The St. Clair-Immanuel Lutheran (SC-IL) track and field teams proved their mettle this past week, navigating a grueling stretch of three meets in just four days. Despite the heavy workload and a barrage of unseasonably icy conditions, the Cyclones remained a dominant force in the area, headlined by a first-place team finish for the Lady Cyclones at Minnesota State University (MSU).
Indoor Dominance at MSU (April 7)
Shielded from the April chill, the SC-IL opened their week at the MSU indoor facility. The Lady Cyclones captured the team title with 121 points, while the men secured a solid fourth-place finish with 68 points against a competitive field.
The women’s sprints were highlighted by Cloe Busse and Janessa Carstensen, who took first and third respectively in the 200m. In the 400m, Kaitlyn Berce (2nd), Makiah Loeslie (3rd), and Kate Daly (4th) nearly swept the podium. Distance runners Delilah Quast and Aleya Loeslie added vital points in the 800m, while Gretta Steffl and Grace Dumdei impressed in the 1000m. One of the night’s highlights was a tactical victory for Valerie Quast, who narrowly defeated rival Sophia Stencel of Maple River in a highly anticipated 1600m showdown.
The Lady Cyclones’ relays were untouchable, sweeping the 4x200m (Busse, Carstensen, Sreya Freitag, Bryna Irvin), the 4x400m (the Quast sisters, Berce, Daly), and the 4x800m (Quast and Loeslie siblings). In field events, Daly cleared 5-00.00 to win the High Jump, while Sophie Rollenhagen took second in the Pole Vault.
For the boys, Oliver Schull continued his breakout season, winning the 200m and taking second in the 55m. Wyatt Lien and Hunter Winkler dominated the High Jump, finishing 1-2. Other top performers included Blake McClinton (2nd in 400m), Carson Goodrich (3rd in 1000m), and Jack Nicolai (4th in Shot Put).
Battling the Ice at JWP (April 9)
Two days later, the Cyclones faced bone-chilling wind at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton. The Lady Cyclones (133.33) yielded the top spot to the Bulldogs while the boys again placed fourth.
Brooklin Hinze provided the meet’s most dramatic moment in the 4x200m relay. Facing off against rivals JWP-WEM, Hinze used a final burst in the homestretch to clinch a victory by a single second. Hinze also added a third-place finish in the 300m hurdles. Other winners included Rollenhagen in the Pole Vault (8’0”), Daly in the High Jump (5’0”), and D. Quast in the 800m.
The boys were led again by Schull, who took gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m. Winkler (3rd) and Lien (4th) remained consistent in the High Jump, while Rollie Matecjek grinded out a fourth-place finish in the 3200m.
Resilience at Le Sueur Henderson (April 10)
Closing out the week with a “bare-bones” roster due to scheduling conflicts, the Cyclones headed to Le Sueur Henderson. The women still managed a second-place team finish behind MVL, while the boys finished sixth.
Kate Daly was the star of the afternoon, winning her fourth High Jump title of the season and adding a Pole Vault victory with a personal best-matching mark of 9’6”. Kaitlyn Anderson led a Cyclone sweep of the 400m, followed by M. Loeslie and Daly. The girls’ relay dominance returned, winning the 4x200m, 4x400m, and the 4x800m.
On the boys’ side, Jack Roemhildt threw his way to third in the Discus, and Blake McClinton earned a hard-fought second place in the 400m.
Looking Ahead
After a week that would exhaust any veteran squad, the Cyclones will receive a well-deserved reprieve. They return to action on April 17, finally competing on their home track at St. Clair—their first in many years—where they hope the weather will finally match their hot start to the season.
