WINDING UP — Fairmont thrower Sawyer Tordsen begins his footwork to trigger his spin and ensuing heave in the shot during the 2022 Minnesota State High School League’s Class AA state track & field meet at St. Michael-Albertville. Tordsen went on to win a state championship in his other throwing event — the discus. The Cardinal senior will look to eclipse some school records in both field events, starting with his final Sentinel Relays on Friday in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Fairmont senior standout Sawyer Tordsen won the 2022 discus championship in the Class AA state meet with a throw of 156 feet and 9 inches and he hasn’t slowed down.

His mojo continued last Friday when he threw the discus a personal-best 163-2 to place third in the prestigious Hamline Elite Meet in St. Paul.

Only Rosemount’s Hayden Bills and Woodbury’s Jordan Dunigan beat him with throws of 180-6 and 170-3, respectively.

His previous best was 157-10 and he’s closing on the school record. He’s currently second on the school list in the discus and the Sentinel Relays would be a great spot to break the record as he launches the discus far into Fairmont’s air space. Tordsen needs 1 foot, 9 inches to break Steve Ring’s record set in 1966.

Tordsen is one of the featured competitors at this year’s Sentinel Relays which starts with the field events at 4 p.m. Friday at the Bob Bonk Track at Fairmont.

Tordsen continues to beat his competition in the throws this spring, taking first or second place in the shot put and discus in every meet.

He literally towers over his competitors, thanks to his 6-7, 287-pound frame. He is an Augustana University football commit.

“I’ve thought about playing both football and doing track at Augustana, but I’m sticking with football,” Tordsen said. “However, I do like track. I’ve learned a lot from my older brother, Conner.”

Conner Tordsen is the discus, hammer throw and shot put school-record holder at Dakota State University.

“The Sentinel Relays have been a great tradition for Fairmont track & field,” Fairmont head track coach Jesse Walters said. “It is a meet that we look forward to every year and I appreciate all the schools that participate and the volunteers that help make it happen.”

Sawyer Tordsen is improving with each meet and has helped Fairmont’s boys track & field team post a 17-1 overall record this spring as of the end of April, and he’s amped to throw at the annual Sentinel Relays.

“I’m a rotational thrower, and I think it helps that I am tall (6-7) and have a wide arm span,” Tordsen said.

He has been throwing the shot and discus since 7th grade and has been a member of the varsity team since his freshman year. He has improved with each season and last year, saved his best for last, winning the best in the state in Class AA in the discus.

“I do feel a little pressure being the defending state champ, but once I get ready to throw, I’m zoned in,” he said. “I don’t see any distractions. I make sure my technique is right. Not every throw is going to be good. I just focus on my next throw.”

He is one of the best in the discus in the state, regardless of class. This spring, Tordsen has gone toe-to-toe with Caleb Vancura of Jackson County Central.

In a recent meet, the two split as Tordsen beat Vancura handlily in the discus, but lost to him in the shot put by less than 3 inches. The two will compete against each other in the Sentinel Relays’ Class AA or big-schools competition.

When he makes his final high school throw at the end of May in the section meet or the second week of June in the state finals at St. Michael-Albertville, his track & field career comes to an end and college football career starts.

He starts training camp at Augustana in early August and his first collegiate game is Saturday, Sept. 2, at 1 p.m. at Kireby-Over Stadium in Sioux Falls, S.D. against the University of Mary Mauraders. He plans to major in business finance.