Class AA Girls
1. Lauren Peterson Caps Career
Lauren Peterson moved to Rosemount prior to the track season after five and a half very successful season running at Farmington High School, but it turned out that her first season in a new uniform, and last season before her graduation, was undoubtedly her best. With the exception of a runner-up finish to Lauren Ping in the 1600m at the Hamline Elite Meet (which was still a lifetime best time for her), the Furman-commit won every race she ran from 800 meters and up, along the way helping Rosemount achieve a win at True Team State. As it turned out, she kept the trend going at State. After cruising to a comfortable win (in uncomfortable conditions) in the 3200m, she then doubled-up by outlasting Emma Atkinson in the 1600m thanks to a 69-second final lap which was the fastest lap of any runner in the competition. But while most distance runners would have been satisfied with that, Peterson added a cherry to the top of her meet when she ran a 58.0-second 4x400 split as Rosemount's second leg to give Rosemount not only a lead they wouldn't lose, but enough team points to score a win overall.
2. Shalicia Jones Cruises To Triple
Two years ago, Shaliciah Jones was a part of an outstanding foursome of North Saint Paul athletes that won the 4x100 and 4x200 relays at State and became the first team ever to break 1:40 in the 4x200m. She is now the only runner remaining from that team, but her success has only heightened. Despite a minor setback midseason that forced her to miss a couple weeks (including the Hamline Elite Meet), Jones had a virtually flawless season, winning every race she entered between 100m and 400m all spring. That said, she truly saved her best for last. In her 100m prelim, Jones unleashed a time of 11.77 to become the 7th-fastest Minnesota girl ever in the event, while her 200m prelim of 24.36 is Minnesota's 9th-fastest. The following day, running into a headwind that may have prevented her from running even faster, Jones easily won titles in both events. But arguably the best part of her day was when she anchored North Saint Paul to their third consecutive win in the 4x100, despite three new members from last year and never having run a relay together until the prior month. Just a junior, and already with seven blue ribbons, Jones can add to her legacy even more next year.
3. Minnetonka Will Need To Add A Third Hand
Minnetonka and the girls 4x800m relay have been synonymous with each other. Out of 16 State Championships between 2003 and 2018, the Skippers had won the title nine times, and six teams from Minnetonka occupy spots in the top ten on the Miles All-Time list. But having graduated three runners from the 2018 championship team, finishing 6th at the Hamline Elite Meet, losing to Wayzata at Sections, and only owning the 5th-fastest seed, Minnetonka's team looked vulnerable. But none of it ended up mattering once the gun went off, as Minnetonka waited patiently and trusted their training, with Kate Leblanc taking the lead on the final leg and holding on to cross in first in 9:20.54, with every leg running 2:22 or better. The title is Minnetonka's tenth since 2003, sixth since 2012, and perhaps one of their most unexpected victories of them all. In addition, all four athletes will be returning next year to try to continue to add to their legacy.
4. Madison Schmidt Jumps Off To Win
Madison Schmidt is already Minnesota's best high jumper ever, as she became the first girl in Minnesota high school history to clear 6 feet earlier this year. But that didn't mean her second State title in the event came easy. In fact, Schmidt couldn't lay claim to her championship until she won a jump-off with Madison Johnson, who took runner up to Schmidt last year and was third the year before that. But she eventually was able to secure the win and tie a meet record of 5-10 in the process. Schmidt also ran the 800 twice, getting 11th in the prelims of the 800m and anchoring Blaine to a tenth-place finish in the 4x800.
5. Emily Covert Gets To Finish Career On The Track
Last fall, Emily Covert had one of Minnesota's most memorable and most remarkable seasons ever for a distance athlete, but things got a lot more difficult over the winter. A sacral stress fracture prevented her from running most of the winter, and then when she tried to come back too early, a second stress fracture developed in her tibia in March. Unsure if she would even get the chance to race at all this year, the Washburn star was able to recover enough to run at Sections in her signature 3200m, the event that she holds Minnesota's all-time record of 10:01.68. Running in the slow heat (since she had no seed time), Covert managed to qualify and give her one last chance to run at State in the event that she has qualified every year since she was in 7th grade. While it wasn't a win, Covert's 3200m time of 10:52.28 placed her third and allowed her to end her high school career right where it should have - on the track at Hamline University.