Class AA Boys
Section 1 Champion - Pine Island High School
"This year, there are 90 athletes who said yes to boys track and field in Pine Island. This is the largest team in school history. The team and coaching staff pride themselves on building an environment where each athlete has a role, belongs, and wants to do whatever he can to contribute to the team's success. This shows when the student council president can muscle his way to a PR split in the 4x800, or the football player's first year in track can turn into a phenomenal presence in just about whatever he tries, or the freshman vaulter can not only vault, but sprint as well.
True Team has been a team goal since the team competed at state in Class A in 2011, where they earned 9th place. In 2012, they moved up to 8th and again in 2013, they moved up one spot to 7th. The team was well into True Team fever, when they made a big jump in 2014 to 4th place, just out of the ribbons. With that in their minds, they got to work in 2015 and moved into 3rd. During the 2016 meet, the future 800m state champion got heat exhaustion, and the team dropped to 4th. After graduating the Class A 800m champion and the 400m champion and the 4x200 state champion relay team and earning runner up in the MSHSL State Meet, expectations were low for 2017. That year, the team won the wild card meet by .5 point over Montevideo. In the worst best meet they'd ever had, in the pouring rain and a driving cross wind, the 2017 team took 2nd at State. Then, in 2018 enrollments were evaluated and Pine Island moved to Section 1AA. That year, they earned the 3rd place ribbons in 1AA. After that sting, there was no turning back. Before the season even began, athletes made the goal to get back to TT state with the smallest enrollment in competing schools in Section 1AA.
Last Tuesday, the boys did not win a single of the eighteen events. But with their efforts and depth, they claimed the 1AA championship. In the pictures, ALL of the varsity athletes are pictured, not just those that competed, but those that supported, cheered, and motivated those that did. The smiles are real. The achievement is genuine, and we're bringing a jam packed bus to Stillwater on Saturday." - Girls Head Coach
Amy Northrop
"At Jordan we strive to develop well rounded teams each year and look to compete well across all event areas. This year in particular we have a particularly strong group of sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, and middle distance runners which has helped us to field strong relays as well. We have been fortunate to have a lot of talent as well as some really strong athletics programs in Jordan. Many of our kids have also been to state in football, cross country, wrestling, or basketball which has created a culture where our athletes have high expectations. I'm very proud of our team captains who have done a nice job of leading our team and keeping everyone focused on our team goals for the season. We have a tremendous coaching staff that is dedicated to developing all of the athletes on our team. Each one has unique talents and really cares about helping our athletes. They are a pleasure to work with. We are proud to have competed in the Section 2AA meet where there were three other True Team Wild Cards. Great programs in our area like Mankato East, Mankato West, Fairmont, among several others have challenged our athletes and helped prepare us for the state level." - Head Coach Ben Nylander
Section 2 Wild Card - Mankato East High School
"Mankato East Track and Field is one that is built on tradition. The coaches and athletes in the 1990's worked hard to build that tradition and from the 2000's on we have been trying to keep it alive and keep on improving. This year makes 16 out of the last 20 that the cougars have qualified for TT State with 4 championships and 6 runner-ups. This year's cougar team is one of depth and balance. There isn't a lot of athletes that will be competing for state medals, but they can go 5-10 deep in every event and still have a varsity caliber athlete. This pays off in the True Team where can rotate a number of different guys in the relays and open events and still get the same quality. Competition for spots has also made the team better. Our JV has benefitted from that going 20-0 this year. Competing in the tough Section 2AA has only made us better and we look forward to seeing many of those teams again. The team that will be a the True Team meet is excited to represent the tradition of our school and hungry to make up for missing out on the meet last year. We plan to be toward the top competing for the championship right up to the last event." - Head Coach Jon Dierks
Section 2 Wild Card - Mankato West High School
"The Mankato West Boys program has been focusing on creating a culture of working hard while being able to enjoy the sport of track & field. We always want our athletes to know this sport is more about who they become along the way as opposed to the performances they create. We have been able to re-ignite a culture of success over the past 5 years and want to continue that growth and development throughout the entire program. However, at the end of the day it is more important to learn something about yourself, perseverance, dedication, respect, and accountability, than to create a phenomenal athlete. Kids get confused when we tell them this at the beginning of the year, but as the season rolls along they begin to pick up on. The upperclassmen have embraced this over the past 3 years and the program has been able to take leads and bounds forward. Making it to True Team state is a testament to the culture we are creating. We try to keep it very simple with our team motto R-C-P-P; Respect - Class - Pride - Passion. Trust in the process and the performances will come." - Head Coach Kaleb Lindsey-Stevens
