Prep Blog: Spring State Tournament Season Heats Up

Just as a heat wave arrives to the Twin Cities, it's the biggest time of the year on the Minnesota prep sports scene as state tournaments are taking shape.

The tournament fields are already in place for the State Track and Field Championships at Hamline University on Friday and Saturday. The same is true for the State Girls Softball Tournament, which is Thursday through Saturday at Caswell Park in Mankato.

The state fields are also taking shape in boys and girls golf, boys and girls lacrosse and boys baseball. Here's a look at the busy weekend ahead.

State Track and Field (Friday-Saturday, Hamline University)

Klas Field at Hamline University will be a busy place this weekend as the top boys and girls track and field athletes in Class A and AA take center stage. The Class AA preliminaries, and finals in some field events, take place at 9 a.m. Friday. The Class A session for preliminaries and various field events is at 3:30 p.m. The Class AA finals are at 9 .am. Friday and Class A finals are at 3:30 p.m.

It will be an interesting state meet with hot and humid conditions expected both days, including heat indexes expected to be over 100 degrees.

Here is a sample of some returning state champions: Chanhassen's Jedah Caldwell is back to defend her state titles in the 100 and 200-meter dash. She set new records in both events already this season. Ruby Stauber of Wayzata set a state meet record in the 800-meter run last year and is back to defend her state title. Her qualifying time in sections was 2:07.65.

Meleah Biermayer of Thief River Falls is back to defend a state title in the 300-meter hurdles after setting a state record last year. Andrianna Jacobs is back in the girls pole vault after setting a state record last year of 13 feet, 1 inch. She qualified at 12 feet, and the field is led by Mounds View freshman Julia Fixen at 12 feet, 2 inches. Como Park senior Trevon Clay is back to defend his state title in the 110 hurles, and Apple Valley's Kieran McKeag has a state title to defend in the shot put after a winning throw last year of 59 feet, 2.25 inches. Noah Carlson of Rushford-Peterson is also back to defend state titles in the long jump and triple jump. He is the top seed in both events with marks of 46 feet, 8.5 inches and 22 feet, 11.75 inches.

Girls State Softball Tournament (Thursday-Satrday, Caswell Park Mankato)

The best high school softball teams in the state are in southern Minnesota, where four state champions will be crowned by Saturday night. There will be new champions in every class and programs will be making state tournament debuts in three of the four classes. They include Pine River-Backus and Kimball in Class A; Winona, Mahtomedi and Benilde-St. Margaret's in Class AAA and Spring Lake Park in Class AAAA.

Three teams ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A are in the field, including No. 1 Park Cottage Grove, No. 5 Chanhassen and No. 10 Woodbury. In Class 3A, four teams in the top 10 are in the tournament. They include No. 1 Mankato West, No. 3 Winona, No. 4 Hermantown and No. 9 Becker.

Thursday Boys Baseball: Maple Grove (19-4) vs. Elk River (14-10)

(Section 8AAAA Championship, St. John's)

One of the last bids for the Class 4A State Baseball Tournament is up for grabs Thursday night at St. John's University as Maple Grove, ranked No. 5, faces Elk River. The Elks need two wins over the Crimson to clinch a state tournament berth. Maple Grove already defeated Elk River in the semifinals of the double elimination bracket 2-1.

Bids for next week's state tournament have already been clinched by Lakeville North, Woodbury and Wayzata.

Thursday Boys Lacrosse: Minnetonka (10-6) at Eden Prairie (10-5)

A pair of conference rivals meet Thursday night with a trip to the Boys State Lacrosse Tournament at stake as Eden Prairie hosts Minnetonka. The teams met twice in the regular season, with the Eagles taking 9-4 and 5-4 victories. One of the hardest things for any team to do in a season is beat a familiar opponent three times. Eden Prairie is led by Connor Olson's seven goals on the season. Minnetonka has won five straight games since a loss to Blake.

Tune into WCCO-TV's High School Sports Rally at about 10:20 p.m. Friday as Mike Max and David McCoy will have all the action covered.