The Minnewaska Area track and field teams had another banner season last spring, sending 10 different boys and girls events to state, including Owen Meulebroeck in the 300 meter hurdles and Jayda Kolstoe in the shot put with both Lakers coming home with gold medals.

Kolstoe, a sophomore, threw the shot put 43-9 1/4 to beat the second-place competitor by almost three feet.  That also broke her old school record of 39-7 1/2.  Kolstoe had four of her six throws at state go over 40 feet, including the state-winning throw on her second attempt of the day.

Meulebroeck meanwhile, who just took up track two years ago, ran a time of 39.86 in the 300 hurdles to earn first by .12 and also set a new school record in the process, breaking Paul Suckstorff’s old record of 40.05 set in 2003.

The Lakers are set to open up the season Tuesday, April 1 at an indoor meet at Concordia College followed by a meet at Morris (April 8) and at Litchfield (April 10).

The first home track and field meet is set for Tuesday, April 15.  The Lakers also host home meets Tuesday, April 29 and Thursday, May 22 for the sub-section track meet.

•  Earning MVP honors for the track and field teams last year were Maeson Tank (MVP Track), Jayce Kovarik (MVP Field), Owen Meulebroeck (Team MVP), Dacia Fleury (Team MVP), Lauryn Ankeny (MVP Track) and Jayda Kolstoe (MVP Field).

Selected last spring to be the 2025 captains are Dacia Fleury, Addy Kath, Lauryn Ankeny, Olivia Danielson, Zach Palmer, Lucas Tauber, Owen Muelebroeck, Kaiden Harvey and Carter Meyer.

Earning Most Improved honors last spring were Sydney Ankeny, Kaiden Harvey, Carter Dinsmore and Maia Larson, and named Rookie of the Year last year were Luke Hoffmann and Ella Larson.

In addition, winning the “Laker Tough” awards were Ian Mills, Lauryn Ankeny and Carter Meyer and selected for the Steve Hill Award were Izzy Bautista, Hunter Stadsvold and Brooklyn Meyer.

The Lakers also had  a number of athletes named All-Conference last spring, including Jayda Kolstoe, Olivia Danielson, Lauryn Ankeny, Alia Randt, Dacia Fleury, Maia Larson, Jillian Deutsch, Sydney Ankeny, Ella Larson, Lyla Stadtherr and Melena Longtin for the girls team, and Kaiden Harvey, Carter Dinsmore, Asante Adams, Carter Meyer, Jayce Kovarik, Owen Meulebroeck and Maeson Tank for the boys.

•  The gold medals by Meulebroeck and Kolstoe were the third and fourth state track gold medals won by Minnewaska Area athletes since 1991-92.  Peyton Johnsrud won the state high jump in 2021 while Metaya Jergenson earned first in the discus.  

Minnewaska Area also set a number of school records last season including Meulebroeck’s 39.86 in the 300 hurdles, Kolstoe’s 43-9 1/4 shot put heave at state and the 800 meter relay record of 1:31.21 set by Kaiden Harvey, Meulebroeck, Carter Meyer and Maeson Tank during the section meet.

Also at the state meet, the 800 meter relay team of Meulebroeck, Maeson Tank, Carter Meyer and Kaiden Harvey placed fifth with a time of 1:31.43, while Tank also placed ninth in the 400 meter dash with a time of 51.04 and the girls 3200 meter relay team of Olivia Danielson, Alia Randt, Ella Larson and Lauryn Ankeny earned seventh with a time of 9:48.81.

Cotter won the Class A girls team title in 2024 by one point over EVW-Kimball and Bagley-Fosston, while Caledonia dominated the boys Class A meet, winning with 67 points, while Cotter was second with 39 and HLWW third with 38.5.

Also competing at state last spring but failing to reach the finals were Asante Adams in the 200 meter dash, the 1600 meter relay team of Harvey, Meulebroeck, Tank and Jayce Kovarik, the 400 meter relay team of Meyer, Harvey, Caden Christensen and Adams, Lauryn Ankeny in the 300 meter hurdles and the 1600 meter girls relay team of Ankeny, Ella Larson, Alia Randt and Aubrey Polzin.

•  The girls track team won the section true-team title last year and went on to place seventh of 12 teams at the State True-Team Meet.

The girls placed first at eight meets last season and second at another three meets.  The boys team meanwhile, was first at the 8-team Minnewaska Area Invitational and sub-section meet and second at five other competitions.