Section 2 Wild Card - Fairmont High School
"The 2019 Fairmont Boys Track and Field team consists of a group of great Senior leaders lead by Andrew Moeller, Dylan Kennedy, Jordan Wolter and Tony Nuss on the Track, along with Nick Thate, Hayden Berhow, Matthew Anderson and Riley Chaffee in the Field. These athletes, along with all of the seniors, are leaders by example, as they put in the hard work day in and day out and have worked to show the talented underclassmen what it takes to become a very good team. The boy's team has seen the results of this effort all season long with many big wins including the Sentinel Relays and The Big South Conference meet and culminating in a True Team State birth. Qualifying for the True Team State Meet was one of the main goals for this team as it truly highlights the strength and depth of your whole team, not just individual events. Fairmont track and field athletes pride themselves in the team aspect of the sport as can be seen in each practice and meet with hard work and comradery, which is something instilled in them each year by their Hall of Fame Head Coach Bob Bonk. His experience in putting athletes in the best possible position for team success and instilling in them hard work and enthusiasm shows in their performances and drive to perform and win. The combination of that kind of coaching, along with athletes that want to perform, is the key to Fairmont's success. Gearing up for the True Team Meet this Saturday the Fairmont Cardinal boys are aiming to finishing in the top half of the field as their main goal, and if they can continue to perform at a high level. Getting into the top 4 would be a great achievement considering the extremely talented teams in the entire field." - Assistant Coach Chris Voss
Section 3 Champion - Saint Croix Lutheran Academy
"True Team means a lot to St. Croix Lutheran Track & Field. I became head coach in 1993. We started participating in section True Team in the late 1990s in Class A. Our goal in those years to finish in the middle of the pack as our numbers were in the mid 20s to around 30 athletes. In 2002 we won the Section 4A True Team and our program really took off from there. I emphasize to the guys "team" even though many think track & field is mostly an individual sport, True Team takes not just a few individuals to win but the whole team! In 2007 we won our first State Class A True Team title. We repeated in 2008 and 2009. In 2010 we move up to AA. Since 2012, we have been at State True Team and again qualified this year. This doesn't happen unless our athletes are committed to this endeavor of "True Team." I have been blessed with some outstanding athletes who are able to get many points. But to qualify as a team to State True Team is one of our highlights of every track season." - Head Coach Brent Schacht
Section 4 Champion - Academy Of Holy Angels
"The Academy of Holy Angels track and field team has seen a increase in dedication and effort from both coaches and athletes over the last few years and we are proud to have made this accomplishment as a team. Our team is establishing a strong culture of competitiveness while supporting our younger athletes as well. Showing the younger students how to be a positive member of a team as well as learning to enjoy the sport of track and field has impacted the growth of and interest in our AHA team greatly. The increase in numbers has been extremely evident in recent years. We have doubled our team's size over the past two seasons. Our athletes come from many different grade levels and we are thrilled to be seeing more interest from younger students. The team has had leaders emerge to help hold all athletes accountable to being at practice everyday and getting excited to compete throughout the season. This can be challenging when your school does not have a track or track facilities. However, our coaches and athletes have been creative and dedicated to training in a gym, stairway and on a frontage road we call the "dragstrip." This has helped led to us to making it to True Team state for the first time in our school history and establishing AHA as a recognizable track and field program. Last year AHA finished second in its True Team section. This year the boys finished first to advance to their first True Team State Meet. Our program has a diverse group of athletes with many different skill sets that have created depth in scoring in all events. Track and field is a sport that showcases a wide range of athletic abilities and our AHA multi-sport athletes have embraced the beauty of the sport. We are excited to see what this team can continue to achieve this year, as well as the years to come." - Head Coach Jim Gunderson
Section 5 Champion - Big Lake High School
"As a first-year head coach, this has been an awesome team to work with. It is a well-balanced team of 45 amazing boys, 5 great coaches and incredible support from the school and parents. Some of the boys were good enough to compete at the Hamline Elite Meet and others give us good solid depth in every event. The best part about this team is that the boys have all embraced their role on our team. Some know they are going to participate in the same events in almost every meet. Others know that they may not get to participate in the events that they want to, but it is what is best for the team.
