Youth prevails at Chatfield

WINONA — You watch such runners as Madalyn Kammer and Mariah Bell, and you get the feeling that the Chatfield girls track and field team is going to be excellent for a long a stretch.

Kammer and Bell finished 1-2 in the 200-meter dash Thursday at the Section One, Class A meet at Paul Giel Field. That qualified both for next week's state meet in St. Paul.

Kammer is a sophomore, Bell an eighth-grader. Kammer was timed in 26.62, Bell in 27.25.

Kammer also won the 400, in an impressive 58.68.

Then you find out that the oldest member of the Chatfield winning 800 relay team (1:46.32) is just a junior — that the others are a freshman, and then Kammer and Bell —and you really get the feeling that these Gophers are going to dominate the sprints for years to come.

At the very least, they are and will continue to provide each other stiff competition.

Kammer, who is heading to state for the first time in an individual event, sure appreciates having other talented sprinters around.

"It really does push you in practice," Kammer said.

It's helped turn her into a champion. With those titles, it was time to celebrate on Thursday night. At least a little bit. Kammer had recently given up ice cream. That sacrifice was going to be skipped, at least for one night. Reaching state in three events, with individual titles in two, deserved a scoop or two.

More young stars

Chatfield wasn't the only team showing that youth can prevail. That was also going on at Plainview-Elgin-Millville, with eighth-grader Morgan Shindelar surprising most in winning the 100. Shindelar beat out Byron star Jillian Krier, who had a rough start out of the blocks.

Shindelar was clocked in 13.07, Krier in 13.18.

A year ago, as a seventh-grader, Shindelar was seventh in the 100, in 13.35.

"I guess I got a lot faster," Shindelar said. "My goal was just to try to stick with (Krier), because I knew she was the best."

Krier tipped her hat to the young P-E-M star.

"I got out of the blocks bad, but I don't want to use that as an excuse," Krier said. "For an eighth-grader, (Shindelar) is really good."

Bitter-sweet for Krier

Byron's Krier wasn't overwrought about not winning the 100. She still had plenty to celebrate, such as having made it to state in three events. The senior won the pole vault (10-feet-2), ran a leg on Byron's winning 400 relay team (50.57), and was second in the 100.

One of Section 1A's best track and field talents for years, Krier found Thursday's meet emotional.

"It is bitter-sweet," Krier said. "It is sweet to do well here, but it is sad to think that this is my last one."

Bartz, May back to state

It was also the last section meet for two more longtime Section 1A stars. Plainview-Elgin-Millville's Andrea Bartz went away a winner in the triple jump (35-feet-10 1/2), and Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Southand's Elizabeth May landed second in the 400 (1:00.30).

So, both earned one more trip to state.

Bartz will run next season at Winona State, while May will run at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

"My goal was just to make it to state again," May said. "Last week I was a little bit worried about it because I strained my left quadracep in our subsection meet. But after a week off, it felt pretty good today."

Noteables

Schaeffer Academy earned a rare trip to state in a relay, as it landed second in the 3,200 relay, behind Lake City. . .

Besides Chatfield and P-E-M's young stars, there were two more eighth-grader who stood out Thursday, both in the hurdles. Pine Island's Eliza Warneke was second in the 100 hurdles (16.51), and Kenyon-Wanamingo's Mara Quam was second in the 300 hurdles (46.68).

SECTION 1A

Girls

Team scores

Plainview-Elgin-Millville 135, Chatfield 87, La Crescent 86, Byron 86, Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander/Southland 62, Lake City 54.5, Pine Island 54.5, Stewartville 44.5, Lourdes 40, Caledonia/Spring Grove 33, Cannon Falls 32, Kenyon-Wanamingo 28, Zumbrota-Mazeppa 28, Winona Cotter 25, Lanesboro/Fillmore Central/Mabel-Canton 23, Schaeffer Academy 20, Lyle/Pacelli 10, Triton 9, Wabasha-Kellogg 6, Medford 5, Kingsland 4, Blooming Prairie 3.

