Minnesotans Shine at Nike Outdoor Nationals - Day 1 & 2

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Minnesota's top track and field athletes showcased their talents at the prestigious Nike Outdoor Nationals, held at the iconic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. These elite competitors had trained tirelessly throughout the season, earning their spots to compete against the nation's best. With their sights set on personal bests and podium finishes, these athletes embodied the dedication and spirit of Minnesota's thriving track and field community. As they took on the challenge, the entire state rallied behind them, eagerly witnessing their remarkable performances on this grand stage.

Here we highlight their performances on one of the sports biggest stages.

Juriad Hughes Jr. Breaks Own State Record

He has done it yet again! The greatest long jumper in state history, Juriad Hughes Jr., broke his own Minnesota state record in the long jump at Nike Outdoor Nationals, creating his own club in the process. Hughes finished 2nd overall in the Mens U20 Long Jump event, finishing with a mark of 25' 4.5", becoming the only Minnesota boy in state history to jump over 25 feet. His performance again qualified him for the U20 World Championships, this year in Peru. 

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MN Girls Star in the 5K 

Running in a field of 42 girls, Minnesota was well represented in the Girls 5000m Championship, with 8 runners in the field, more than any other state. The pack of Minnesota girls was led by sophomore star Isabel Mahoney who was the top underclassmen in the race, finishing 8th overall. Other highlights included, Linnea Ousdigian who was the top freshman finisher in the race, and the speedy times which allowed several girls to move into the top ten times all-time for Minnesota. 

Mahoney now ranks 8th all-time in Minnesota, Hoffman ranks 9th all-time and Pauly ranks 10th all-time. 

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Minnetonka Girls Win 1600m Sprint Medley Championship Title

The Minnetonka girls team of Zeal Kuku, Charlotte Roehl, Claire Kohler and Evie Malec came out victorious in the Championship 1600m Sprint Medley Relay, winning with a time of 3:56.23, being the only team under four minutes. The first two legs of 200m were taken by Kuku and Roehl, who finished with splits of 25.26 and 25.30, hurdles star Kohler then took in the 400m leg and finished with a time of 56.61, and then finally Malec took on the 800m leg and took them to the finish going from 2nd to first with a time of 2:09.06 for her part. 

Their time of 3:56.23 was a Hayward Field high school record, beating the time of 3:57.43 set by the Oak Park Michigan girls in 2021. 

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Hohenecker Finishes 2nd in Emerging Elite 100m

Competing in the Emerging Elite 100m final, Brooke Hohenecker finished 2nd overall, finishing with a time of 12.00 for the 100m dash. She finished only behind Kamryn Tatum of Michigan who finished with a time of 11.93. This is Hohenecker's second fastest legal 100m time in a race ever, only behind her time of 11.87 from the Section 6AA prelims this year. 

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Lakeville North Grad Andrew Casey Shines in 800m

A freshman at the University of Wisconsin and a 2023 graduate of Lakeville North, Andrew Casey shined in the U20 800m Final, finishing 3rd overall with a time of 1:48.41. His time of 1:48.41 was about a second behind the winner, Michael Long with a time of 1:47.54 and the runner-up Daniel Watcke with a time of 1:47.59. This was the third fastest time of his career, behind his times at the NCAA West Championships this season. His performance qualified him for the U20 World Championships in Peru. 

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Minnetonka Girls Finish 3rd in 4x200m

The Minnetonka girls team of Brynn Rusing, Charlotte Roehl, Lindsey Koch and Zeal Kuku finished 3rd overall in the 4x200m Relay Championship race, finishing with a time of 1:41.01. They finished only behind the Bartlett girls of Tennessee (1:39.74) and the Power girls of Michigan (1:40.84). They finished both of the first two legs in fourth place, before dropping to fifth going into the final leg. Kuku and her split of 24.12 propelled them past two competitors an into their 3rd place bronze position. Her split of 24.12 was the fastest recorded split of all runners in all heats. 

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Mounds View Girls Place 6th in 4x1-Mile Relay

The Mounds View Girls Team of Emily Mehta, Abby Urriola, Adela Peterson, and Linnea Ousdigian place 6th overall in the 4x1-mile relay races, finishing with a time of 21:39.20. Senior Emily Mehta took the first leg and finished with a time of 5:21.77, 8th-grader Urriola took the second leg and finished with a split of 5:35.37, sophomore Peterson finished with a split of 5:38.27 and finally star sophomore Ousdigian took them to the finish line with a 5:03.90. 

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Mankato and Mounds View Boys Battle it Out

The Mankato East and Mounds View boys battled it out to the finish in the boys championship 4x1-mile relay, with the Mounds View boys beating them out barely 17:45.99 to 17:47.32 to take fifth place to Mankato's 6th place. The Mounds View relay consisted of Levi Hammerbeck, Cayden Stoner, Owen Kalmes, and Casey Poppler. The Mankato East boys relay consisted of Evan MacLean, Dayton Clobes, Luke Scholtes and Isaiah Anderson.

Hammerbeck took the Mounds View boys out strong with a split of 4:17.90, finishing the first leg in 2nd place. By the three mile mark, both the Mounds View boy and Mankato boys were in a deadlock, with their splits after that third leg being just 0.08 seconds a part. During the last leg, Poppler was able to barely outrace Anderson, beating him by a second and a half to beat their in-state competitor.