Introducing Your MN Girls T&F Athlete of the Year Nominees

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It's been quite the track and field season so far in Minnesota with thousands of athletes competing all over Minnesota, the Midwest, and the United States. With thousands of performances, new records, historic performances, and many breakthrough athletes, it's been a year to remember for track and field in Minnesota. 

Here we look at the 2023 Minnesota Girls Track and Field Nominees for Athlete of the Year. Ten athletes were chosen for their accomplishments during this years indoor and outdoor track and field seasons. Honorable mentions were included to honor those who narrowly missed out on inclusion in our Athlete of the Year poll.

Voting will commence starting at 7 am CST on July 17th and run until July 31st at 8 pm CST. 

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2023 Girls Nominees

Jordyn Borsch

The University of Notre Dame commit completed one of the most dominant track and field seasons in Minnesota history going undefeated in 35 final/prelim races in the 100m/200m/400m, winning three state titles, and breaking the state record in the 400m with a time of 53.47. Borsch also ran all-conditions times of 11.65 in the 100m and 23.70 in the 200m, which ranks #1 and #2 all-time in Minnesota. 

Sofia Condon

One of the best pole vaulters in state history, Sofia Condon finished her high school career with a perfect senior season winning 7 pole vault titles, including her second straight Class AAA state title. She finished with the top 6 vaults in Minnesota this season with all those vaults being 13 feet or higher. She is one of six Minnesota girls all-time to vault 13 feet or higher and ranks #3 all-time with her vault of 13' 6". Nationally she ranked #27 in the pole vault for the 2023 outdoor season. 

Teegan Anderson

The University of Tennessee commit her senior season helped lead one of the best distance squads we've ever seen from this years Wayzata girls. Anderson won the 1600m Class AAA state title, finished 2nd in the 800m at state, helped Wayzata break the girls 4x800m state record and helped the Wayzata girls finish 2nd in the girls 4x1-Mile at New Balance Nationals Indoor. She graduates ranking #6 in Minnesota all-time for the 800m and 18th all-time in the 1600m (not including converted 1-mile times). 

Jade Rypkema

Completing a perfect senior season that saw Jade go undefeated in all races in Minnesota. Her senior season she won one 400m and 800m race, four 1600m races, and four 3200m races. For the second year in a row, she won the Class A 1600m title and for the third year in a row, she won the Class A 3200m race. At Nike Outdoor Nationals, Jade finished 8th in the 1-Mile Championship with a time of 4:51.28 and 6th in the 5000m with a time of 17:00.17.

Claire Kohler

The hurdle queen of Minnesota in 2023, Kohler went undefeated in all 100m/300m hurdles finals this season en route to both of the Class AAA titles and helping Minnetonka win the girl's state title for Class AAA. Kohler ranked #1 among all competitors in Minnesota for both hurdles events, finished 6th in the 400m hurdles at Nike Indoor Nationals, and also 8th in the triple jump at state. Another tidbit, she ran one 400m races this season finishing with a time of 57.90, good enough for the #19 time in Minnesota this season. 

Adaylia Borgmeier

Borgmeier was one of the breakout stars of the 2022 season, breaking two state records and winning three state titles. This year she arguably did even better breaking both of her own state records, and shattering the 800m wheelchair state record. She again won three state titles in the 100m, 200m, and 800m. Borgmeier finished as the #1 ranked wheelchair athlete in the 200m and 1600m, #9 in the 100m, #5 in the 400m, and #3 in the 800m. 

Evie Malec

An eighth-grader, Malec burst onto the scene after a strong cross country season, she finished 4th at state in the 1600m, 2nd in the 800m at the Lake Conference Championships and True Team State, won the mile at True Team State, and finished 2nd at the Brooks PR Invitational in the junior girls mile. Her converted mile to 1600m time of 4:48.60 ranks #10 all-time by a Minnesota girl. She holds the 8th-grade girls Minnesota class record in the 1600m and ranks #5 in the 800m. 

Isabelle Schmitz

Being a two-time state cross-country champion, it seems crazy that Isabelle Schmitz had never won a track title until this spring. This spring Schmitz qualified for the state meet in the 400m, 1600m and 3200m, winning the 3200m title comfortably by 15 seconds. Schmitz ran the top times in Class AA in the 1600m/3200m and finished 20th in the Championship mile and 19th in the championship 2-mile at Nike Outdoor Nationals. 

Jordan Hecht

Hecht finished her high school career at Rosemount by winning another state title to finish her career with her third state title in the throws events. This year she won the shot put title, after winning the Class AAA discus title the previous two years. She helped lead the Rosemount girls to a 6th place finish at state, scoring half of their points by winning the shot put and finishing 3rd in the discus. Hecht graduates holding the #22 discus and shot put marks in Minnesota state history.  

Abbey Nechanicky

She may have run only one race this outdoor season, but she had a record-filled indoor season and her one outdoor race just happened to be a state record race. This indoor season, Nechanicky broke the state records for the 1-Mile and 2-Mile at New Balance Nationals Indoor and also finished 2nd in the 4x1-Mile with her Wayzata teammates. This outdoor season in her one race, Nechanicky along with her Wayata teammates broke the state 4x800m record running the #8 time nationally this outdoor season. Her indoor times in the mile and 2-mile both rank #2 all-time in Minnesota for combined indoor/outdoor rankings. 

Honorable Mentions: Anika Larson, Ashley Fisher, Brooke Hohenecker, Grace Weber, Maddie Gullickson, Annaka Forsberg, Brielle Kuechle, Elise Jensen, Jordan Hecht, McKaylen Lewis, Carly Hartwig, Lucy Hiller