The Northfield High School girls track and field team scored its best section championship finish since 2018 thanks to a second-place performance at the 2024 MSHSL Section 1AA meet, which was held on May 30 and June 1 in Faribault, Minn.
The Raiders just missed the top spot as they compiled 141 points behind Winona, which took the top spot with 145 points. Faribault placed third with 106 points followed by Stewartville (99), Byron (97), Kasson-Mantorville (81), Tri-City United (70), Red Wing (66), Waseca (59), Austin (23) Plainview-Elgin-Millville (22) and Albert Lea (9).
“It was another whole team effort to battle for the second place finish. This team was special this year with all of the different talents across both the track and the field,” NHS coach Janet Smith said. “It was so fun to watch the girls get inspired to compete even harder for their teammates to score points and celebrate each other’s successes. It was a memorable day and season for the whole Raider’s squad.”
In addition to the top two finish, Northfield’s 2024 section meet was highlighted by 13 athletes (plus three additional relay alternatives) qualifying for the upcoming MSHSL Class AA meet that will be held at St. Michael-Albertville High School on June 7-8.
Northfield’s last top two finish at the section meet was in 2018 when the Raiders ended up sending 10 athletes to the state meet that season.
At the section meet, Northfield was led by Alaina French, who placed first in the shot put with a state qualifying mark of 40-07. She will be joined at the state meet in the shot put by teammate Inga Johnson, who placed fourth at 36-09.
The pair also qualified for state in the discus. French placed third at the section meet in the event at 120-01 and Johnson was fifth at 113-11.
Amber Mahal will be returning to the state meet in the high jump as she qualified with a second place section finish at 5-01. Teammate Tegan Madow also qualified for the state meet in the high jump as she tied Mahal for second at 5-01.
In the pole vault, Ani Gottfried placed second at the section meet at 10-03 to punch her ticket to the state meet. Teammate Erika Nesseth is also headed to state with a fourth-place pole vault finish at 10-01.
Makayah Petricka added another second-place finish at the section meet with a state qualifying time of 11:33.93, while Emily Beaham placed second in the 300 hurdles at 46.35.
In the long jump, Sydney Livingston and Judith Prensa Aupetit both qualified for the state meet with a third (16-09.50 and fourth (16-08.50) place finish respectively. Livingston also placed fourth in the 100 hurdles at the section meet with a state qualifying mark of 15.69.
The final group qualifying for the state meet included Northfield’s 4x800 relay team of Josie Hauck, Peyton Quaas, Claire Forbord and Petricka (alternates include Anna Fobbed, Nora Kortuem and Charlotte Flory). The team posted a second place time of 9:41.42 at the section meet.
Other NHS athletes to reach the podium at the section meet included Katherine Hubers (fourth place in the 100 meters), Quaas (seventh place in the 1600 meters), Claire Forbord (eighth place in the 1600 meters), Anna Forbord (sixth place in the 3200 meters), Whitney Gray (seventh place in the pole vault), 4x100 relay (fifth place), 4x200 relay (eighth place) and 4x400 relay (ninth place).
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