Members of the State Champion Waseca Track team pose with their trophy after a 1 point victory last week. From left: Damarius Russelll, Eddie Herman, Kyle Ahlschlager, Christian Rodriguez, and Kaeden Johnson.
State Champions
Mon, 06/26/2023 - 3:28pm
Going into the fourth and final leg of the last event, it didn't look like a state championship was within the realm of possibility for the Waseca High School boys' track and field team.
All that was needed for Mound-Westonka to supplant the Bluejays from first place was to run an average race in the 4x400-meter relay, where it had posted the fastest time in the preliminaries. The same could be said of Big South Conference champion Worthington, which qualified fourth.
But, for those teams, it wasn't meant to be.
It was the Bluejays' day.
Mound-Westonka's anchor runner tripped a Worthington athlete in the 4x400, disqualifying the team and setting up a re-run for Worthington, which came up just short.
The Bluejays won the Class AA state championship by one point Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville High School, their third state title in boys' track and field.
"It's an amazing feeling," said sophomore Damarius Russell. "We never dreamed of a team title."
"It was surreal," said senior Christian Rodriguez. "It was very special for us, and we definitely took it in. I don't think there's a better way my high school career could have ended."
The Bluejays set the stage for the final-event dramatics by winning the 4x100 and 4x200 relays with Rodriguez, Russell, Kaeden Johnson and Kyle Ahlschlager, who established a new Class A state record in the latter event. Russell was second in the long jump, Ahlschlager seventh. Eddie Herman took eighth place in the discus for the other Bluejay points.
"It's awesome," said Ahlschlager. "I was actually more excited (Sunday) morning. Yesterday was kind of surreal. Going in, we were just worried about winning the relays. We didn't think about winning the team title."
"They are as focused a group on being the best as anybody," said WHS coach David Abel. "Each and every one of them, whether track is their primary sport or not, they are dedicated. For me, as a coach, you couldn't ask for anything more."
In summary, Russell said, "I'd just like to thank God for all the opportunities He gave us. And the coaches for pushing us in practice."