“Expectations are always to be competitive in the Heart O’ Lakes Conference, Section 8A, and this year at the State Class A Meet,” said Coach Anderson.  “With the realignment of three classes in track and field this year for the first time, it will be interesting to see how these changes will affect track and field in northwest Minnesota.”

The Rebels will be led by returning seniors and captains Joshua Finseth, Chandler Gray, Oliver Jesme and Brayden Manston. 

Finseth is coming off an outstanding season where he won the state championship in the long jump, was state runner-up in the triple jump and finished fourth at state in the 400 meter dash.  He was the top scorer at the state meet with 28 points.  He also broke a 20 year old record at the Section 8A meet in the triple jump with a jump of 45’3”, and had a personal record in the long jump (21’3”) and in the 400 meters (49.83).  Finseth also holds school records in the triple jump and the 200 meter dash.  He was All-Conference in the HOL and also earned All-State honors.

Gray is a distance runner, Jesme will participate in middle distance events, and Manston will be in the hurdles and the jumps.

Other returners include juniors Joey Molstre (hurdles, pole vault), Chase Julin (middle distance), Landon Morkassel (sprints, hurdles), Ben Lepard (jumps) and Victor Sosa-Krabbenhoft (throws), and sophomores Bodey DeVries (sprints, jumps), Joe Wilson (middle distance, pole vault), Louis Gaytan (middle distance), Carter Julin (middle distance), Thomas Thureen (throws) and Isaac Gifford (distance).

The Rebels will also be counting on varsity contributions from seniors Derek Poehls (sprints, jumps) and McKale Pierson (sprints, jumps), juniors Jordan Summers (sprints, jumps), Max Baumgartener (throws), Jaeger Cyr (throws) and Connor Dipple (throws), sophomore Aiden Edeen (throws) and seventh-graders Jarrett Manston (hurdles) and Jake Dawson (distance).

“The team’s strength lies in the long jump and triple jump as we are strengthening up our other field events,” said Coach Anderson.  “On the track, we have several capable 400 meter runners, and with new additions, hope to improve our shorter sprints.  There is some experience in the distance group, and during the 2022 season, the Rebels hope to compete for some of the top places in the mile and two mile.”

Cade Dawson and Tony Reno will assist Coach Anderson.

Anderson says the top contenders are Park Rapids in Section 8A and Perham in the HOL.