Soel Riser was honored as the Most Valuable Athlete for the Stillwater boys track and field team.
The senior earned all-conference and all-state honors while helping the Ponies to Suburban East Conference and Section 4AAA championships before placing ninth at the Minnesota State High School League state meet. Stillwater also won the True Team Section 2AAA title and placed fourth at True Team state.
Under first-year head coach Ben Straka, this marked Stillwater’s 32nd appearance at True Team state in the 37-year history of the event and the Ponies have placed among the top five at state 24 times.
Riser, who also received the Ern Peaslee Memorial Scholarship Award, placed fifth at state in the 400 meters and also anchored a sixth-place 4x400 relay team that also included Colin Johnston, Eli Aldridge and Brett Hilde.
A total of nine Ponies earned all-state honors this season, including Riser, Ethan Foote, Colin Johnston, Aldridge, Hilde, Evan Uddin, Tyler Curnow, Chase Johnson and Andrew Brekke.
Joining those athletes in competing in the state meet from Stillwater were Dylan Riniker, Eric Uddin, Alem Kovac, Quinten Howe, Max Gerald, Andrew Walsh, Davis Rolstad, Cohen Smith, Liam Neis and Henry Corbett.
Foote placed third at state in the 1,600 meters with a time of 4:13.36, which places him sixth on the all-time list at Stillwater in one of the program’s signature events — ranking behind only Ben Blankenship, Eli Krahn, Wayde Hall, Luke Watson and Andy Tate.
Stillwater runners have produced seven state titles in the 1,600 since 1996.
Johnson tied for fourth place in the high jump after clearing 6-2.
The Ponies set team records in three events this season, including the high jump relay (Johnson, Nagayo Barento and Neis at 18-2), pole vault (Brekke, Corbett and Neis at 40-0) and shot put (Cash Cerar, Curnow and Evan Uddin at 140-7 1/2).
Led by Foote and Riser, who ranks third on the all-time list for the program with a time of 48.73 in the 400 meters, additional Ponies also delivered performances that landed them in the top 10. Curnow ranks sixth in the discus at 166-0 and Aldridge climbed to eighth in the long jump at 21-8 1/4. Brett Hilde also sits 10th in the triple jump at 42-11 1/2 and Corbett ranks 10th in the pole vault at 14-0.
Stillwater also produced numerous all-conference athletes this spring, including Riser, Foote, Gerald, Walsh, Riniker, Jack Richter, George Nelson, Kovac, Hilde, Aldridge, Jonas Peterson, Colin Johnston, Samuel Pareja, Howe, Smith, Curnow, Evan Uddin, Emmett Valley, Chase Johnson, Nagayo Barento, Neis, Brekke and Corbett.
Captains for next year’s team will be announced prior to the start of the season.
Boys track and field
All-Conference: Soel Riser, Ethan Foote, Max Gerald, Andrew Walsh, Dylan Riniker, Jack Richter, George Nelson, Alem Kovac, Brett Hilde, Eli Aldridge, Jonas Peterson, Colin Johnston, Samuel Pareja, Quinten Howe, Cohen Smith, Tyler Curnow, Evan Uddin, Emmett Valley, Chase Johnson, Nagayo Barento, Liam Neis, Andrew Brekke and Henry Corbett; State qualifiers: Soel Riser, Ethan Foote, Dylan Riniker, Eric Uddin, Eli Aldridge, Brett Hilde, Alem Kovac, Colin Johnston, Quinten Howe, Max Gerald, Andrew Walsh, Davis Rolstad, Cohen Smith, Tyler Curnow, Evan Uddin, Chase Johnson, Liam Neis, Andrew Brekke and Henry Corbett; All-State: Soel Riser, Ethan Foote, Colin Johnston, Eli Aldridge, Brett Hilde, Evan Uddin, Tyler Curnow, Chase Johnson and Andrew Brekke; Ern Peaslee Memorial Scholarship: Soel Riser; Most Valuable Athlete: Soel Riser; Captains elect: To be announced.
Contact Stuart Groskreutz at stuart.groskreutz@apgecm.com
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