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Fairmont boys to build around returning track core

FAIRMONT — After losing a crop of state-medaling seniors, the Fairmont boys track & field team will look to the strength of its juniors and seniors.

Fairmont head coach Bob Bonk said losing a group like he had last year is tough and there are areas this year’s team will need to improve on, but there is a lot of talent ready to fill in.

“If they don’t graduate, something is wrong,” Bonk said with a laugh. “There are a couple of areas where it really shows up, one is the hurdles, we lost our top three hurdlers, but I have to say Tony Nuss, who is only in his second year hurdling, his form is excellent. A big surprise not only in the hurdles, but in the high jump, is Shawn Oberbeck, he’s just grown up from last year to this year. He’s doing much better than I expected.

“I think we have three decent, varsity-level throwers now in (Riley) Chaffee, (Dominick) Ortiz and (Jacob) Rahn. Rahn in particular has really improved a lot. After that we have good, prospective, young guys, but it’s hard to be young in the throws.”

After the graduation of athletes such as Kellen Rodriguez, Dayton Pasch, Wyatt Quiring and Connor Tordsen, this year’s team will look to senior captains Chaffee, Dylan Kennedy, Andrew Moeller and Justin Olson for leadership.

Bonk said Moeller has reached a special height with the team.

“In many ways, I think Andrew Moeller is the alpha male,” Bonk said. “He’s lettered in track since seventh grade and I’m not sure we’ve ever had anyone else do that. I’m confident in saying no boy has gotten 12 varsity letters in track and cross country combined. I know he had been thinking about that indoor 800 record for a long, long time so I was happy to see him accomplish that.

“In many ways, Andrew is the leader, but we have a good group of seniors. Last year we had an outstanding group of seniors, they were very diverse, covered all the events well and I was not real optomistic honestly going into this year. The senior and junior classes are pretty solid and that’s why we’re doing well. We have a good group of athletes in both those grades.”

Bonk said one worry he has about the team this season is a lack of participants below 11th grade. He said there is talent in the younger grades, but not enough bodies.

“The biggest thing I’m concerned about is from grade 10 down, we don’t have the number of people I would like to have,” Bonk said. “We have some really outstanding younger guys, but not many and just not many people.”

This spring has seen nicer weather and a clearer track than the past few years and Bonk said that has had an effect. He said the best part about being able to hold practice outside earlier comes in the field events.

“I think it makes the biggest difference in the field events and the hurdles, things you really can’t practice well unless you’re outside,” Bonk said. “Even for the runners, it’s just more pleasant. Another positive effect of good weather is we have very good coaches. The coaching staff in the field events is just outstanding and they need good weather to do their thing.”

After some record-breaking and high-placing performances at the Minnesota State University Varsity Showcase on Saturday, Bonk said some of the seniors on this year’s team are all-time Fairmont greats.

Moeller set the school’s indoor 800 record with a finish in 2:01.34, then joined Kennedy, Jordan Wolter and Hudson Artz to set a 4×400-meter relay record in 3:36.36.

Caden Baarts, Kennedy, Artz and Nick Thate also combined for a Fairmont indoor record in 1:39.2 in the 4×200 relay.

Bonk said it’s too early to know what to expect from the Fairmont boys this season, but he does think the top talent will perform well throughout the year.

“In some ways, I think we’ll do better in the bigger, limited-entry meets,” Bonk said. “We have the high quality in the 200-400-800 group that can really place well in a big meet. So the challenge will be in the next month, when we mostly have small meets, to keep developing young guys to fill in behind them. We’ve got work to do, no doubt about that.”

The Fairmont track & field team plays host to New Ulm and St. Peter in a triangular at 4:15 p.m. today before traveling to Mankato East for a triangular against Mankato East and Maple River on Friday.

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