OFF & RUNNING — Members of the Fairmont Cardinal boys track & field team opening the season by competing in today’s 5:30 p.m. indoor meet at Myers Field House on the Minnesota State University campus in Mankato include, front row (left to right): Allon Chen, Josiah Hoye, Blaze Geiger, Landon Gilbertson, Taylor Austin, Gage Borntrager, Kellen Stenzel, Dakota Madias and Jase Meade. Second row: Carter Hanson, Landon Traetow, Ethan Pockrus, Israel Blackmon, Landon Weber, Connor Gronewald, Ty Nawrocki, Mathias Tiffany and Ethan Siebring. Third row: Matthew Senneff, Braydon Lindsay, Jordan Thompson, Brier Lenort, Cooper Gudahl, Seth Siebring, Benet Mathiason, Ty Tumbleson and Caleb Chambers. Fourth row: Will Niestrath, Kaden Bell, Clay Mitchell, Gavin Artner, Nolan Hansen, Caine Gronewald, Andrew Haugen and Jaron Schutz. Fifth row: Devin Hanson, Jeremiah Lebbi, Charles Neusch, Kayden Williams, Eli Winter, Oliver Tordsen, Hank Artz and Nolan Schultze. Back: Assistant coach Crystal Hanson, assistant coach Stew Murfield, head coach Jesse Walters, assistant coach Brad Johnson and assistant coach Scott Geerdes. Not pictured: Ethan Geerdes, Elijah Johnson, Isaiah Lockwood, Parker Mathiason, Isaac Sheard, Ivan Martin, Jaydon Putney, Nelson Remington, Tavian Harvey and assistant coach Dave Shoen. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT — Throwers … definitely. Jumpers … yep. Sprint relays … you betcha. Distance runners … positively. Hurdlers … sure. Sprinters … yes.

Fairmont head coach Jesse Walters was able to pencil in an ‘X’ in nearly every category on his boys track & field checklist during the first two weeks of spring practice.

“There’s no doubt about it — we’ve got a lot of depth this year,” said Walters, who returns three-event wheelchair division Class AA state champion Nelson Remington and double state medalist thrower Hank Artz to his high-octane roster. “I believe we have a legitimate chance to win the (Big South) conference, but it won’t be easy. We will have to get the most out of our 55 guys to accomplish it.”

Remington, who has etched his name in the Cardinals’ record books in five wheelchair division track events — 100-, 200-, 400-, 800- and 1,600-meters — struck gold in the 100, 200 and 800 at the 2023 state competition.

“Nelson works really hard in practice, and I am excited to see what he can accomplish this year,” said Walters.

Artz also returns to Fairmont’s lineup after earning all-state honors by producing a fifth-place medal in the shot put with a heave of 51 feet, 11 inches to complement generating a ninth-place medal in the discus with a toss of 153-5 last spring.

The Cardinals’ junior thrower holds the No. 5 all-time distance in school history in the shot (52-10) and the No. 4 career distance in the discus at 154-6.

A shoulder injury, however, may prevent Artz from throwing in Fairmont’s indoor opener at 5:30 p.m. today against Big South opponents Blue Earth Area, New Ulm, St. James Area and St. Peter at Minnesota State University in Mankato.

“Until he’s able to throw again, we’ll use him as a sprinter,” Walters said in reference to Fairmont’s nimble fullback during last fall’s football campaign.

“Even without Hank to start out with, I see (junior) Oliver Tordsen emerging from the shadows of both Hank and his brother (2023 Fairmont graduate Sawyer Tordsen).

“Ironically, in other years, Oliver would have been the big man on campus last season, so to speak, if he wasn’t behind teammates who were two of the best throwers in the entire state.”

Sawyer Tordsen, who captured the 2022 Class AA state discus championship with a toss of 156-9, established Fairmont’s school record in his specialty with a hurl of 165-3 last spring. Sawyer Tordsen, who finished No. 10 all-time in the Cardinals’ shot put category, placed sixth in the state discus last year.

Oliver Tordsen, however, already holds the No. 9 career discus mark for Fairmont throwers at 144-8 and will be looking to climb the charts this spring.

“Oliver will be one to watch as the season progresses,” Walters said in reference to the 6-7 junior.

But the Cardinals’ talent does not end with the throwers as Charles Neusch, Blaze Geiger and Isaiah Lockwood return three legs of last year’s No. 3 all-time 4×100 relay team that crossed the finish line in 44.34 seconds.

“We need to find a replacement for Trey Tumbleson, who ran the anchor on our 4×1, and we should be very competitive again,” said Walters. “We’ll probably be looking to sprinters like Taylor Austin, Gage Borntrager, Allon Chen, Caleb Chambers, Elijah Johnson and Nolan Schultze to fill that vacated spot in that relay.

“Those guys also will figure into our individual sprint mix, too.”

Walters also sees Borntrager and Lockwood in the triple jump after clearing 40-9 1/2 and 38-8 1/2, respectively, a year ago. Borntrager, who cleared 11-9, will contend with teammates Will Niestrath and Ty Nawrocki in the pole vault. Niestrath and Nawrocki each eclipsed 10 feet even last spring.

Senior Landon Gilbertson tops the hurdles crew with a 110-meter high mark of 16.88 and a 300 hurdles personal-best of 42.58, while Gavin Artner and Brier Lenort literally will be in running for the long haul, so to speak.

“Gavin returns with a PR (personal-record) of 4:36.92 in the 1,600 and a 3,200 PR of 10:31.21,” said Walters. “He was a big point scorer for the team last year, and we’ll count on him to do the same again this season.”

Walters also expects Lenort to be competitive in the mile and 2-mile events after posting PRs of 5:01.92 and 10:52.52, respectively, in 2023.

“Similar to the conference, I think our depth gives us a good chance to qualify for state in True Team,” said Walters. “From a Minnesota State High School League perspective, I think we have enough skilled athletes that we could take a bus to state instead of cars.”