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ALBERTVILLE — Pipestone Area Schools junior Aurora Winsel drew a tough lane assignment in the 400-meter run at the Minnesota State High School League state meet.
Winsel was placed in the first lane during the third heat during Tuesday’s preliminaries at St. Michael-Albertville High School. She had a similar entry in the 200-meter dash prelims as well, coming out from one of the outside lanes.
She persevered in the 200, taking the ninth and last qualifying spot in 25.60 seconds.
Was running in an open race different than a relay for Winsel?
Pipestone Area Schools’ Aurora Winsel races to the line during the 200-meter dash at the Minnesota State High School League Class A state meet in Albertville last week. (Contributed photo by Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot)
“It was not really different as I had teammate, Cayden Zephier, and friend Alivia Fruechte there with me warming up and keeping me company,” she said. “It was different in just the pressure of running on my own now. How I performed was on me, not others in a relay, for worse or better.”
Well, it certainly was for the better as she posted a career-best time of 25.54 during Wednesday’s final, which gave the Arrows a handful of points. More important, Winsel earned a medal in an open race.
Dynamic Hills-Beaver Creek sprinter Brynn Bakken earned gold in 24.86, which was five one-hundredths of a second fasted than Ava Phrakonkham from Bagley-Fosston.
The finals also featured Pillager’s Violette Metz, who has competed here in Pipestone. Metz took the bronze, clocking in at 25.27.
“I think the key to succeeding was just staying calm and relaxed prior to the race,” Winsel said. “I was fairly clam, knowing I had met my main goal of making it to the state level. I knew the best of the best was out there. To make it to the finals, and then make it to the podium on day two, I would have to give it all I had.”
Pipestone Area Schools’ sprinter Aurora Winsel competed at the Minnesota State High School League Class A state meet last Tuesday and Wednesday in Albertville. Winsel clocked in with a career-best time of 25.54 for sixth place in the 200-meter dash finals. With that performance, she scored the Arrows only points at the meet. (Contributed photo by Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot)
Winsel said the track is favorable for her because the turns aren’t as sharp as the ones at Paulsen Athletic Complex. She also said lane assignments ultimately didn’t impact her finishes.
In the 400, Winsel recorded a time of 1:00.31, which was the 14th fastest time overall. Two Harbors’ Trinity Giddings posted the best qualifying time in 56.51.
Two years ago, Winsel was part of the Arrows’ success in both the 4×100 and 4×200 relays.
Current Morningside University sprinter Meredith Draper, Avarie Brecher, Caiya Strasser and Winsel qualified for state, but finished outside the podium.
Winsel said she’s already looking forward to 2026.
“It has inspired me to work even harder for next year,” she said. “I’ll be in weight room, all summer and throughout the school year. I’ve seen what my work has done this year, and I have new goals to reach and new events I want to try.”
Zephier, also a junior for PAS, qualified for state in the 400 run. However, a nagging, unspecified injury forced him from competing in the event. He advanced based on meeting a pre-existing standard.
Still, Zephier has one more chance to reach state next year.
Eagle recap
Like Winsel, Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton’s Silas Van Essen reached the podium at state — taking sixth in the Class A boys 300 intermediate hurdles.
Van Essen qualified for the finals with a time of 39.97 during Tuesday’s session (fifth overall). The junior followed that by clocking 40.60 in Wednesday’s finals.
Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton’s Silas Van Essen prepares to clear the bar during the 300-meter intermediate hurdles during the Minnesota State High School League Class A state championships in Albertville. Van Essen placed sixth in the finals (40.60). (Contributed photo by Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot)
“Silas has worked hard all year,” SWC/E head coach Brent Van Schepen said. “It was refreshing and rewarding to see how well he performed at state.”
Van Essen became one of the region’s most dominant hurdlers this season, and he broke the 40-second barrier in the prelims for the first time ever.
Van Schepen said Van Essen also finished one position better than his result in 2024.
Osakis junior Andrew Jones won 300 hurdles with a new class-record time of 37.39, which also was the 81st fastest time in the United States this year. He was 1.3 seconds faster than Owen Meulebroeck, a senior from Minnewaska Area.
In addition to Van Essen, junior sprinter Alyvia Brands also grabbed a medal — taking ninth overall in the 100 dash (12.98). Brands qualified based on her 12.83-second effort in the prelims (sitting eighth after qualifying).
Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton’s Alyvia Brands runs during the 100-meter dash finals on Wednesday, June 11, in Albertville. (Contributed photo by Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot)
“That was exciting to see,” Van Schepen said. “There were a lot of fast girls in her section. I was happy for her (to reach the finals).”
Bakken claimed the 100 title as well in 12.29, which was seven one-hundredths ahead of Phrakonkham.
Jonah Uilk was unable to reach the 800 run finals, clocking in at 2:02.24. Regardless, Uilk produced another outside athletic year, qualifying for state in both cross country and track and field.
Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton’s Jonah Uilk qualified for state in two sports this year, including the open 800-meter run at state track and field. (Contributed photo by Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot)
Tate Goergen of Grand Meadow-LeRoy-Ostrander-Kingsland-Southland (GMLOKS) was the gold standard in 1:55.64. Goergen, a sophomore, also had the top time during the prelims.
The SWC/E 4×400 relay team composed of Van Essen, Uilk, Tyler Pap and Ryan Pap was disqualified from the competition based on Rule No. 5-13-2.
Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton’s Ryan Pap competes in the 4×400-meter relay. (Contributed photo by Dan Condon/Jackson County Pilot)
Look for this Eagle relay team to be a contender for state again in 2026 as all four runners return. Ryan was a sophomore, and Tyler an eighth-grader.
Rule 5-13-2 states (Source: National Federation of High Schools): “A competitor shall not, when running around a curve, step on or over the curb, or painted curb line, for three or more consecutive steps with either or both feet.”
This infraction creates interference during a relay.
Osakis won the team title with a time of 3:21.22, which was the 11th fastest time recorded in Minnesota this season.
The Minnesota State High School League.(Contributed graphic from the MSHSL)
INFORMATION
TRACK AND FIELD
Minnesota State High School League
At St. Michael-Albertville High School
Albertville
State Team Champions
Boys
Class A: 1, Redwood Valley, 70; 2, Osakis, 67; 3, Cotter/Hope, 44
Class AA: 1, Becker, 64; 2, Alexandria, 61; 3, Monticello, 52
Class AAA: 1, Hastings, 52; 2, Mounds View, 49; 3, Elk River, 48
Girls
Class A: 1, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, 41; 2, Minnewaska Area, 33; 3, St. Cloud Cathedral, 32
Class AA: 1, Alexandria, 82; 2, Mankato West, 57.5; 3, Monticello, 45
Class AAA: 1, Wayzata, 102.5; 2, St. Michael-Albertville, 73; 3, Minnetonka, 64
Note: The top-three teams in each class receive plaques from the Minnesota State High School League.