Fairmont Sentinel file photo

FAIRMONT – The hay is officially in the barn.

Fairmont track and field’s final week of practice hasn’t been an attempt to reinvent the wheel, but rather, fine-tuning every checkmark you could think of. That time and energy have already been put in over the course of the three-month season and beyond. Right now, it’s about the little things.

“We’ve done the hard work throughout the season to get ourselves into this position,” Fairmont head coach Jesse Walters said. “Especially with the running portion, what we are doing now is maintenance. We don’t have a lot of real hard work to put in at this stage. Any work we do here isn’t going to necessarily reap the benefits that you think it would.”

In his fourth year as the headman of the Cardinal program, Walters has again seen a steady presence of athletes bid their way to this weekend’s Class AA State Track and Field Championships.

The results from the Section 2AA Conference Championships saw eight events pass the mandatory state bid qualifications.

Last Thursday’s opening day of competition at Gustavus Adolphus College saw Jase Meade earn his second trip to state in the pole vault, leaping to a height of 13-07 to place third in the section. Addison Folkerts took home gold in discus, outpacing Ana Nelson from Mankato West with her distance of 108-03.

The final six events were clinched on the ensuing afternoon. In the field, Ellie Perkins added to her athletic resume by notching a fifth-place, personal best, triple jump distance of 35-10, before healthily securing her third consecutive state trip on the pole vault moments later.

Kaylee Kloecker finished her outstanding freshman regular season in the shot put. Her steady climb since the hot start to the year was embodied by her fourth-place throw of 36-06, meeting the state standard by a handful of inches.

Fairmont’s 4 by 800 relay team of Carter Hanson, Jordan Thompson, Cooper Gudahl and Brier Lenort threw together their best race of the season on the orange oval, finishing at a clip of 8:05.61 and placing just behind Belle Plaine for second.

Two more season-best times were reached with the help of Dakota Wiley. Wiley’s initial 400-meter sprint clocked in at a time of 50.16 to place third. He then joined Hanson, Lenort and Thompson in the 4 by 400 relay to close out the section meet, taking home the title after outdueling Mankato East.

Walters has had at least eight events reach the state level during his short coaching tenure. This season’s results continued to show just how much hard work and dedication his athletes have put in together.

“It’s a focused group right now,” Walters said. “They’ve all worked very hard at their craft for quite a while, and are pretty focused to go and finish the race, if you will, and finish on a high note. I think the feeling I’m getting out of them is real focus.”

The Class AA portion of the MSHSL State Track and Field Championships begins on Friday with preliminary action. Top placers in the opening day will qualify for Saturday’s Class AA Finals. Both sections are set to start at 9:00 a.m. at St. Michael High School.