STATE QUALIFIERS — Fairmont freshman Macy Hanson (left) and senior teammate Laura Thompson, shown leading the varsity girls field at the I-90 Invitational during the regular season, will compete in the Class AA state cross country meet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — An end to a prolific prep cross country career, two return trips to the St. Olaf College campus and two state debuts will be the scenarios run out at the Minnesota high school state meets on Saturday in Northfield.

First-time state qualifiers Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther freshman Josiah DeMaris and Martin County West junior Jamesson Forsberg will literally take the first steps for the area qualifiers at noon in the Class A boys’ 5,000-meter race before Martin County West sophomore Katie Hartke makes her second state appearance at 1 p.m. in the Class A girls competition.

Fairmont senior Laura Thompson and freshman teammate Macy Hanson will conclude the area contingent’s state experience by breaking from the starting line in the Class AA girls race at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Thompson will run in the fifth overall state cross country meet of her record-breaking six-year career, while Hanson will make her second state showing after qualifying as a seventh-grade phenom in 2019. Unfortunately, Hanson and Thompson were denied the chance to compete in 2020 as there was no Minnesota State High School League-sponsored meet due to Covid restrictions.

“They’re both outstanding runners with a lot of experience at big meets under their belts,” Fairmont head coach Bob Bonk said in reference to his program’s No. 1 and No. 2 runners at the 5K distance of all-time. “I think Gale Woods (in Minnetrista) is one of the toughest courses around, and having four of the top 12-ranked runners in Class AA competing in our section speaks volumes.”

Hutchinson’s No. 1-ranked Isabella Schmitz, who recorded the fastest seasonal time — 17:56.3 — in Class AA this fall, struck gold ahead of Thompson and Hanson in the Section 2 Meet in Minnetrista on Oct. 26. Schmitz covered the Gale Woods course in 18:14.81.

Ironically, Thompson, who captured the section’s silver with a time of 18:41.95, and Hanson, who earned bronze at 18:43.54, actually posted times lower than the Class AA girls champions in Sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

“In track, it’s easy to compare times since everybody’s running on the same type of flat surface,” said Bonk, “but it’s tougher in cross country because you have to figure in the weather conditions and how difficult the course’s terrain was.

“Overall, our section did produce some pretty good times though.”

Indeed. No. 12-ranked Allyson Sample of Marshall finished fourth individually at the Section 2AA Meet with a time of 19:02.48, which was faster than the champions in three other sections.

While Section 2 advanced four top-12 runners to St. Olaf College, Section 8’s top three qualifiers finished in the top 10 in the final state poll. No. 3-ranked Olivia Goebel, a sophomore from Albany, posted a winning time of 18:25.1 — the second-best qualifying mark behind Schmitz. Willmar’s Lauren Eilers, who holds the No. 9 spot, and Pequot Lakes’ Calia Chaney, who’s ranked No. 7, generated impressive times of 18:40.3 and 18:42.2 to place second and third, respectively, in Section 8 behind Goebel.

Zumbrota-Mazeppa’s Natasha Sortland, who won the Section 1AA crown, produced the third-fastest qualifying time of 18:32.0 and is ranked No. 4 in the state poll, while St. Paul Highland Park’s Molly Moening claimed the Section 3 championship with a time of 18:55.4. Moening finished the regular season ranked No. 2.

Zimmerman’s Hailee Zimpel posted a time of 18:54.08 to capture the Section 5 title and enters Saturday’s Class AA state meet ranked No. 10.

“After looking at the forecast for Saturday’s race, it should be just about perfect weatherwise,” said Bonk. “It’s not supposed to rain between now and then, and that can always be a factor, especially considering we’re the sixth race of the day, so the course should be in good shape.”

Thompson, who became the Fairmont program’s all-time points leader during the I-90 Invitational earlier this season, will aim for all-state honors — a top-25 finish — for the third time in her prep career.

The Augustana University commit garnered all-state accolades with a 23rd-place effort (19:36.9) in 2019 and on the strength of a 14th-place performance (19:17) in 2017.

Thompson also placed 34th with a time of 19:47.1 in the 2018 Class A state meet, and netted 47th place in 20:16.1 as a seventh-grader to claim the fourth counting spot on Fairmont’s 2016 Class A state championship team.

Meanwhile, Hanson will look to improve on her Class A state debut when she placed 31st in 19:48.9 as a seventh-grader in 2019.

“Laura and Macy have definitely turned in seasons worth remembering for a long time,” said Bonk. “Those two have had the same training regimen and it’s really benefitted both of them coming down the stretch.

“One thing that has eluded both girls is they haven’t made the stage in the St. Olaf gym,” Bonk added in reference to finishing in the top 10. “That would be a super way to end the season.”

In Saturday’s 1 p.m. Class A girls’ race, Hartke will look to improve her initial time and placing from the 2019 state meet at St. Olaf College. Hartke netted 75th place overall by crossing the finish line in 20:24.0 as an eighth-grade phenom.

Ironically, Hartke posted a similar time — 20:24.76 — in placing sixth overall during last Friday’s Section 2A Meet at Riverside Town & Country Club north of Blue Earth.

Hartke will face the likes of No. 1-ranked Nevis junior Jade Rypkema, who captured the 2021 3,200-meter state track & field championship, and No. 2-ranked Murray County Central junior Amanda Overgaauw. Amanda Overgaauw enters Saturday’s 1 p.m. state competition with the fastest time in Class A this fall — 17:41.27 at the BOLD Invitational on Oct. 7.

Rypkema captured second place during the 2019 Class A state meet with a time of 18:20.2, Luverne’s Tenley Nelson pocketed the bronze medal at 18:29.1, while Lester Prairie’s Addison Hoof finished fifth in 18:46.8.

Nelson, a senior, will pack a lethal 1-2 scoring punch for Luverne with No. 8-ranked sophomore teammate Jenna DeBates on Saturday, while Ashley Overgaauw — who’s ranked No. 9 — will look to help twin sister Amanda Overgaauw in MCC’s quest.

Section 2A champion Clare Fischer of Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s/Sleepy Eye Public/New Ulm Cathedral, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet senior Grace Moeller and Hoof all ended the season sharing the No. 12 spot in the Class A poll. Fischer won the sectional crown in 19:39.48, Moeller claimed second, while Hoff took third.

In the Class A boys’ noon race, Forsberg and DeMaris make their state cross country debuts after claiming sixth (17:16.26) and seventh (17:23.89) at the Section 2 Meet at Riverside Town & Country Club last Friday.

Top-ranked Finn McCormick of Nova Classical Academy enters the 5K race with the fastest boys time in Class A this season with a 15:47.5 generated at the Section 4 Meet on Oct. 26.

Section 2 champion Ryan Pierson, a sophomore at St. James Area, hits the course at No. 11 in the state rankings, while Luverne junior Camden Janiszeski and freshman Owen Janiszeski will look to pack a strong scoring punch. Camden Janiszeski won the Section 3 championship in 16:40.7, while sectional runner-up Owen Janiszeski produced a time of 16:47.94.