Fairmont takes 6th at True Team state meet

STILLWATER -- The Fairmont girls track and field squad and Cardinals' head coach Bob Bonk had one goal in mind when it came to Saturday's Class AA True Team State Meet on the Stillwater High School's campus -- finish in the top half of the 12-team field.

Check that off the list as Fairmont accomplished a sixth-place team finish by scoring 444 points.

Carissa Saxton ran the anchor leg in the meet-ending 4×400-meter relay and used a late push to help the Cardinals finish fourth and earn enough points to ease past Byron in the overall team standings.

Laura Thompson led off the final relay, followed by Macy Hanson, Mackenzie Householder and Saxton as the Fairmont girls posted a time of 4:16.76.

"Going in we wanted to finish in the top half," Bonk said. "We didn't accomplish that until the last part of the final relay. The girls accomplished what they came here for."

Rocori repeated as Class AA True Team girls champion by winning with 601 points, followed by Rockford with 546.5. Mankato East with 503.5, Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball with 491, Willmar with 451 and Fairmont with 444.

Byron was close behind Fairmont, placing seventh with 434 points.

Detroit Lakes with 422.5 points, Belle Plaine 384.5, North Branch 309.5, Simley 288 and The Blake School 243.5 completed the 12-team field, respectively.

The Cardinals had top placers, including Ellie Hernes taking first in the triple jump with a mark of 37 feet, 7 inches.

Thompson, Ellie Hernes, Hanson and Corene Moeller paced Fairmont's scorers.

Thompson took home a couple of first-place finishes by winning the distance events.

Thompson was first in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:15.75, while placing first in the 3,200 with a time of 11:12.66.

Hanson was the runner-up in the 1,600 run for the Cardinals, running a 5:16.12. Hanson also was the runner-up in the 800-meter run at 2:23.56.

Moeller sprinted to third place and teammate Carissa Saxton finished eighth in the open 400 with times of 1:01.29 and 1:02.70, respectively, for Fairmont.

Moeller also competed in other sprint events, taking ninth at 200 meters and 12th in the open 100 with times of 27.6 and 13.41, respectively.

Hernes took fourth in the high hurdles with a time of 16.13 seconds and placed sixth in the long jump at 16-7 1/2. Rachel O'Connor tied for fourth in pole vault by clearing 9 feet even for the Cardinals.

Alexa Bush competed in throwing events, placing seventh in the shot put and 15th in the discus, reaching marks of 33-4 and 86-11, respectively.

Householder was 16th in the shot put with a throw of 30-6 3/4 and Kennedy Becker was 22nd in the discus with a mark of 78 feet even.

In the high jump, Hernes tied for 10th at 4-8 and Vanessa Bliesmer was 22nd at 4-4. Bliesmer was 13th in the pole vault, clearing 9 feet even.

Householder was 16th in the shot put and Jazlyn Geerdes took home 18th in the long jump with marks of 30-6 3/4 and 15-0 1/2, respectively. Geerdes also placed seventh in the triple jump by clearing 34-0 1/2.

A runner Bonk pointed out was Carys Gudahl, who used a personal-best 12:44.29 in the 3,200 to take 10th.

Hadley Artz placed 12th in the high hurdles with a 17.52, while in the 300 hurdles Artz finished 20th at 53.99 and Cadence Leiding was 22nd at 54.63.

Fairmont's other three relays finished 11th, 11th and 12th, respectively. The 4×800 of Leiding, Elayna Anderson, Gudahl and Ellie Ortega ran 11:00.83; the 4×200 of Claire Nemmers, Householder, Emily Frank and Geerdes ran 1:55.63 and the 4×100 of Claire Nemmers, Meredith Nemmers, Householder and Geerdes ran 54.83.

Fairmont competes in Day 1 of the Minnesota State High School League's Section 2AA Meet at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, in Waconia. Day 2 of the sectional competition is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, June 3, back in Waconia.