The Kenyon-Wanamingo-Goodhue (KW-G) Track Team has finished for the season. This season was a record for the books. They crushed multiple records, overcame challenges, and finished the season with a highly anticipated trip to the Minnesota State competitions in June.
Six members of the KW-G Track Team competed at the State competition. The student athletes included Mali Quam, Noel Hernandez, Jorja Wagner, Ayva Marklevits, Mari O’Connor, and Audrey Haugen. Mali Quam placed 11th in the 100 hurdles competition and 10th in the 300 hurdles competition. Noel Hernandez placed 12th in the 100 m dash. The relay team placed 2nd at State in the 4x800 relay. The relay team put in a hard run for 1st place, just shy of 0.5 seconds from claiming the title. The relay members included Audrey Haugen, Jorja Wagner, Ayva Marklevits, and Mari O’Connor. Not only did the relay team place at the State level, but they also set a new school record by 4 seconds with a new standing time of 9:33.35. Head Coach Jeff Wibben reflects on the success of reaching the State level, saying, “It is hard to get out of Section 1A track; it is an extremely competitive section, probably one of the hardest ones to advance from in the State. So sending multiple kids and events to State is saying something, and we have been doing it for quite some time.”
In addition to the State competition successes, Head Coach Wibben and Assistant Coach Rachel Cline reflect on impactful highlights that happened throughout the season. The KW-G Team faced three major challenges this year, including cold, windy weather, the health of the players, and some injuries, which put strain on the team. Despite these challenges, the KW-G Track Team persevered and continued to focus on giving the sport their all. Assistant Coach Cline reflects on the challenges by saying, “the weather wasn’t great, and we had some meets canceled and ran in some cold weather. But despite these things, the boys 4x200 relay broke the school record 3 times (Seth Nystuen, Colten Lohman, Seth Aldorfer, and Noel Hernandez), Mali Quam broke the school record in the 300 hurdles 3 times, Emma Koncur broke the school record in the discus 3 times, Andre Cortez broke the school record in the 800, and the girls 4x800 relay (Jorja Wagner, Ayva Marklevits, Mari O’Connor and Audrey Haugen) broke the school record twice. We have had so many athletes improve from the start of the season to the end, athletes who were out for the first time ever and were parts of the record-breaking teams (Seth Nystuen and Jorja Wagner), hurdlers who improved their form a ton, and just lots of improvement in everything.”
Assistant Coach Cline has served as a track coach for the KW-G team for 18 years. She echoes the sentiment, saying, “as a teacher to the majority of these athletes, it’s fun building that connection with them outside of the classroom, and just watching them succeed and improve is one of the best feelings.”
Coach Wibben has served as Head Coach for over 20 years. He greatly enjoys being able to work with the students and witness their progress each season. Coach Wibben also served as a teacher in the KW district before he retired. For him, working with the students, not only as a former teacher but also as the track coach, presents a special opportunity. He says, “I love the kids who come out for the sport, it is not the flashiest or the hardest hitting, but it helps develop an overall athlete. These kids are so much fun to be around, both at meets and practice. They are some of the best students I know, and getting to know them outside of the classroom is one of the best experiences a teacher can have.”
Looking forward to the next season, both Coach Wibben and Cline are excited to implement new goals. They are both eager to continue to help the track program grow and continue to break records. This means not only helping students find the right fit for them on the team, but also engaging younger students and inviting more athletes to join the team. Coach Wibben highlights three further goals for the upcoming season:
1) Challenge all of our athletes to be the best person/runner they can be.
2) Upgrade our facility with more / newer equipment and add field event locations.
3) Host more home meets.
With these goals in mind, the KW-G track team is eager to see what the next season will bring.
Both Coach Wibben and Coach Cline are proud of the effort and dedication each athlete has put into this season. Coach Wibben says, “Our kids, both the KW and Goodhue athletes, help make this one of the best sports to coach. They show up, work hard, and help each other out all of the time. They are a fun group to be around, which is why I am still coaching after retiring from teaching. A few may make it to State, but the whole team can celebrate with them because they had a hand in that success.” Coach Cline echoes her praise of the team by saying, “everyone who is part of the KW-G track and field team has something to be proud of! These kids have worked so hard! Even if they didn’t make it to State, they all show improvement and dedication.” This season truly gave the coaches, athletes, and the community something to celebrate.
