Head Coach: Jeff DeBuhr
2023 Season: The Gopher girls were Section 1A True Team runner-up and took third at state. The boys finished fifth at True Team sections. The girls were TRC Meet runner-up while the boys took fifth. Nine total Gophers went to state individually including the boys and girls 4×100 and 4×200 teams. The boys 4×200 (Sam Backer, Thad Evans, Isaac Erding, Eli Hopp) won a state title while the same foursome was 4×100 state runner-up. Backer was state runner-up again in the 100-meters. The girls 4×100 (Jaelyn LaPlante, Savannah Peterson, Evy Goldsmith, Lauryn Daniels) was state runner-up while the same foursome took third at the 4×200. Aletta Strande competed at state in the 1,600. Backer, Evans, Erding, Hopp, and Strande graduated.
Seniors: (Girls) Goldsmith, Daniels, Breah Schlink, Marianna Miron, Chloe Berg. (Boys) Callen Backer, Jack Volker, Bjorn Guzman, Kory Aarhus.
Juniors: (Girls) LaPlante, Aviana Thompson, Charlotte Oeltjen, Adia Evans, Arianna Dornink, Rebecca Copeman, Lelani Clifford. (Boys) Alden Pearson, Keegan Patten, Jake Stevens.
Key Underclassmen: Peterson (Fr.), Lexi Kivimagi (Fr.).
Kids to Watch: The girls 4×100 and 4×200 teams. The foursome of LaPlante, Goldsmith, Peterson, and Daniels returns. On top of takings second and third at state, they are the defending TRC Meet champions in both events. LaPlante (also High Jump, 200) was a four-event 1A Meet qualifier. L-Kivimagi (1,600, 4×400, 4×800) competed thrice at sections. She is the defending TRC Meet 800-meter champ. Evans (400, 4×400), Oeltjen (3,200), and Copeman (Pole Vault) are other returning 1A competitors. Three-event competitor Keegan Patten (110-hurdles, 300-hurdles, 4×400) and Maddex Lanning (3,200) are the only returning guys to compete at the 1A Meet. The boys teams were hit hard by graduation. The girls lost some key competitors, but return a nice group of athletes.
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