BP’s Forsberg reaches new heights
Blooming Prairie’s Annaka Forsberg attempts a jump of five feet, seven inches in the high jump at the Class A state meet in 2022. While unsuccessful last spring, the junior has already set a new record height of five feet, eight inches this season to go with a new school triple jump record of 33 feet, 11 inches. Staff photo by Johnnie Phillips
Blooming Prairie junior Annaka Forsberg returned to the Awesome Blossoms track and field team in 2023 as the reigning state champ in the high jump, but the junior has already put those accolades in the rear-view mirror as she reaches new heights this season.
Back in 2022, Forsberg won the Class A state title in the high jump with a final height of five feet, six inches, but just last week put the rest of the state on notice by beating her previous personal record height of five feet, seven inches, with a jump of five feet, eight inches.
“I was definitely looking for a PR that day because I kind of view Triton as my lucky meet. It’s where I set my record of five feet, seven inches last year, so I was going into it with my sights set on a new record,” said Forsberg.
The best part of clearing the bar and setting the new record, she said, was not just the thrill of the moment, but also realizing that she is still progressing.
With a new record already under her belt, the junior decided to focus on another season-long goal at the meet: competing in a new event.
Forsberg settled on the triple jump and didn’t take long to turn heads at the meet.
She went on to set a new school record in the event on her first jump with a distance of 33 feet, 11 inches.
“It was actually my first time triple-jumping ever. I just wanted to give another event a try because I’ve been so focused on the high jump. The triple jump was something I thought I might potentially be good at. When I jumped that 33-11 and heard it was a record, I was very surprised.”
While the mark may have been a surprise for the Awesome Blossoms’ superstar, her preparation for the season would suggest that more accolades can be expected in the future.
Forsberg competed in an indoor club track and field season during the winter and has been training consistently with her jumping coach, Ryan Slack, and her father, Andy Forsberg.
Those looking to see Forsberg potentially make more history for the Awesome Blossoms can watch her and the team compete next at Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Kingsland on Thursday, April 27 at 4:30 p.m.