Photo: Nate Unger/MileSplit Minnesota
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With the indoor season just one weekend away from officially wrapping up, these Minnesota underclassmen are coming off strong outdoor campaigns a year ago.
Here are four more athletes leading the next generation of Minnesota Future Stars!
Dating back to her seventh-grade days, Wegener has been a threat every time she's toed the line, whether on the track or on the grass. After finishing fourth at the MSHSL State Track and Field Championships in both the 1600 (4:58.10) and 3200 (10:46.54) a year ago, the freshman followed it up with a strong cross country season. Notching a PB of 17:31.10 at the MSHSL Section 7AAA Championships, she went on to finish fourth at the MSHSL Class AAA State Championships and 15th in the Girls Championship race at NXR Heartland. Wegener is one of the top distance talents to watch across the state this spring.
Last May, Schendel put together a three-week stretch of some of the best racing of his life. After running a six-second PB (1:55.24) to finish runner-up at the MSHSL Section 6AAA Championship meet, he went on to break 1:55 for the first time at the MSHSL State Track and Field Championships, finishing 12th in 1:54.72. Schendel came just three-hundredths of a second shy of the state's all-time freshman record, nearly surpassing Tom Schmidt's (Faribault) 25-year-old mark of 1:54.69. As he heads into his second high school season, Schendel ranks as the 56th-fastest freshman in national history.
As a freshman, Richter wasted no time asserting herself in the "top hurdler in the state" conversation, finishing first and third in the 300H and 100H at the MSHSL State Track and Field Championships. Her state title in the 300H marked her first time under 44 seconds, stopping the clock at 43.62, the fastest freshman time since 2019 and third-fastest in state history. In the 100H, Richter ran 14.63, another PB, the fourth-fastest time ever by a Minnesota freshman and the quickest since 2019. With one title already to her name, Richter will be looking to complete the sweep this time around in St. Michael.
The No. 3 returner in the 110H and No. 25 returner in the 300H this season is just a sophomore, and his marks from a year ago show he's not far off the top. While he's elite in both, the 110H is Ginskey's bread and butter. With a PB of 14.61, set at the MSHSL Section 1AAA Championships, he is the fastest freshman in state history and already the fifth-fastest underclassman before even opening his sophomore season. Like the others on this list, Ginskey looks like he's just getting started.