The track and field season is always a battle against the elements, but the St. Clair-Immanuel Lutheran (SC-IL) Cyclones proved this past week that no amount of wind or rain can slow down their historic momentum. From record-shattering performances at the South Central Conference (SCC) meet to a groundbreaking debut at the Class A True Team State tournament, the Cyclones are sporting some of their best athletics at the most critical time of the year.
Winds and Rain Leave Conference Standings in Limbo
The South Central Conference Championships opened on a lovely but challenging spring day on May 12, defined by fierce, swirling gusts of wind. Runners faced brutal headwinds on turns three and four, while field event athletes watched their throws alter course mid-flight. For athlete safety, the high jump and pole vault events had to be postponed to a later date.
Though weather eventually forced the postponement of the May 14 continuation, leaving the final team standings temporarily in limbo, the individual performances on May 12 showcased SC-IL’s immense depth. As of the last official tallies, the Lady Cyclones sat comfortably in second place—trailing MVL by 28 points—while the boys held fifth place, trailing MVL by just nine points for a shot at fourth.
Boys Sprints and Distance Sparkle
On the boys’ side, Schull continued his blazing season in the short sprints. He secured thrilling victories in both the 100m and 200m dashes, edging out Maple River’s Lucas Proehl in both contests—clinching the 100m with a dramatic, final-inch lunge at the finish line.
In the longer distances, Carson Goodrich captured fifth place in the 1600m, while Rollie Matejcek showed incredible grit in the 3200m. After falling behind early, Matejcek executed a stunning final-turn push to surge into second place, securing silver by a two-second margin.
The boys’ relay squads also kept fans on the edge of their seats. The 4x100m relay team ran in a dead heat with two other teams, ultimately taking second place after a minor slowdown on the final handoff. The 4x200m team also claimed a hard-fought second-place finish. In the field, Winkler earned points with a strong third-place leap in the triple jump.
Girls Dominate the Track and Rewrite the Record Books…again
The Lady Cyclones put on a masterclass of depth and speed. In the sprints, Busse took second and Delilah Quast took fourth in the 200m. The 400m was a sea of Cyclone red as SC-IL claimed three of the top five spots: Anderson grabbed second, while Daly and Makiah Loeslie raced neck-and-neck down the final stretch to finish third and fourth, respectively.
The middle-distance crew was equally dominant. Valerie Quast won the 800m, with Makiah Loeslie coming in third. Quast then returned to the track for a highly anticipated 1600m battle against rival Sophia Stencel, using an explosive burst of speed on the final lap to secure another individual victory. Aleya Loeslie added a fourth-place finish in the 3200m. Over the hurdles, Sydney Stover placed fourth in the 100m hurdles and Hinze took fourth in the 300m hurdles.
But it was in the relays and field events where history was made. The 4x200m relay cruised to a comfortable two-second victory. The 4x400m relay (featuring Kate Daly passing to Valerie Quast on the anchor leg) took first by five seconds, breaking the South Central Conference record. The 4x800m relay crushed the competition by a massive 10 seconds, setting another new SCC record. Delilah Quast stole the show in the triple jump. She placed fourth overall while shattering a nine-year-old school record with a magnificent leap of $34\text{ feet, } 0.5\text{ inches}$, besting the previous school record of $33\text{ feet, } 5.25\text{ inches}$.
A Historic Milestone: True Team State Debut
On Friday, May 15, the halls of St. Clair high school echoed with pride during a school-wide pep fest. The celebration set the stage for Saturday, May 16, when the SC-IL girls’ track and field program traveled to Eden Prairie High School to compete in the Class A True Team State tournament—the first time in the program’s history that the Cyclones have qualified for this prestigious event.
Before the competition began, Activities Director Brad O’Donnell welcomed the crowd, thanking the parents for their endless support and celebrating the strong nine-year partnership between St. Clair and Immanuel Lutheran.
Head Coach Ashley Swanson addressed the team with an emotional tribute to their journey. “A rough season with brutal weather conditions, injuries, but we have endured through it all to become True Team champions,” Swanson said, referring to the team’s section triumph. “Embrace everything you’ve accomplished and compete to the best of your ability.”
Taking on the Best in Minnesota
True Team State is famously grueling; only the top programs qualify, and teams are permitted just two athletes per individual event alongside their relays, making depth the ultimate deciding factor.
SC-IL rose to the occasion beautifully, briefly leading the entire team sweepstakes after the opening rounds of field events and the 4x800m relay. When the dust settled, the Lady Cyclones took an outstanding eighth-place finish overall with 409 points, earning state ribbons.
For the third time this season, the 4x800m relay team rewrote the school record books en route to another decisive victory. The team—composed of D. Quast the Loeslie sisters, and Daly,—shaved nearly seven seconds off their previous record (set on May 2), crossing the line with a blistering time of $9:58.42$. During the race, A. Loeslie sparked a massive surge in her second lap to establish a lead, before handing off to her sister Makiah, who cruised to a dominant heat victory, even lapping competitors along the way.
V. Quast put on an absolute clinic in long-distance running. She controlled the 1600m, leaving no room for doubt in the final two turns to win the state title by 6.5 seconds. She then teamed up with Aleya Loeslie for a breathtaking 1-2 finish in the 3200m. Valerie took first, leaving her Cyclone teammate behind by 22 seconds—who in turn finished a whopping 32 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.
In the 800m, M. Loeslie finished just steps away from the top three to secure fourth, while Anderson finished seventh. Anderson also fought through a crowded 400m pack to secure eighth. Delilah Quast took ninth in the 1600m and eighth in the triple jump. The 4x400m relay team finished a strong fifth. In the field, Daly placed fifth in the high jump and third in the pole vault, while Rollenhagen tied for seventh with a strong vaulting performance.
Looking Ahead
It has been an exceptional stretch of track and field for the SC-IL program. While the Lady Cyclones took top honors with their historic top-10 finish at True Team State, the season is far from over. The Cyclones will need to carry this momentum and replicate their many successes as the postseason truly begins.
SC-IL will next travel to Sibley East on Thursday, May 21, for the highly anticipated sub-section meet.
