IN THE STARTING BLOCKS — Members of the Fairmont Cardinal girls track & field lineup scheduled to open the official outdoor season on Monday — weather permitting — at Bonk Track in Fairmont include, front row (l-r): Elayna Anderson, Selma Bleess, Hadley Artz, Meredith Nemmers, Ava Rodning, Kendra Blomster, Kennedy Becker, Ellie Ortega and Alexa Bush. Second row: Alayna Buntjer, Norah Traetow, Carys Gudahl, Bella Schroeder, Macy Hanson, Madison Carlson, Bella Larson, Corene Moeller, Jazlyn Geerdes and Anna Utermarck. Third row: Audrina Suckow, Kaymarie Desjarlais, Season Kotewa, Cadence Leiding, Finley Reichel, Grace Simpson, Madison Pluim, Harper Artz, Jadyn Montgomery, Abbie Simpson and Emelia Klanderud. Back row: Assistant coach Stew Murfield, assistant coach Dave Shoen, assistant coach Scott Geerdes, head coach Jesse Walters, assistant coach Brad Johnson and assistant coach Crystal Hanson. Not pictured: Hannah Goerndt and Hannah Fischer. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — What’s in store this spring for the Fairmont Cardinals girls track & field team complete with a roster that fields six seniors?

Only time will tell for this group.

“We have two good leaders in Corene (Moeller) and Macy (Hanson),” first-year head coach Jesse Walters said. “We have other girls, like Jazlyn (Geerdes), who are poised to step up and post good times for us.”

Last year, the Fairmont girls tied with Pequot Lakes for 11th place with 26 points in the Minnesota State High School League’s Class AA state meet.

Walters won’t have the luxury of consistent point scorers Ellie Hernes and Laura Thompson, who both graduated last June.

Hernes was third in the Class AA state meet’s triple jump with a mark of 37-9 1/4 and fourth in the long jump at 17-1 1/2, while Thompson was fourth in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 10:51.79.

In addition, Thompson and Hernes were a part of the Cardinals’ 4×400-meter relay team with current runners Moeller — a North Dakota State track commit — and Hanson. The relay team posted a sixth-place state time of 4:07.5.

Moeller and Hanson look to anchor this year’s Fairmont squad. Moeller competes in the sprinting events and will also run in the 4×400. Hanson runs distance events and will once again join Moeller in the relay.

Moeller also placed eighth in the Class AA state meet in the 400-meter run with a time of 1:00.04 last spring.

This is Walters’ inaugural season as the head coach. He replaces hall of famer Bob Bonk. Bonk was the Cardinals’ head coach for five decades, compiling dozens of accolades, such as winning 20 conference titles and capturing five True Team state championships (1991, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001).

Walters was an assistant coach under Bonk, so he is familiar with the athletes and what their strengths are.

This year’s seniors are Hannah Goerndt, Anna Utermarck, Hadley Artz, Jazlyn Geerdes, Corene Moeller and Selma Bleess joined by juniors Alexa Bush, Elayna Anderson and Bella Larson.

Also watch for sophomores Madison Carlson, Kaymarie Desjarlais, Macy Hanson, Season Kotewa, Hannah Fischer, Meredith Nemmers, Grace Simpson, Ava Rodning, Bella Schroeder, Cadence Leiding, Carys Gudahl, Ellie Ortega, Finley Reichel, Kennedy Becker, Madison Pluim and Norah Traetow.

Freshmen on the squad are Kendra Blomster, Alayna Buntjer, Sylvia Oberbeck and Audrina Suckow.

Rounding out the roster are eighth-graders Harper Artz, Emelia Klanderud, Jadyn Montgomery and Abbie Simpson.

“Our girls’ team isn’t as big as the boys, but we have good leaders out there,” Walters said.

Walters’ schedule this month will keep the girls team busy.

The Cardinals travel to Mankato East, Waseca and St. James Area for triangular meets, plus play host to a triangular meet scheduled for Monday at Bonk Track in Fairmont — weather permitting.

The schedule amps up in May with the annual Sentinel Relays the first Friday in the month, followed by an away dual meet the following week at Jordan.

The Fairmont girls compete in an invitational at Worthington the third week of May, and then travel to Stillwater for the True Team meet the third Saturday of the month.

The Big South Conference Meet is scheduled for the final full week of May and will be held at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.

“Our schedule has the biggest meets in May and the girls will have some time to lower their times or better their throws,” Walters said. “The month of May is a an important part of our season and I’m confident the girls will be at where they want to be in their performances on the track.”

•

Editor’s Note: Fairmont competes in the Minnesota State University prep indoor track & field invitational at noon today on the Mankato campus.

The starting time was moved back 2 hours from its original 10 a.m. time line.

Hadley Artz and Cadence Leiding will compete in the 60-meter hurdles, Macy Hanson will run both the 1,600- and 800-meter races, Abbie Simpson, Carys Gudahl and Ellie Ortega will join Hanson in the half-mile run, Corene Moeller and Bella Larson will hit the starting blocks in the open 200, Alexa Bush will battle in the shot put, while Jazlyn Geerdes will vie for top honors in both the triple and long jumps.

Fairmont also will be represented in the 4×200 and 4×400 relay races.