GIRLS TRACK TEAM PERFORMS WELL AT STATE MEET

At the start of the 2022 track season, many athletes set goals of making the state meet. Although track implemented a third class for the first time this year, it had little effect on the smaller schools, as the AA schools were broken down into two classes. Class A (which MCC is a part of) remains the largest class in the state comprising of 192 teams. Each individual event has the possibility of 576 student athletes vying for one of the sixteen state qualifying spots. MCC had three girls (Brylei Schreier - 400, Ashley Overgaauw - 800, Amanda Overgaauw - 3200) that had earned one of those spots. That trio was joined by Sophia Nelson for the 4x800 relay to give the team a total of four events participating in the 2022 State Track and Field meet.

The two day meet consisted of prelims for most running events on the first day while finals were on the second day. The only running finals on the first day would be the 3200m run. First on the track for the Rebels was sophomore Brylei Schreier competing in the 400m prelims. Schreier was the Section 3A Champion and was coming into state with the fifth fastest time. Running in the second heat, she placed second which automatically qualified her for the finals. The next girl competing in a preliminary race was Ashley Overgaauw in the 800m. Ashley’s time out of the section meet was the 11th fastest coming into the state meet. Ashley knew to make finals she would either have to finish in the top two or be one of the next five fastest times as nine would advance to finals. She also was in the second heat which allowed her to see what time she would have to run for a chance to qualify for finals. After the first lap of her race, Ashley found herself in 7th place. On the second (final) lap, she would turn it on passing one runner at a time advancing to the front of the pack. Ashley would finish her preliminary heat in first place, also automatically her to the finals on the next day. The last competitor for MCC on day one was Amanda Overgaauw in the 3200m finals. Overgaauw competed in this same event last year where she placed 3rd, less than a half a second from first. Also returning this year would be the defending state champion, Jade Rypkema from Nevis. Those two battled it out earlier in the year at the Hamline Elite Meet with Rypkema edging out Overgaauw. As the gun sounded, those two would take off. They ran stride for stride with Rypkema leading the way but Overgaauw was never less than a step behind. Others in the race tried to keep pace but would fall off a couple of laps in. After six of the eight laps completed, they built a commanding lead but were only sepa-rated from each other by less than 0.25 seconds. Rypkema would look to create separation at that point, slightly picking up her pace. Overgaauw stayed consistent but slowly saw Rypkema pull ahead, finishing as the state runner up, 15 seconds ahead of the third place runner.

Day two of the meet would be lead off with the 4x800 relay. MCC had placed 5th at the 2021 state meet and were returning with three of the same members. Coming into the meet, the Rebels had the 4th fastest seed time out of sections. Coming out of the same section was Luverne, the three time defending state champion in this event. Brylei Schreier would lead off for the Rebels and ran a personal best split time, placing them in 5th. She would hand off to Sophia Nelson who also would run a personal best time but would get passed at the end putting the Rebels in 6th. Ashley Overgaauw would take the baton and look to make up ground. She would be able to pass three teams before handing off to her sister Amanda who set off with determination. Amanda would work her way towards the front with eyes on a state championship. It was a three team battle down the home stretch but it was Luverne that would cross the finish line first, making it four in a row for the Cardinals. The Rebels would cross one second later, giving them runner up honors.

Schreier would take the track again, about an hour and a half after the 4x800 relay for her 400m finals. She was hoping to still have gas in the tank after her 400 preliminary race and strong leadoff leg in the relay. Schreier kept up with the fast pace of this finals race, holding on in the middle of the pack. She would stay strong down the front stretch fighting for position. Giving it her all, she collapsed at the finishing line but not before coming across in 5th, with a personal best time of 59.89 seconds.

The last competitor for the Rebels would be Ashley Overgaauw in the 800. Ashley already had two strong 800 races and was hoping to have one more in her. This race would start out fast as all nine runners would be less than 2 seconds apart after the first lap. As the runners continued on Overgaauw worked to find a position to run and make a move. Unfortunately, she was not able to advance past anyone as she finished in 9th place, which is a great feat.

Not only was it impressive that these girls were able to qualify for the state meet, but that every event entered, made finals and medaled. At the end of the two days, the Rebels would compile 26 points as a team, placing them 8th overall (out of 192 teams), the highest ever in school history. Needless to say, it was a great weekend for Rebels Girls’ Track and Field. Over the two days, the girls competed hard and represented themselves, the school and MCC community well. They all have a lot to be proud of. With none of these girls seniors, they all hope to return in 2023!