Hot. Shot.

TMB’S TONY NELSON fulfilled his goal of qualifying for the Minnesota State Track & Field Meet by winning the Section 3A title in the shot put and taking second in the discus at last Thursday’s Section 3A Track & Field Meet in Redwood Falls. For full results of Thursday’s meet, please see Page 6. Photos / Per Peterson

Not even the steamiest of days could knock Tony Nelson off his path to a state tournament berth

By Per Peterson

Tom Nelson wasn’t 100% sure he was going to attend last Thursday’s Section 3A Track & Field Meet in Redwood Falls. It’s a good thing he ultimately decided to.

Nelson, a 1987 graduate of Tracy Area High School, is the uncle to Tracy-Milroy-Balaton senior-to-be Tony Nelson, who continued his pattern of dominance Thursday by winning the Section 3A shot put title to advance to the 2021 Minnesota State Track & Field Meet at St. Michael Albertville. Tony also took second in the discus to make him a double-qualifier.

“He did awesome,” Tom said of his nephew. “I wasn’t in track (in high school), but the feeling of going to state is something you never forget. Today, I kind of debated, ‘should I go or not?’ But Tony’s the last one of my nephews to watch in high school, so I had to be there. Hopefully he can do well at state.”

The boys’ portion of the state meet begins at 10 a.m. on Friday at St. Michael Albertville High School, which is where this year’s state wrestling tournament was held. St. Michael Albertville is located about three hours northeast of Tracy.

Nelson scratched on his first preliminary put before throwing a 54’-6”. He would later throw a 54’-11”, which is his high mark, as well as a school record, matching the one he set at the sub-section meet in Pipestone a week earlier.

See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.