Over half of 25 Cleveland athletes on this year’s version of Loyola/Cleveland/Mankato Christian Academy track & field team did not participate in the sport last year.
While a few are seventh graders, and a couple are younger competitors who didn’t join the Crusaders last year but did in 2024, the bulk of the rookies are upperclassmen, including senior Sierra McCabe, who focused most of her athletic career on dance, as well as juniors Neenah Lassiter, Tanner Simonette, Sam Ternes and Jack Shouler, sophomore Wyatt Krenik and freshman Maliah Elias.
Joining experienced seniors Samantha Baker, Elijah Mons and Vivian Hilfer, they hit the ground running on Tuesday during the season opener, the Crusader Invitational, held inside the fieldhouse at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
“It was a great time for the new kids to learn how a meet works and get that first taste of what track is all about,” said head coach Casey Olson. “The indoor meets are kind of take-it-or-leave-it anyway, a good way to knock the rust off. When we get outdoors, we will be ready to go.”
Olson said many of the newcomers are using track & field to keep in tune for their sports, but he doesn’t mind.
“It’s a great thing that they are doing. It’s going to benefit not only the track team but all the other programs at Cleveland too. The more we can continue to build those relationships, the better Cleveland sports will be as a whole.”
But there is a learning curve, Olson said. While he hopes many of the newcomers can make significant contributions, it won’t happen overnight.
“Right away it will be rough going, but as we get later in the season, I definitely can see some of that speed on the football field translating onto the track.”
With many Loyola athletes out for the week, the Crusaders weren’t full strength on Tuesday. Teamwise, the boys’ 48 points was good for fourth place. With 88 points, Waseca took first. St. Clair/Immanuel Lutheran was second with 77 points. St James/Madelia was third with 56 points. River Valley was fifth with 40 points.
Meanwhile, with 48.83 points, the Crusader girls were third. With 120 points, SC/IL ran away with the meet. Waseca was second with 59.33 points. Rounding out the field were Madelia/St. James with 44.5 points and River Valley with 38.33 points.
The Crusaders took home several firsts. With a 4:41.80 finish, Soren Kelly won the 1600 m. Teammate Mitchell Buboltz was third with a 5:06.04. With Buboltz leading off and Kelly running anchor, the Crusaders also won the 4x800 with a 9:18.60 finish. In the middle were Carson Fahrforth and Francis Bierer. With a 43-9 toss, Christian Barker beat out 23 shot putters.
On the girls side, Charlotte Meyer was way out front in the 1600, beating out 14 other runners with a 5:36.04 finish. After a year off, freshman Emma Kortuem returned in a big way with 15-3 long jump to top a field of 17.
In the boys 200, Simonette crossed the finish line in 26.29. The winning time among the 23 runners was 24.16. With a 7.60 finish, Krenik was sixth in the 55 m dash. Simonette finished in 11th place in that race while Shouler took 21st and Ternes was 22nd. The winning time among the 24 competing was 6.79.
With a 1:01.47 finish, Mons was sixth among the 19 runners competing in the 400. He also took seventh in the triple jump and was on the third-place sprint medley team.
In her first varsity meet, freshman Clara Hilfer took second in the 55-m hurdles. Her 9.91 finish was just 0.13 seconds off the pace. There were 14 competing.
Besting 20 other runners, sophomore Aubrey Blaschko held the bronze spot in the 55-meter dash. Her 8.39 finish was 0.16 seconds behind the winner.
Crossing the finish line in 30.60, Jocelyn Kortuem was third in the 200. There were 19 competing in that race, and the winning time was 29.31. Finishing the race in 31.07, Miah Bauer was one slot behind.
In the high jump, Jocelyn Kortuem, with a 4-8 leap, was among a three-way tie for third place. There were 18 competing, and the highest jump was 5-3.
The Crusaders return to the MSU,M fieldhouse on Monday for a conference meet.
Boys results:
55 m; Wyatt Krenik 6th, 7.60 Tanner Simonette 11th, 7.61; Jack Shouler 21st, 8.36; Sam Ternes, 22nd, 8.44
200 m: Simonette 5th, 26.29; Krenik 13th, 28.03; Ternes 19th, 30.46
400 m: Elijah Mons 6th, 1:01.47
1600: Reece Nelson 9th, 6:02.58
55 m hurdles: Luke Kortuem 5th, 10.01
Sprint medley: Anthony Mai (200), Henry Andrews (200), Mons (400), Andrew Tieva (800) 3rd, 4:22.12
Shot put: Oliver Starke 17th, 26-8, Jack Shouler 18th, 26-7
High jump: Mons 9th, 4-10
Pole vault: Luke Kortuem 6th, 8-6
Triple jump: Mons, 7th 28-5
Girls results:
55 m: Aubrey Blaschko 3rd, 8.39; Samantha Baker 16th, 9.45; Sierra McCabe 19th, 9.69
200 m: Jocelyn Kortuem 3rd, 30.60; Miah Bauer 4th, 31.07; Blaschko 6th, 31.39
1600: Charlotte Meyer 1st, 5:36.04
55 m hurdles: Clara Hilfer 2nd, 9.91
4x200: Baker, Olivia Schletz, Emma Vanderberg, Vivian Hilfer 6th, 2:14.95
4x800: Riley Quigley, Maddy Siewert, Brooks Waagner, Meyer 3rd, 10:57.45
Sprint medley: Emma Kortuem (200), Miah Bauer (200), Morgan Dimmel (400), Quigley (800), 5th, 5:11.39; Schletz (200), McCabe (200), Liviana Lee (400), Teya Waagner (800) 6th, 5:19.33
Shot put: Reyna Williams, 6th 25-1; Neenah Lassiter 15th, 19-9
High jump: Jocelyn Kortuem 3rd (three-way tie) 4-8; Lee 14th, 4-4; Vivian Hilfer 15th, 4-2
Pole vault: Clara Hilfer 4th, 7-0
Long jump: Emma Kortuem 1st, 15-3; Jocelyn Kortuem 9th, 12-11
Above: Tanner Simonette came in fifth in the 200. He decided to take up track this year at the end of football season since he didn’t go out for basketball. “I wanted to get more explosive and fast,” said the junior.
New to track & field, junior Neenah Lassiter competed in the shot put.
Clara Hilfer took home silver in the 55-m hurdles.
Aubrey Blaschko secured the bronze spot in the 55-meter dash.
Sierra McCabe and Samantha Baker competed together in the 55-m dash.
Sam Ternes ran the 55-m dash.
In her first ever track meet, Jocelyn Kortuem high jumped for bronze.
Sierra McCabe takes a handoff in the sprint medley.
The handoff between Emma Kortuem and Miah Bauer in the sprint medley was a bit unorthodox, but they kept it within bounds.
Miah Bauer and Liviana Lee were on two different Crusader teams in the sprint medley.
Olivier Starke tossed the put the shot 26-8.
Jack Shouler follows through on a put.
Charlotte Meyer was way out front in the 1600.
Reece Nelson ran the 1600.
Vivian Hilfer stretches over the high jump bar.
Luke Kortuem vaulted 8-6.
Vivian Hilfer anchored the 4x200.
Elijah Mons took a respectable sixth place in the always competitive 400…
…and was seventh in the triple jump.
Jocelyn Kortuem was third in the 200.
Aubrey Blaschko and Miah Bauer compete in the 200.