Track and Field 2025: Redwood Valley boys, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton girls win Class A team titles

A rainy start to the Class A finals in the Minnesota State High School League's 2025 Boys and Girls Track and Field Meet on Wednesday evening at St. Michael-Albertville cleared for a sunny finish.

Redwood Valley's red-hot relays helped the Cardinals win the team title with 70 points, three ahead of Osakis.

Redwood Valley topped the podium in both the 4x800 (8:00.36) and 4x100 (42.85). Mason Anderson, Kilen Cilek and Landyn Nordby and William Ahrens made up the 4x800 team, while Duran Kramer, Ryder Crawford, Tucker Amberg and Lucas Fuhr ran on the 4x100. The same foursome finished second in the 4x200 with a time of 1:28.45 that beat the previous Class A State Meet record.

Crawford, Ahrens, Nordby and Fuhr ran on the runner-up 4x400 team (3:22.60) to clinch the title in the final event.

Ahrens began Wednesday's session by anchoring Redwood Valley's winning 4x800 relay with a 1:01.45 leg. Later, he repeated as the 1,600 champion in a tight race. His time of 4:19.58 was 0.16 seconds faster than runner-up Brady Rach of Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale. Tuesday's 3,200 champion, Erik Semling was third in 4:20.30. His Cotter/Hope team finished third in the team standings with 44 points.

Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton accumulated 41 points to win the Girls team title. Ninth-grader MaKenzie Westphal topped the podium with an 800 time of 2:18.90.

The Bulldogs also racked up relays points with runner-up finishes in the 4x100 and 4x400 and fourth place in the 4x200.

Minnewaska Area was second with 33 points, one more than St. Cloud Cathedral and two more than PACT/Legacy, Two Harbors and Bagley/Fosston.

Here's a roundup of Wednesday's other Class A events.

Class A Boys

Osakis doesn't settle — Trenton VanNyhuis' Triple Jump triumph Tuesday made him the first state champion from Osakis since 1949. The Silverstreaks didn't stop there. VanNyhuis joined Andrew Jones, Tyler Wolbeck and Zackery Bruder on a Class A State Meet record-breaking 4x200 meter relay (1:28.42). Jones then went on to post a time of 37.39 seconds to set the Class A State Meet record in the 300 Hurdles. He also led off the winning 4x400 team that also consisted of Bryler Gustafson, Wolbeck and Bruder. Robert Kendall added another gold in the 400 Wheelchair with a time of 1:31.53.

On repeat — St. Paul Academy senior Oliver Thompson won his second straight title in the 400, besting his winning time from last year by more than a second, 47.77.

Comeback story — St. Charles senior Christopher Hilton captured the 110 High Hurdles crown in 14.53 seconds. Hilton's last two seasons were derailed by injuries. His comeback — detailed by John's Journal earlier this season — is now complete with a state title.

20 medals — St. Charles athlete Tyler Gunnarson closed his MSHSL Track and Field career with his 20th State Meet medal on Wednesday. Gunnarson won the 100 Wheelchair (16.32), Discus Wheelchair—Category 1 (42-4), 800 Wheelchair (2:01.07) and 200 Wheelchair (28.86), his 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th gold medals. His 200 time was an all-time State Meet record and his 800 time set a Class A State Meet record.

More champions

• Lakeview's Broden Stensrud won his second gold of the weekend with a throw of 42 feet, 10 inches to win Discus Wheelchair-Category 2. He was the Shot Put Wheelchair-Category 2 champion Tuesday.
• Last year's 800 runner-up, GMLOKS sophomore Tate Goergen won it this year in 1:55.64.
• St. Agnes junior Evonson Plamann captured the 200 title in 21.96 seconds.
• Maple River ninth-grader Auggie Yonkey became the Discus champion with a throw of 172 feet, 9 inches.
• Border West senior Holden Rinke improved on last year's fifth-place finish to win the Long Jump, going 22 feet, 3.25 inches on his final attempt.
• Twin Cities Academy/Great River sophomore Da'Mari Smith ran a personal-best 11.01 seconds to win the 100-Meter Dash.
• Minneapolis North junior Diondre Flowers cleared 6 feet, 8 inches to win the High Jump. The event was moved indoors to the STMA Fieldhouse due to rain.

Class A Girls

Hurdles sweep — St. Paul Academy junior Elizabeth Tuttle claimed gold medals in both the 100 High Hurdles (14.67) and the 300 Hurdles (43.22).

Boldt bolts to the medal stand — Aubryana Boldt of Rushford-Peterson/Houston took third in the 100 High Hurdles, then added a gold medal with a Triple Jump of 37 feet, 1.5 inches.

Sprints showdown — Hills-Beaver Creek sophomore Brynn Bakken flipped the script in the 100 and 200. A year after a runner-up 100 finish, she crossed first in 12.29 seconds. She was third in last year's 200 and also raced to gold in that event this year with a time of 24.86. The reigning champion in both events, Bagley/Fosston senior Ava Phrakonkham was the silver medalist in both, along with the Long Jump on Tuesday.

Berry good — Three-time state champion Ana Berry ended her Mille Lacs career with three more championships. She posted a time of 31.65 seconds in the 100 Wheelchair, 1:02.04 in the 200 Wheelchair and 2:11.07 in the 400 Wheelchair.

Record relay — The St. Cloud Cathedral 4x200 team of Amelia Newiger, Aubrey Lesnau, Julia Vega and Erika Salaski broke the Class A State Meet record with a winning time of 1:43.21.

1,600 repeat — Staples-Motley junior Audrey Brownell successfully defended her title in the 1,600 with a time of 5:02.28. She was the runner-up in the 3,200 Tuesday and a Cross Country state champion in the fall.

More champions

• MACCRAY/RCW won the 4x800 in 9:38.20 with Sam Hultgren, Evangeline LeGare, Frida Barrera and Brielle Janssen.
• Park Rapids Area was the 4x400 winner. Grace Officer, Olivia Miller, Madeline Brandt and Addison Lauwagie ran it in 3:57.71.
• Concordia Academy's Emma Wasiloski, Elissa Bensus, Anna Konsti and Gabbi Meloch took gold in the 4x100 with a time of 48.97.
• Long Jump bronze medalist Trinity Giddings of Two Harbors won the 400 in 56.5 seconds.
• LeSueur-Henderson senior Riley Sater cleared 11 feet, 6 inches on her final attempt to claim the Pole Vault title. The event was moved indoors to the STMA Fieldhouse due to rain.
• La Crescent-Hokah junior Brooklyn Mitchell took the Shot Put crown with a top mark of 42 feet, 7.5 inches.