MANKATO — Mason Schirmer has played in the state football and basketball tournaments during his career at Maple River. Track and field is a bit different.
“You don’t have your teammates to pump you up as much,” the senior said. “(Track) is more of an individual thing. It’s a lot more mental.”
Schirmer qualified for the state meet in four events, helping the Maple River boys win the Section 2A track championship Saturday at Todnem Field. The top two finishers in each event, and those who meets a state standard, advance to the state meet Thursday and Friday at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
Maple River won the 4×100-meter relay as Amarus Harris, Chad Schull, Cale Hansen and Schirmer finished in 44.2. The same four took first in the 4×200 relay in 1:31.03.
Schirmer and Harris ran on the 4×200 relay that placed third at the state meet last season. Maple River also competed in the 4×100 relay last year but did not qualify for the finals.
“We have some guys back that ran at state last year so that’s helped our team with chemistry,” Schirmer said. “I think we have a good chance at state. Good handoffs, everybody runs their race … we should do pretty well.”
Schirmer also qualified for the state meet for the first time in the high jump. He didn’t reach his personal-best of 6-feet-6, but he took first at 6-2. He also won the 200 dash in 22.84.
Cale Hansen placed second in the triple jump at 42-8, and Cole Stencel was second in the 1,600 run in 4:26.57.
Maple River, which finished third in the true-team state track meet earlier this spring, won the section title with 112 points, well ahead of Jackson County Central at 77.
William Tuttle of New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva won the 300 hurdles in 41.96 and finished second in the 110 hurdles at 15.16. Teammate Lucas Hanna finished second in the discus at 143-7.
St. James Area’s Gavin Firchau won the triple jump at 42-9 1/2 and long jump at 20-8 1/2, with teammate Anthony Sletta in second at 20-4.
Simon Morgan of Mankato Loyola/Cleveland placed first in the 110 hurdles, outleaning Tuttle by .01 in 15.15.
Ryan Koberoski of Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther finished first in the 400 dash in 50.68.
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet’s 4×800 relay team of Lucas Pietan, Charlie Gengler, Jacob Cooper and Christian Fells placed second in 8:14.47. Logan Sandmeyer was runner-up in the 100 dash on 11.47.
Ryan Kronbach of Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton qualified for the state meet in the high jump by taking second at 6-0.
Riley Thelemann of Le Sueur-Henderson placed second in the 300 hurdles in 43.13.
Section 2A girls
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton is sending three relays to the state meet.
The 4×200 relay team of Katelyn Olson, Nevaeh Weimert, Lilly Strauss and Raquel Fischer took first in 1:48.63, and the same four took second in the 4×100 relay in 51.44.
In the 4×400 relay, Weimert, MaKenzie Westphal, Ashlin Keyes and Strauss placed second in 4:14.19.
Strauss also advanced in the long jump by taking second at 16-7 3/4, and Keyes took second in the high jump at 5-1.
JWP scored 64 points to finish third in the team competition, with Jackson County Central at 90 and River Valley at 70.
Valerie Quast of St. Clair/Immanuel Lutheran advanced to the state meet in two events, winning the 3,200 run in 12:03.36 and taking second in the 1,600 run in 5:19.95. Teammate Kate Daly won the high jump at 5-2.
NRHEG’s Evelyn Nydegger was runner-up in the 100 hurdles in 16.85 and the 300 hurdles in 48.60.
Katelyn Flack of Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet won the discus at 116-3. The Knight Raiders’ 4×400 relay team of Savannah Klockziem, Chloe Sargent, Flack and Maggie Graupman took first in 4:12.35.
NRHEG’s Quinn VanMaldeghem won the 800 run in 2:24.89, with Savannah Meyer of Loyola/Cleveland in second at 2:25.04.
In the pole vault, Addison Armstrong of Blue Earth Area took first at 10-8, and Lauren Mutschler of Maple River and Riley Sater of Le Sueur-Henderson both got into the state meet at 10-2.
In the triple jump, Lillian Ciske of St. James Area placed second at 32-9 1/4, and Ashlyn Pelant of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown was second in the shot put at 36-3.
Follow Chad Courrier on Twitter @ChadCourrier.