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Published June 26, 2008, 12:00 AM

Runners with Fargo ties trying to make Olympics

Four people with ties to this city are trying to make the U.S. Olympic track team. Laura Roesler, who just completed her sophomore season at Fargo South High School, has dominated the North Dakota prep scene, winning 13 individual Class A girls state track titles. She will compete in the 800 meters at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials which start Friday in Eugene, Ore. Laura Hermanson, a junior at North Dakota State, also is to compete in the 800 meters.

FARGO (AP) — Four people with ties to this city are trying to make the U.S. Olympic track team.

Laura Roesler, who just completed her sophomore season at Fargo South High School, has dominated the North Dakota prep scene, winning 13 individual Class A girls state track titles. She will compete in the 800 meters at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials which start Friday in Eugene, Ore.

Laura Hermanson, a junior at North Dakota State, also is to compete in the 800 meters.

Fargo South graduate Andrew Carlson is competing in the 5,000-meter run.

Amanda Thieschafer, a former NDSU standout who now lives and trains in Minneapolis-St. Paul, will compete in the triple jump.

Roesler’s best time in the 800 is 2:03.08, in early June at the Jim Bush Championships at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

“Having the best competition in the U.S. at the trials, I’m shooting for 2:02,” Roesler said. “We’ll see what happens. ... I know all the people in front of me have way more experience.”

Hermanson, who qualified for the Olympic Trials with a 2:03.76 mark at the Jim Bush Championships, has lowered her 800 times in recent years.

“I’ve grown up a lot in the four years that I’ve been (at NDSU),” she said. “I used to let pressure get to me. This year, the biggest difference is I’ve had fun at every race.”

The last NDSU runner to compete at the Olympic Trials was Kinsey Coles in 2004. Coles did not make it past the first round in the 800.

“This is a loaded field, stronger than in 2004,” said NDSU head coach Ryun Godfrey.

Thieschafer currently is ranked fourth in the triple jump and needs to move up just one spot to make the Olympic team.

“It’s attainable, yes,” she said. “But my stars have to be aligned and everything has to be in order.”

Thieschafer has turned in a series of personal records this year — the last a distance of 45 feet, 3 inches. She set an NDSU school record of 43-0½ in 2004. She still is more than a foot behind Shakeema Welsch, the third-ranked triple jumper.

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