Track: Rosemount, South girls battle North Dakota’s best

Cougars’ Vukovics, Flicek win two events each

Two of the top Class 3A girls track and field teams in Minnesota took on the undisputed standard-bearer in North Dakota at an April 12 meet at Rosemount High School.

Rosemount traditionally invites North Dakota teams to one of its early-season meets. Answering the challenge this year were the girls and boys squads from Fargo Davies High School. The Davies girls have been state champions in North Dakota’s largest enrollment class five of the last six years. The Davies boys, who were fifth in their state meet in 2023, came to Minnesota to take on defending Class 3A team champion Rosemount.

Team scores weren’t kept, but Davies won seven events in the girls triangular, while Rosemount took six and Lakeville South won five. Each school had athletes that won multiple events.

Lakeville South junior Claire Vukovics was a double winner in distance events, taking the 1,600 meters in 5 minutes, 22.75 seconds and the 3,200 in 12:10.39. Cougars senior Kate Flicek swept the throwing events, with winning efforts of 36 feet, 6 inches in the shot put and 108-6 in the discus

Rosemount senior Cassandra Gospodarek won two field events – high jump (5-0) and long jump (16-9).

Also taking first for Lakeville South was sophomore Lucy Hilliard in the 400 (1:02.84).

Other Rosemount winners were senior Summer Davis in the pole vault (tied for first, 10-6) and ninth-grader Kendall Grate in the 100 dash (12.37). The Irish also won two relays – the 4x100 (50.84) and 4x200 (1:53.33).

Rosemount’s boys won 11 of the 17 events in its dual with Fargo Davies. That included two victories in hurdles races by senior Maki Whelan. His winning times were 14.76 in the 110-meter race and 39,41 in the 300.

Riddik Collier of Rosemount was the 100 dash winner in 11.23, just .01 ahead of teammate Kwabena Yawson.

Jackson Ganser won the 400 in 52.01 and Karm Goodburne took first in the 800 in 2:06.42. Andrew Schultz won the 1,600 by more than 20 seconds, finishing in 4:28.76. Connor Amos won the 3,200 in 10:18.07, leading a Rosemount sweep of the top three places.

Rosemount athletes Daniel Jeter and Jayvon Maternowski tied for first in the high jump, with each clearing 5-10. Noah Rodenwald cleared 13-9 to easily win the pole vault; no other competitor exceeded 10 feet. William Riddel won the shot put with a throw of 153-8.

The Irish also took first in the 4x200 relay in 1:32.44.

Coming up

The high school track and field outdoor season cranks up with some major meets on the way. The coming attractions include:

• Thursday: Shakopee Invitational, Faribault Invitational.

• Tuesday, April 23: Eagan Invitational.

• Thursday, April 25: Lakeville South Invitational (boys).

• Friday, April 26: Hamline Elite Meet, Hamline University.

• Saturday, April 27: Lakeville North Mega Meet.

• April 30: South Suburban Conference Relays, Shakopee West Middle School.

• May 7: Section True Team meets, Rosemount, Lakeville South and Eagan high schools.

• May 16: Ron Thelen Invitational, Farmington High School.

• May 17: Class 3A True Team finals, Stillwater High School.

• May 21-22: South Suburban Conference championships, Eagan High School.

• May 29, 31: Class 3A, Section 3 meet, East Ridge High School.

• May 30, June 1: Class 3A, Section 1 meet, Lakeville South High School.

• June 6-8: State meet, St. Michael-Albertville High School.