B/KMS deliver qualifiers, wins, and personal bests at Section 3A Championships

Benson/KMS track & field turned in a strong all-around performance at the MSHSL Section 3A Championships on Thursday in Pipestone, led by three event wins, a relay title, and a string of personal and season-best marks across the meet. The team produced standout results in hurdles, relays, jumps and throws, with multiple athletes earning qualifying performances for the next round.

Ava Noble paced the headline effort for B/KMS on the girls' side. She qualified in both hurdle races, winning the girls' 100-meter hurdles in 15.32 and adding another victory in the girls' 300-meter hurdles in 45.17. The girls' 4x100-meter relay also surged to a championship performance, as J. Claussen, A. Noble, K. Helgenset, C. Tolifson and teammates ran 49.17 to finish first, qualify and post a new 2026 Minnesota No. 14 mark. In the field events and sprints, Carly Tolifson delivered one of the most versatile days of the meet, placing second in the girls' high jump at 5-03.00 (1.60 meters) and second in the girls' long jump at 17-03.00 (5.25 meters) with a 3.3 m/s wind reading. She also took third in the girls' 100-meter dash in 12.73 with a -1.4 m/s wind.

More points and momentum came from the girls' 400 and throwing events. Kaida Helgenset clocked a personal-best 1:00.58 to place third in the girls' 400 meters, another important finish for the team. In the discus, Mamie Luft Qualifier recorded a personal-best 117-02 (35.71 meters) and placed third, adding another top finish. B/KMS also showed range in the distance relays, with the girls' 4x800-meter relay of E. Finstrom, K. Tollefsrud, S. Carlson and H. Bolduc finishing in 11:08.67, while the girls' 4x200-meter relay posted a 1:58.08 and the girls' 4x400-meter relay came through in 4:46.75. In the girls' 3200 meters, Kayla Tollefsrud finished 10th in 13:41.77.

The boys' side answered with several strong marks of its own, especially in the throws and relays. Owen Oerter put together an impressive double, reaching a personal-best 45-08.00 (13.91 meters) in the boys' shot put to place fourth, then adding a personal-best 141-04 (43.07 meters) in the boys' discus for fifth. In the sprints, Miles Morrison ran 11.83 in the boys' 100-meter prelims and also posted 24.12 in the boys' 200 meters, while Conner Stine turned in a 23.47 clocking to place third in his 200-meter heat.

B/KMS also found valuable depth in the boys' relays and field events. The boys' 4x100-meter relay ran a season-best 44.83 and placed fourth, continuing the team's productive day on the track. The boys' 4x200-meter relay finished in 1:42.16, the boys' 4x400-meter relay posted a season-best 3:46.92, and the boys' 4x800-meter relay added another season best at 9:20.28. In the field events, Cameren Silas cleared 5-06.00 (1.67 meters) to place eighth in the boys' high jump, while Graidy Zimmerman and Shane Froehlich each cleared 9-10.00 (2.99 meters) in the boys' pole vault, with Graidy Zimmerman placing 10th and Shane Froehlich recording a season best. Wyatt Hoff added a 12:03.77 effort in the boys' 3200 meters.

With athletes competing throughout the day in sprints, hurdles, distance races, jumps, throws and relays, the B/KMS team left Pipestone with a full set of breakthrough performances. The top of the lineup delivered section titles and qualifying marks, and the rest of the roster added personal bests, season bests and key placings that showed the depth B/KMS brought to one of the biggest meets of the season.