TALENTED TRACKSTERS — Members of the 2022 Fairmont Cardinals girls track & field team include, front row (l-r): Emily Frank, Angelica Kerekes, Claire Nemmers, Vanessa Bliesmer, Brooklyn Pfeffer, Rachel O’Connor, Laura Thompson, Mackenzie Householder, Carissa Saxton, Corene Moeller and Norah Traetow. Second row: Angela Arrigone, Johanna Wepfer, Laura Toeppel, Audrina Suckow, Alexa Bush, Karla Sifuentes, Anna Utermarck, Jazlyn Geerdes, Jozie Hoefker, Shaye Dietz and Adrianna Knafla. Third row: Madison Pluim, Ashley Walker, Finley Reichel, Macy Hanson, Bella Schroeder, Carys Gudahl, Cadence Leiding, Meredith Nemmers, Ellie Ortega, Kennedy Becker, Elayna Anderson, Abi Peyman and Selma Bleess. Back row: Coaches Stew Murfield, Jesse Walters, Brad Johnson, Bob Bonk, Scott Geerdes, Liz Kvebak and Mat Mahoney. Not pictured: Ellie Hernes, Hannah Linse, Hadley Artz and Ava Rodning. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Legendary Fairmont head track & field coach Bob Bonk affectionately refers to senior horizontal jumper and hurdling extraordinaire Ellie Hernes, Augustana University cross country and track & field commit Laura Thompson and freshman long-distance standout Macy Hanson as “The Big 3.”

Hernes needed only one indoor meet last Friday night at Minnesota State University in Mankato to rewrite the Cardinals’ record books once again.

The future Bethel University track & field student-athlete cleared 36 feet, 8 1/4 inches to set Fairmont’s indoor triple jump mark, broke the tape in 9.59 seconds to tie the program’s 60-meter high hurdles record and added the long jump crown for good measure.

“If I could clone her (Hernes), I’d have her in eight events each meet,” joked Bonk. “If I opted to insert her into a relay or have her run the 300 (-meter) hurdles, she’d be terrific in those events, too.

“I guess I’ll have to be happy with all the points she scores for us in four events each time out,” Bonk added with a smile.

While Thompson and Hanson are 3 years apart in age, the Cardinals’ tandem worked in unison to pack a lethal 1-2 scoring punch during last fall’s cross country campaign and already are picking up in track where they left off in November.

“Laura is arguably the best distance runner in our girls program, holding school records in the mile and 2-mile (runs) in track and producing the best (5K) times ever in cross country,” Bonk said. “She and Macy have shown they can compete with the best of the best at the state level.”

Indeed. Thompson capped her incredible 6-year varsity cross country career by placing sixth in 18:57.84 at the 2021 Class AA state meet in Northfield, while Hanson netted a seventh-place medal with a time of 18:57.89.

This spring, Thompson and Hernes return to the paved surfaces on both the track and in the field events on the heels of earning two medals each during the 2021 Class A state competition in St. Michael.

Hernes struck silver with a runner-up leap of 38-0 1/4 in the triple jump and merited a seventh-place state medal in the high hurdles. She also finished 11th in the long jump and 12th in the 300-meter hurdles.

Thompson doubled up her 2021 state medals by earning a silver in the 3,200-meter run and garnering a bronze in the 1,600.

While Thompson, Hernes and Hanson can generate numerous points, “The Big 3” are hardly the only point producers in the Cardinals’ multi-faceted lineup.

Junior Corene Moeller swept the 200- and 400-meter sprints during last Friday’s indoor opener, while junior Jazlyn Geerdes netted second to Hernes in the triple jump and second to Moeller in the open 200. Geerdes also anchored Fairmont’s winning 4×200 relay in Mankato.

“If you asked what is our weakest event for the girls team, I’m not sure I could tell you. We’ve got tremendous depth in all four classes this season,” said Bonk. “Emily Frank has come up big for us in the jumps, we got Mackenzie Householder back healthy and stronger, Claire Nemmers returns to the hurdles and relays after missing last year, Rachel O’Connor is our best pole vaulter and a good long jumper, and Carissa Saxton has shown us her speed on the track.

“All of those girls are seniors, and that class has been our bread-and-butter for the last few years.”

Hadley Artz, who packs a stellar scoring punch with Hernes in the hurdles and has evolved into a solid relay runner, along with Anna Utermarck — who won the low hurdles at last week’s indoor — add skilled depth to the junior class along with Moeller and Geerdes.

“Elayna Anderson is healthy again and has shown her speed, Shaye Dietz is our best high jumper at this point, and Alexa Bush is probably our second-best thrower behind Mackenzie Householder,” said Bonk. “All three are sophomores, and that bodes well for us this year and down the road.”

While Hanson tops the list of freshmen contributing to Fairmont’s varsity scoring effort, Bonk sees a lot of potential among his other ninth-graders on the roster and will wait to see where they fit into the overall team concept.

“We’re the smallest school in Class AA since the high school league’s expansion to three classes has taken effect this spring,” said Bonk. “We’ve been competitive in the true team meets and it’s been a three-class format for a while, so we’re looking forward to the challenge.

“The (state-qualifying) standards are higher, but we know we can compete, so we’ll do our best in trying to get back to state.”

After Fairmont completes its indoor season today at MSU in Mankato, the Cardinals kick off the outdoor campaign by playing host to New Ulm, St. Peter and United South Central in a 4:30 p.m. quadrangular Tuesday at Bob Bonk Track on the Fairmont High School campus.

The Cardinals quickly play host to a 4:30 p.m. triangular two days later on Thursday, squaring off against Mankato East and Maple River in Fairmont.