ROSEMOUNT &045; The Rosemount Invitational does more than give the Albert Lea High School boys’ track and field team some of the toughest competition of the season.

It provides the Tigers tangible proof of their progress.

“Each year we come up here we manage to score a few more points,” said coach Lon Nelson. “I guess I can’t ask for more than that.”

The Tigers finished ahead of five teams in Friday’s annual meet, placing eighth among 15 teams. Woodbury won with 101 points, followed in the top five by Hopkins with 93, Rosemount 79, Coon Rapids 75 and Edina 75. The Tigers had 33 points.

Senior tri-captain Mike Veldman captured the Tigers’ only first, winning the shot put with a toss of 53 feet, 9 1/2 inches, the third-best throw in the history of the meet.

Cory Kuipers also had a big day, taking second in the 200-meter dash in 23.38 seconds, third in the 100 in 11.48 and fourth in the 400 in 52.3.

The Tigers’ other places were by Taylor Zimmerman, sixth, 1600; Corey Berggren, seventh, 200; and Wade Kolling, eighth, shot put.

“Senior tri-captian Sean Harms is out with a foot injury,” said Nelson. “We can’t afford to have him on the sidelines much longer.”

The Tigers travel to Austin for a 4:30 Big Nine meet on Tuesday.