Photo: Nate Unger/MileSplit Minnesota
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As one of the few states that allows middle schoolers to compete at the high school level, Minnesota consistently sees young talent thrive before their freshman year.
With the outdoor season right around the corner, here are some of the top eighth graders ready to make their official high school debut this spring.
Top Incoming Freshmen:
Set to be one of the state's top freshmen this spring, Pratt boasts some pretty quick PBs from his eighth-grade campaign.
The top-ranked middle schooler in Minnesota in the 100m and 200m, as well as the No. 2 quarter miler, Pratt's bests of 11.37, 23.16, and 53.08 make him a threat as he continues to navigate the sprint scene.
He's the fourth-fastest Minnesota eighth-grader of all-time in the 100m, and seventh all-time over 200m, and could work his way up the freshman record books over the next few months.
Not only is she one of the top talents in the state, but Wegener is one of the top freshman talents in the country.
In the last year, she's notched fourth-place finishes at the MSHSL State Track & Field Championships in both the 1600m and 3200m, as well as another at the MSHSL Class AA State Cross Country Championships this past fall.
Her lifetime bests of 4:58.1, 10:46.54, and 17:31.1 in the 1600m (8th-grade), 3200m (8th), and 5k (9th) position her at No. 7, No. 4, and No. 3 in the state's all-time lists.
Another young, elite distance runner, Mold, fared well in his first official high school cross country race last fall. Finishing 16th overall at the MSHSL Class AA State Championships, the freshman posted 15:51.9 in early October, one of only three freshmen to do so.
As an eighth grader, Mold ran 4:28.14 and 9:36.11 in the 1600m and 3200m, the seventh and fifth-fastest times in state class history, as well as the No. 4 and No. 3 in the country.
Before she even stepped foot on the track as a high schooler, Riser had already qualified for the MSHSL State Track & Field Championships twice, finishing 13th and 10th in seventh and eighth grade.
With a lifetime best of 57.02 and eight sub-60 efforts a year ago, Riser enters the year as the fourth-fastest middle schooler in state history, and the ninth-fastest returner this spring throughout all classes.
After opening up the 2025 season with 47.85 for 300mH, the now freshman ended the year with a 44.18 to his name.
The True North Conference runner-up and MSHSL Section qualifier is in position to be one of the top underclassmen by the time June rolls around, and his consistency from a year ago backs that up.
Less than a year after finishing fifth at the MSHSL State Track & Field Championships, Nelson is officially a high schooler and plans to keep the good times rolling.
The 15th-fastest 200m returner Minnesota has to offer this spring, Nelson is already known throughout the state and isn't going anywhere, anytime soon.
Along with her PB of 25.07, Nelson also jumps 36-5 in the triple jump, the 16th-best returning mark in the state.
In 2025, Olson finished fifth overall at the MSHSL Section 8AA Championships, one of the first people left out of the state championship field.
Olson ended the year on a positive note, jumping 41-3 at the Bemidji MS Invitational, before surpassing 40-0 two more times over the next nine days.
He'll be one of the top horizontal jumpers to watch as he looks to qualify for his first state championships.
Sophie Miller, Saint Michael-Albertville:
Since her seventh-grade days, Miller has been one of the top up-and-coming distance runners statewide. In her first season as a high school freshman, she ran 18:31.7 for 5k, 14 seconds shy of her PB from 2024.
With track bests of 5:17 and 11:51, Miller could break through and find herself in the top half of Minnesota's True Team AAA division.
At the MSHSL Section 8A Championships, Olson finished fifth (16.59) and ninth (45.83) in the 110mH and 300mH, coming close in both events to punching his ticket to the big dance.
In all of Class A, Olson is the No. 3 and No. 4 returner this season, the lone underclassman inside the top three in both events.
If Olson can lower his times just a bit before June, there's a strong chance he'll need to pack a broom with him when he heads to state.
In her second appearance at the MSHSL Section 4AAA Championships, Ribolzi cleared 10-4 to secure her spot at the state championships in St. Michael.
Ribolzi went on to add six inches to her PB at the MSHSL State Track & Field Championships, clearing 11-0 to finish eighth in her debut at the meet.
Officially tied for the third-best jump in Minnesota eighth-grade history, she is also one of the top-15 returners in the pole vault this season.