Running events

(Top two qualifying for state; *qualified by state standard; **meet record)

100 —1. Morgan Shindelar (PEM) 13.07, 2. Jillian Krier (B) 13.18, 3. Ashley Baker (Chat) 13.36, 4. Autum Erickson (Chat) 13.37, 5. Anna Sweet (RPH) 13.41, Lacey Schwartz (K) 13.54. 200 —1. Madalyn Kammer (Chat) 26.62, 2. Mariah Bell (Chat) 27.25, 3. Jillian Krier (B) 27.26, 4. Leah Koll (WC) 27.66, 5. Madi Owen (PI) 27.69, 6. Mallory Adamson (Lour) 27.73. 400 —1. Madalyn Kammer (Chat) 58.68, 2. Elizabeth May (GMLOS) 1:00.30, 3. Mallory Adamson (Lour) 1:00.79, 4. Katie Eidem (SA) 1:01.01, 5. Clair Shepardson (LaC) 1:01.81, 6. Caitlin Schartau (PI) 1:01.91. 800 —1. Emi Trost (CF) 2:13.47, 2. Taylor Gibson (LaC) 2:15.01, *3. Katie Shepardson (LaC) 2:18.49, *4. Kalyn Biever (WK) 2:20.42, 5. Paige Gernes (WC) 2:27.98, 6. Skylar Jacobson (ZM) 2:29.69. 1,600 —**1. Emi Trost (CF) 4:51.00, 2. Taylor Gibson (LaC) 5:11.24, 3. McKenzie Kirtz (GMLOS) 5:27.24, 4. Skylar Jacobson (ZM) 5:33.28, 5. Chriss Lofgren (S) 5:33.71, 6. Sierrra Stucky (PEM) 5:38.25. 100 hurdles —1. Kelsey Von Berge (B) 16.05, 2. Eliza Warneke (PI) 16.51, 3. Hannah Russert (CSG) 16.75, 4. Andrea Bartz (PEM) 16.97, 5. Mara Quam (KW) 16.99, 6. Angela Patel (Lour) 17.23. 300 hurdles —1. Brielle Bierman (LaC) 46.22, 2. Mara Quam (KW) 46.68, 3. Mikayla McCullough (PEM) 47.45, 4. Eliza Warneke (PI) 48.38, 5. Danielle Hanson (GMLOS) 48.76, 6. Maddie Talamantes (Chat) 50.22.

Relays

400 — 1. Byron 50.57, 2. P-E-M 50.66, *3. Lake City 50.89, 4 Chatfield 51.41, 5. R-P/H 52.01, 6. Triton 52.03. 800 —1. Chatfield 1:46.32, 2. Lake City 1:47.16, 3. P-E-M 1:47.21, 4. Pine Island 1:47.28, 5. GMLOS 1:48.81, 6. Lourdes 1:51.98. 1,600 —1. La Crescent 4:06.06, 2. GMLOS 4:10.47, 3. Lake City 4:10.87, 4. Pine Island 4:11.07, 5. Lourdes 4:18.28, 6. P-E-M 4:18.46. 3,200 —1. Lake City 9:58.80, 2. Schaeffer 9:58.87, 3. Cotter 10:00.02, 4. Chatfield 10:02.81, 5. La Crescent 10:11.44, 6. Stewartville 10:17.42.

Field events

Pole vault — 1. Jillian Krier (B) 10-2, 2. 2. Paige Thieke Clough (PEM) 10-2, 3. Jordan Honken (RPH) 9-8, 4. (tie) Lauren Mikel (S) 9-2, Kristin Novak (LC) 9-2, 6. Katie Scruggs (S) 9-2. Triple jump —1. Andrea Bartz (PEM) 35-10 1/2, 2. Karlie Gilbeck (PEM) 35-8, 3. Anne Christofferson (B) 34-6 3/4, 4. Sarah Holtz (LP) 5. Mara Quam (KW) 33-9 1/4, 6. Josie Hale (S) 33-4. Shot put —1. Maddie Lindhart (ZM) 37-3 1/4, 2. Aly Folz (CSG) 35-0 3/4, 3. Morgan Schmitz (GMLOS) 34-2 3/4, 4. Caroline Rother (PEM) 33-11 1/4, 5. Crystal Nickles (B) 33-4 1/2, 6. Morgan Hittinger (S) 32-7 1/4