Qualifying for True Team State is a huge accomplishment for our team and our school. This is the first time in our school's history that a track team will compete at the True Team State Meet. This is a testament to the hard work the boys have put in to get better and the support they have received from their parents. Last year, we were 5 points from being a wild card entrant and this year we made it over the hump and were the automatic qualifier out of 5AA.
When it comes to the state meet, we have a few different things that we want to accomplish as a team. Most importantly, we want the boys to have fun and enjoy the experience competing against the best teams in the state. The second thing that we would like to accomplish as a team is to improve some of our times and distances for seeding in the conference and section meets in the weeks ahead (hopefully the weather will hold out for us, but it doesn't look promising). Lastly, we are shooting for a top-half finish in the meet itself.
We have a great group of kids who love to compete and have fun doing it. They celebrate their successes, but don't rest on what they did yesterday. Our coaching staff loves coaching these kids." - Head Coach Bob Blanchard
Section 6 Champion - Willmar High School
"Our boys are advancing to True Team State for the 8th time in 10 years and are the 3-time defending State Champs in this event. We graduated 70% of the entries we had last year, so we are really pleased with the progress this young team has made in getting back to State. I feel the boys team is even more balanced than our girls but we don't quite have some of the front runners that we have been used to. Besides having solid relays and throws, Willmar's boys hopes of being a top 5 team hinge on individual efforts from Josh Miley and Eli Jorgenson in the sprints, Brady Krupa, Sam May, and Aaron Watland in the hurdles and jumps, Adnan Muhumed in middle distance, Fuad Bashir and Mason Wendt in the distance runs, Shawn Melies-Uren and Colin O'Farrell in mid distance and relays, and Mateo Martin-Mera in vault. Our goal is to be a top 5 team; with a great meet we could surprise some people." - Head Coach Jerry Popp
Section 7 Champion - Grand Rapids High School
"Grand Rapids heads back to TT state after a six year absence. They are led by captain's Kam Jaeger and Aric David. The two seniors were absent at last year's section meet after the school bus they were riding in the day before, rolled and injured 12 students and a teacher on their way to Crookston on a field trip. Grand Rapids missed a state berth by 7.5 points the next afternoon in Cloquet. This year the healthy duo made it a mission to come back and rally their team to victory in section 7AA. David & Jaeger are joined by fellow seniors Grant Hegrenes, Tyler Norgord, Garrett Beckrich, Ben Troumbly, and Lucas Jones. They form a nucleus of hard working athletes who have persevered despite the slow spring thaw of '19. Juniors Andrew Grabarkewitz, Nate Huju, August Arsenault, Hadyn Anderson, and Zach Ortman hold their own in the field while sophomores John Bonner, Caden Hofstad, Sam Stertz, Kale Florek, and Isaiah Edel do most of their damage on the track.
Grand Rapids is able to boast a roster of over 50 varsity male athlete's this year and 'team' has been a focus since day one. True Team state means a lot to a program. It shows that you've been able to excel in all events and demonstrate depth. It also gives athletes an opportunity to "go all out" and "give it your all", for something bigger than yourself. Finally coaches in Grand Rapids provide this team with it's strength: Kevin Johnson - hurdles, Mitch Drotts - vault, Rachel Meisbauer - distance, Matt Sandys - jumps, Dan Jinks - throws, Chad Anderson- Sprints, Ben Simula - throws, and Steve Kohorst - distance." - Head Coach Darrin Hofstad
