was really exciting. We thought, 'We've got something here.' "

Fleming's top hurdler, Matt Baker, lost the only 110 race of his junior season at the Elite Meet. The experience, Fleming said, helped Baker return to Hamline and become a state champion. Baker hopes to defend his title as a senior this spring.

"It showed me that I was one of the better guys in the state, and I could compete with all those great runners I'd been chasing for years," Hyytinen said.

Wayzata's Anna French also received a confidence jolt, winning the 1,600 with a personal best sub-5-minute time. She parlayed that performance into a seventh-place state finish in the 3,200.

Jedah Caldwell, who won the 200 running for Centennial last season, plans to expand on her success. Caldwell, who transferred to Chanhassen, hopes to qualify as a junior this year in the 100 and 200 as well as the 4x100. "The competition is great at Hamline, and if I can get good times there, I know I have time to even improve them for state," she said.

Athletes also appreciate the Elite Meet star treatment. Winners do a live infield interview and receive a rolled up T-shirt to throw into the appreciative crowd.

"It's really fun," said French, a senior this season. "I like running at night under the lights. Throwing the T-shirt is cool. It's great to see people actually care about a track meet."

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574