SILVER-MEDAL THROW — Fairmont’s Alexa Bush releases her toss in the shot put to claim second-place honors at Friday night’s Blue Earth Area track & field competition at Wilson Field in Blue Earth. (Photo by Greg Abel)

BLUE EARTH — The Fairmont Cardinals boys and girls track & field teams swept the Blue Earth Area Invitational on Friday night at Wilson Field.

The Cardinals had 14 first-place finishes, including Corene Moeller, who posted a winning time of 13.1 seconds in the 100-meter dash to help pace the girls’ winning performances.

Fairmont’s Hadley Artz claimed the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 51.2; the 4×100 relay team of Kennedy Becker, Hadley Artz, Hannah Goerndt and Bella Larson ran a first-place 54.6; the 4×200 relay team of Goerndt, Emelia Klanderud, Kennedy Becker and Bella Larson won in 1:55.9; the 4×400 relay team of Cadence Leiding, Abbie Simpson, Klanderud and Harper Artz won in 4:34.9; the 4×100 shuttle hurdle relay team of Leiding, Bella Schroeder, Anna Utermarck and Hadley Artz crossed the line first in 1:15.4; Alexa Bush heaved the discus to 99 feet, 7 1/2 inches; while Jazlyn Geerdes won the triple jump at 32-6.

Landon Gilbertson paced the Fairmont boys team by winning the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 44.9; the 4×400 relay team of Gilbertson, Caleb Chambers, Nolan Schultze and Blaze Geiger combined for a first-place time of 4:42.6; Sawyer Tordsen won the shot put with a throw of 48-1 and the discus with a throw of 159-7.

Fairmont’s 4×100 shuttle hurdles team of Ethan Geerdes, Jaron Schutz, Ethan Pockrus and Gilbertson had a winning time of 1:14.6; and Nelson Remington claimed the 100-meter wheelchair event in 20.1.

“I have all of the confidence in the world in these kids,” Fairmont head coach Jesse Walters said. “Doing their best reaffirms the hard work they put in during the week.”

At the start of the meet, temperatures were in the high 70s, but a cold front with light rain started, the wind kicked up and temperatures dropped 20 degrees.

Fairmont won the boys team competition with 395 points, followed by Maple River with 336, Jackson County Central with 325, St. James Area with 296.5, Blue Earth Area with 247.5, Martin County West with 226 and United South Central with 74.

In the final girls standings, Fairmont had 402 points to bring home the team championship, followed by Jackson County Central with 381, Blue Earth Area with 317.5, St. James Area with 258, Martin County West with 202.5, Maple River with 170 and United South Central with 156.

The Cardinals’ success continued beyond the event champions as Hank Artz placed second in the shot put and third in the discus with throws of 47-3 and 134-7, respectively.

Fairmont’s Trey Tumbleson finished second in the long jump with a mark of 19-2 1/2.

Blue Earth Area’s Jacob Grandgenett was third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.7, while teammate Kade Gaydon took second in the 300-meter hurdles at 47.7.

BEA’s Austin Stauffer placed second in the high jump by clearing 5-8.

MCW’s Ryan Pierson was the 3,200-meter champion by turning in a time of 10:24.3, and the MCW 4×800 relay team of Ryan Pierson, Grant Koehnen, Jamesson Forsberg and Riley Cole won with a time of 8:55.6.

MCW’s duo of Jamesson Forsberg and Grant Koehnen took second and third in the 1,600-meter run with times of 5:10.3 and 5:21.6, respectively.

The MCW 4×200 relay team of Kole Hanson, Berent Kosbab, Joseph Forsberg and Kylar Larson placed third with a time of 1:14.0.

In the girls’ meet, other Fairmont top point producers were Harper Artz, who was second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:06.2, and Carys Gudahl, who took third in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 13:47.0.

The Cardinals’ 4×800 relay team of Selma Bleess, Audrina Suckow, Elayna Anderson and Gudahl finished second with a time of 11:48.3.

Fairmont’s Alexa Bush placed second in the shot put with a throw of 31-7 and Kennedy Becker was third in the shot at 28-6.

Jazlyn Geerdes was runner-up in the long jump with a mark of 14-9 1/2 and Abbie Simpson took second in the triple jump at 30-5.

Blue Earth Area had a couple of champions in the girls’ portion of the competition at Wilson Field as Chloe Groe took first place in the shot put with a throw of 32-11.

Sprinter Addison Armstrong took top accolades in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:03.2, as well displaying her field-event skills by clearing 10 feet even to win the pole vault for the host Bucs.

Blue Earth Area long-distance runner Aubrey Woodwick finished second in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 6:40.3, while Groe added a second-place showing in the discus with a toss of 98-6 1/2.

Blue Earth Area’s Sarah Dohm placed third in the high jump by clearing 4-6.

For Martin County West, Katie Hartke took second place in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 13:41.2.

Fairmont competes against Maple River and host Mankato East in a 4 p.m. nonconference triangular on Tuesday at Wolverton Field in Mankato.