6 Bluejays qualify for MSHSL State Championship

The Waseca track and field team made the trip to Faribault H.S.’s Bruce Smith Field Saturday morning to compete in the finals of the Section 1AA track and field championship. When the dust settled, a total of six Bluejays athletes, Damarius Russell, Brooklyn Flatau, Kalea Sartori, Carson Ohnstad, Jordan Johnson and Bennett Ludwig, punched their tickets to state in a total of six events.

Flatau was the first to qualify for state with a leap of 16 feet and eight inches in the long jump that despite resulting in a fifth-place finish, met the automatic qualifying standard for the MSHSL. She then went on to finish as the section champion in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.99, qualfying in her second event.

Kalea Sartori will join Flatau after her throw of 36’8” in the shot put earned her fifth while meeting the state qualifying standard. Sartori also finished sixth in the discus with a throw of 107’10”.

In the 100m dash, Bella Wikan finished eighth with a time of 13.50 before she finished fourth in the 300m hurdles with a PR time of 47.99. Callie Dufault and Stella Omtvedt finished fourth and seventh in the 3200m run with times of 12:04.38 (PR) and 12:30.39 respectively.

Damarius Russell punched his first ticket to state with a third place finish in the 100m dash, posting an automatic qualifying time of 11.12 while Jordan Johnson finished eighth with a time of 11.67. Russell finished third in the 200m dash with a time of 22.56 and Isaac Feldkamp finished eighth in the 800m run with a time of 2:06.96.

The 4x100m relay team of Russell, Ohnstod, Johnston and Ludwig qualified for state with a time of 43.33 that earned fourth in the section. In the discus, Wyatt Hager finished sixth with a PR toss of 136’10” and in the pole vault, William Mansfield claimed sixth with a clear of 12’ even.

Russell picked up his third qualifying mark in the long jump with a season-best leap of 21’4.75” to claim the section title.

The class AA preliminary round of the MSHSL State championship will take place Friday, June 7, beginning at 9 a.m., with day two taking place Saturday morning also beginning at 9 a.m. The meet will once again be held at St. Michael-Albertville H.S.