It was a wildly successful Section 5AA track meet last week for the Becker girls track team, as they qualified 11 athletes for the MSHSL State Track Championships.

“Quite an exciting section championship for us this year,” Coach Trish Reimer-Kealy said.

Overall, the Bulldogs finished in the third place, just one-half point out of second.

Last Tuesday were the preliminary rounds, with a few finals also being held.

One was in the 3200 run, as Senior Olivia Babler ran her best race of the season to finish in eighth place, while the discus also held the finals that day and Ella Tschida finished in sixth place.

In Thursday’s finals, Becker was on fire, as they qualified state entrants in six different events.

They started out with a first place finish by the 4x800 relay team of Katelyn Brower, Andie Changamire, Alea Briggs and Lexi Rose, as they ran nine seconds faster than their previous season best with a time of 9:44.21.  

“Our girls led the entire race and all the girls ran their best splits of the year,” Reimer-Kealy said.

The 100 meter hurdles were up next and Kailey Thompson earned her state spot with a second place time of 16.22. 

“She has improved steadily all year and has become so much more confident in her three steps,” Reimer-Kealy said.  Lauren Woelfel placed third with a PR time of 16.43. 

Thompson later took second in the 300 hurdles qualifying for the state meet with her PR time of 47.79.

Woelfel then added more medals to her collection with a third place finish in the pole vault (10’7”) that met the standard for qualifying for the state meet.

Josie Reckelberg then teamed up with Kylee Morton, Raelee Lyon and Salayna Allen to win first place in the 4x100 relay.

Their time of 50.85 broke the school record that they set earlier this year which was 51.35.  

“They had excellent hand offs and each girl really ran well,” Reimer-Kealy said.  “That relay always gives me anxiety because anything can happen! They really performed well and with confidence.”

Tschida then earned a spot at the state meet in the shot put after placing second with a 34’10 1/4 PR effort.  

“I believe she is the premier seventh grader in the state for the throws and it has been so exciting to watch her learn,” Reimer-Kealy said.  

Other notable performances included Salayna Allen (fifth in the 100), the 4x200 relay (Allen, Kylee Morton, Thompson and Reckleberg placing third ), Olivia Babler (seventh in the 1600), Andie Changamire (fifth) and Kaylyn Rickard (eighth) in the 400.  

Alea Briggs just missed out on a state meet berth in the 800. 

“She has been having a breakout year in this event and placed third with a very good time,” Reimer-Kealy said.

Josie Reckelberg was sixth in the 200 (27.17) and Kylee Morton was eighth (27.46), while the 4x400 relay team of Changamire, Brower, Briggs and Lexi Rose ran their season best time of 4:10.17 to place third.

“We have had a great season so far and I am so proud of everyone’s efforts and looking forward to the state meet at St Michael-Albertville,’ Reimer-Kealy said.