MANKATO — The remarkable athletic career of Rylie Hansen has come to an end.
The Mankato East graduate competed in her final state high school track and field meet last weekend, coming away with a state championship, a second-place finish and a third-place finish. A great all-around athlete, Hansen is also a standout gymnast who competed at state numerous times for the Cougars.
Hansen was one of five state track and field champs from Mankato this season. West’s Ruby Marble took first in two sprint events and East’s Carter Schwartz emerged as a state champion thrower. Adaylia Borgmeier and Madison Harbarth won wheelchair events.
East girls track and field head coach Joy Visto is sorry to see Hansen go. “She did so much for our program, she will definitely be missed. And she’s a great person, too.”
Hansen won the state long jump with a Class AA record distance of 19-feet-1 3/4 inches. That mark is also a personal best for Hansen and a Mankato East record.
Hansen was also the runner-up in the triple jump, spanning a distance of 38-11 1/2. The distance was a personal best and school record.
The East senior tied for the winning height in the pole vault at 12-3, but had to settle for third place based on the number of missed attempts. She leaves the program having achieved a school-record height of 12-9. Hansen won the state pole vault title as a sophomore and was second last year.
Visto was not surprised at all that Hansen was able to put together a great final meet. “Coming out of the conference meet, I knew that placing in the top-3 in all three of her main events was not out of the question. Even though she had a slight hamstring injury she was able to pull it off.”
Hansen, a top-3 finalist for the Ms. Track and Field Award in Minnesota, is headed to the University of South Dakota this fall where she will continue her track career and pursue a pre-med degree. She signed with USD right after the Big Nine Conference Meet.
“I just really clicked with USD when I made my visit,” Hansen said. “I didn’t sign when I did to take the pressure off, I just knew it was where I wanted to go. But it was nice not to have the pressure of hitting certain marks to get recruited at the state meet.”
The Cougars had two wheelchair athletes compete in the girls meet at state and both won championships.
Sophomore Adaylia Borgmeier led the way, winning the 200, 400 and 800-meter wheelchair races. Senior Madison Harbarth won the 100 meters to give East a sweep in the wheelchair sprints.
“They both competed so hard,” Visto said. “We were fortunate to have two athletes of that caliber.”
Ruby Marble
West senior-to-be Ruby Marble also had an outstanding state track meet. She took first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.96. The effort was superb but not as fast as the 11.88 time she ran at home this season for a personal best and school record.
Marble also won the 200 meter dash, setting a Class AA record with a time of 24.43. She set her personal best mark of 24.27 at the section meet the previous week.
Marble also anchored the 4×100 relay, joining with Jaelyn Doss, Eva Olson and Avery Schmitz to place second in 48.15. The same four set the school record of 47.65 the week before at sections.
“Ruby had an awesome day for us,” West coach Scott Carlson said. “We look forward to having her back next season.”
Marble likened her state meet to an out-of-body experience.
“It was surreal, a super huge accomplishment.
“Going to state seeded first in the two dashes and then pulling it off, it’s just crazy.”
Marble, who had long gaps of time between each event, said she spent her down time snacking on carbs and trying to keep her nerves under control.
“The nerves can help you run faster but you don’t want to be too nervous,” she said. “The pressure helps push you through the conditions which weren’t very good that day.”
The upcoming senior trains year-round for track and has begun the process of narrowing down her college choices. “I think I want to get some kind of business degree. Preferably somewhere out of state.”
Carter Schwartz
Mankato East’s Carter Schwartz didn’t just win the Class AA state shot put last weekend, he owned it.
Schwartz, a soon-to-be junior, heaved the shot 56-11 1/4 inches to win the event by more than a foot. A great toss but short of his career best throw of 57-9, which he accomplished earlier in the season.
“It was a really surreal feeling after I won it,” he said. “I knew I could do it but you always wonder until it actually happens.”
Schwartz finished fourth in the same event a year ago, signaling to East head coach Nick Yenser that the underclassman could be a force in the shot put for three more seasons.
“We knew after last year’s meet that we could have a state champion on our hands,” Yenser said. “He’s just very consistent and improves incrementally. I don’t think any of us were surprised that he did it.”
Count Schwartz among those not surprised by his accomplishment.
“The three guys who placed ahead of me last year were all seniors,” he said. “From the start of the season, my goal has been to win the state championship.”
Schwartz doesn’t credit his improvement to being bigger or stronger, but to his improved technique. “I switched from the glide to the spin this year and that’s made a difference. The majority of throwing is about technique.”
Now that he has one state title under his belt, Schwartz is setting lofty goals for the future.
“I’d like to win again next year and again the year after that,” he said. “There’s never been a three-time state shot put champion in Minnesota.”
JWP girls win team title
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton girls track and field coach Sam Schruin knew he had a deep roster coming into the season.
The team included several returning state participants, but you never know what you really have until the meets begin and the athletes start putting down marks and times.
“After so many years of going up to state and not placing, I think that was the spark,” Schruin said. “The work that they put in this year and dedication was actually unbelievable. It’s something I’ve never seen as a coach.”
That work ended up resulting in a state title for the Bulldogs, as they won the Class A meet with the top team score of 41 points. The headliner was MaKenzie Westphal, who won the 800-meter title with a time of 2:18.90.
It was the first team state championship in JWP school history in any sport.
“It’s very surreal.” Schruin said. “The girls weren’t there by luck. They really did earn this.”