100 —Pine Island's Kyle Groven is looking to take the next step and win a state individual title this year. Groven was third in the 100 last year and second in the 400. He comes in with the fifth-fastest qualifying time of 11.20, but the top overall time this season of 10.99. Top qualifying time belongs to Proctor's Terrance Wenzel (11.01).
200 —Section 1A had three state qualifiers — Plainview-Elgin-Millville's Tysen Schmidt (22.34), Rushford-Peterson/Houston Noah Carlson (22.37) and Dover-Eyota's Payton Schott (22.86). Carlson was fifth at state in the 200 last year (23.00). Schmidt owns the state's top qualifying time and Carlson is second.
400 —Pine Island's Groven has a great shot to win a state title here, in an event he was runner-up last year. His 49.61 qualifying time is tops in the state. Groven has run a 48.95 this season. Second-best qualifying time belongs to Pipestone's Eli Stevens (49.64). Lewiston-Altura's Bradley Miller qualified with a 50.48, which is in the top one-third of the pack.
800 —Pine Island has a chance to finish 1-2 in this race. Mitchel Acker is the top qualifier in the state (1:56.39) and teammate Jack Williams is second (1:57.72). Acker finished third last year, in 1:57.56.
1,600 —GMLOKS' Peter Torkelson has lost just one 1,600 race all season. But he is going to have his work cut out beating Montevideo's Kurt TeBeest. He ran a 4:25.43 qualifying time. Torkelson is second best, with a 4:27.48. La Crescent's Matt Steiger is also right there with his 4:28.32.
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3,200 —Section 1A has the top two qualifiers here. La Crescent's Zack Emery comes in at 9:41.77 and Lake City's Mitchel Mund at 9:46.31. Next best is Mora's Cole Olin at 9:53.40.
110 hurdles —Lourdes' Javon Kunkel hasn't lost a 110 hurdles race all season. He's got his work cut out at state, though, with six qualifiers with better times than his 15.50.
300 hurdles —No likely state contender out of Section 1A
400 relay —Section 1A has qualified four teams for this relay, La Crescent, Stewartville, Plainview-Elgin-Millville and Lourdes. La Crescent has the state's best time of 43.65. Stewartville is second at 44.01.
800 relay —Stewartville comes in with the fourth-fastest qualifying time, 1:31.99. Foley is best (1:31.56).
1,600 relay —Lewiston-Altura ran a 3:28.46 in the section meet and Pine Island a 3:28.59. The only team better than that is Fairmont, at 3:28.14.
3,200 relay —Section 1A looks strong here. Pine Island has the second-best qualifying time (8:13.89) and Lake City the third (8:13.93). Tops is Fairmont, at 8:08.75. The 2007 Pine Island team holds the state record, at 7:58.21.
300 hurdles —Byron's Jens Knutson qualified with 41.96 time. That is in the lower one-third among state qualifiers.
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High jump —Section 1A doesn't look to have a likely state contender in the high jump.
Long jump —Rushford-Peterson/Houston jumping sensation Noah Carlson has a good chance of sweeping the long jump and triple jump, as he did last year. Carlson's 22-11 3/4 qualifying leap is easily the state's best, by more than a foot.
Triple jump —The state's defending champion is the odds-on favorite to do it again. R-P/H's Carlson has rounded out to form the last few weeks. He is the No. 1 qualifier with a 46-8 1/2 clearance. But not far behind is Breck's Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman. He went 46-3. Carlson won state last year with a 48-4 distance.
Shot put —Rushford-Peterson/Houston's Matt Culhane has the state's second-best qualifying distance, at 53-10 1/2. Tops is St. Clair's Mitchell Weber, at 57-0.
Discus —R-P/H's Culhane finished second at state last year in the event, with a 169-2 throw. He's gone 169-10 this year, and qualified with a 168 throw. Tops is St. Clair's Weber (173-3). Stewartville's Garret Nosbisch is also outstanding, with his 160-7 qualifying throw. That ranks third in the field.
Pole vault —Plainvew-Elgin-Millville's Jacob Munsch has made big progress this year. Just a freshman, he comes in with the state's third-best qualifying distance (13-9). That is also his season's best vault. Rockford's Erik Olson and Holdingford's Logan Storm both cleared 14-3.
— Pat Ruff
