Poll: 2023 MileSplit Minnesota Girls Athlete of the Year

Dec 18, 2023

From left to right: Jade Rypkema, Jordyn Borsch, Claire Kohler, and Teegan Anderson

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The end of the 2023 Minnesota cross country and track and field seasons is here!! It's been a whirlwind of a year with breakthrough athletes, state records, nationally relevant performances, and so much more.

Now that this season is at its end, we look back on 2023 and the athletes that had the best overall year in Minnesota and beyond.

Now is your opportunity to vote for your MileSplit Minnesota Girls Athlete of the Year for 2023.

Here are your candidates:

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The Candidates

Norah Hushagen (Forest Lake)

The junior for Forest Lake just finished a remarkable season that saw her win the Class AAA state title, the NXR Heartland Regional title and six other races alongside her two huge wins. Hushagen finished as the #1 5K runner in Minnesota this season with a time of 17:07.30 and ranked #45 nationally for the 5K this fall.
For the track and field season, Hushagen finished 5th in both the 1600m and 3200m at the state championships for Class AAA, won both the Section 7AAA titles for the 1600m and 3200m, and set new PRs of 5:06.67 in the 1600m and 10:49.23 in the 3200m.

Jordyn Borsch (Maple Grove)

Borsch this year 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.
This year Borsch ranked Tied for 91st nationally in the 100m, tied for 61st in the 200m, and 21st in the 400m.

Evie Malec (Minnetonka)

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.

Malec also turned in a historic freshman cross country season for Minnetonka. Malec set a new PR of 17:38.20 this season which ranked as the #1 time in Minnesota, the #12 time for her class this fall, and the #4 time all-time for a Minnesota freshman girl.

Jade Rypkema (Nevis)

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.

Teegan Anderson (Wayzata)

The Wayzata runner starred her senior season and helped lead one of the best distance squads we've ever seen from this year's 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).

Adaylia Borgmeier (Mankato East)

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.

Isabelle Schmitz (Hutchinson)

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.

Schmitz was also nearly unstoppable in Minnesota during her senior season which saw her win her second straight Class AA state title, win nine races, and only lose once in Minnesota with her 4th place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational. She finished her season strong by running a new PR of 17:29 at the Heartland Regional.

Claire Kohler (Minnetonka)

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.