Complete.
What a start. Five meets into the indoor season and this year’s crew of athletes is displaying the competitive attitude that honors the tradition of Spuds track and field. Personal bests across the board, team titles, and some elite performances. We couldn’t be more proud of how this group has come out of the gate. When you total up every team faced across all five meets, the boys are 57-0 and the girls are 60-1-1. That’s a heck of a start.
None of this happens without the support of our families - we are especially grateful for families who support not only their own Spuds but all Spud student athletes! With over 200 student athletes in our program, that support goes a long way.
We are also fortunate to have access to some of the best indoor facilities in Minnesota. Our own school gives athletes a gym space, an indoor track surface, a two-level weight room, and meeting spaces that are the envy of any high school track program in the region - especially during a spring like this one. And our community has been equally generous. A special thank you to the local colleges who open their doors to high school athletes - particularly Marv Roeske and Garrick Larson at Concordia, who have been tremendous partners in creating indoor opportunities for our kids. That kind of community investment is rare and we don’t take it for granted.
The outdoor season is right around the corner and we cannot wait. We are appreciative of the flexibility that kids and families have demonstrated as we’ve navigated unpredictable weather and changing meet dates and formats. That flexibility will serve us well as we transition away from indoor, and we can’t wait to see what our Spuds can do outside!
We are working to highlight athletes who are demonstrating Spud Track & Field core values — kids who show accountability, take and earn opportunities, and demonstrate excellence in meets, practice, and as student athletes. These athletes have received a shoutout from their coaches at practice.
- Annabelle Hedlund
- Ava Mattison
- Ella Evenson
- Elsa Pennington
- Izzi Kuchynski
- Izzy Lockhart
- RJ Loor
- Zak Walker
- Zoey Gorz
- Adley Staehnke
- Ellie Rossland
- Eve Halverson
- Greta Verkuilen
- Hailey Grieger
- Jesse Adatsi
- Andrew Jaeger
- Dalton Humeniuk
- Edmund Wotoe
- Isabelle Oakes
- Kade Polomny
- Kaityn Walthers
- NDSU Girls 3200
- UND Boys 4×400 Relay
Stay tuned for more shoutouts as the season progresses.
Well folks, it has been quite a winter. Ron here, coming to you live from Detroit Lakes — where the drive to Moorhead is long, the coffee is strong, and the dedication to Spud Track is unmatched. I made every single indoor meet this season. Every one. At the Snowmergency I crawled into the pole vault mat for warmth and came out wearing a hat I found in there. No questions asked. Conditions were fine.
As we head outdoors, the big question on everyone’s mind is of course: what will Ron wear? Will it be the legendary orange pullover — a classic, a statement, a beacon? The all-white “White Hot Ron” ensemble that has blinded fans in three counties? Or the full blackout look you see pictured here, which caused at least two athletes to mistake me for a shadow? The people deserve to know.
What I can tell you is this: The Coach Who Shall Not Be Named and I will not be sunburned. The rest is a surprise. See you at the track — I’ll be the one you can’t miss.
▶Ron’s Round Up Video
The indoor season opened with a statement. The Spuds descended on the MAA Indoor Invitational and the boys didn’t just win — they dominated, topping the team standings with 258 points to Alexandria’s 187. The girls fought hard in a deeper field, finishing second with 174 points in what was a competitive night top to bottom.
The story of the meet for the Spuds was depth and speed. In the boys 55 meters, Moorhead went 1-2-3-4 — Madison Suah (6.60), Shadrach Zuo (6.65), Edmund Wotoe (6.66), and Etina Monono (6.89) swept the top four spots, all posting indoor personal bests. Zuo wasn’t done — he came back to win the long jump at 22’5”, a Top 10 All-Time mark.
On the track, Eli Schlichting and Tavan Schlichting went 1-2 in the 400 meters at 54.29 and 55.35, both indoor PBs. On the girls side, Kaityn Walthers and Romedna Gaye went 1-2 in the 55 at 7.36 and 7.38, both indoor PBs. The girls 4×200 relay — Nadia Davis, Romedna Gaye, Lihanna Tarwo, and Kelsea Noomon — won in 1:52.30.
The Spuds traveled to Grand Forks for the Dick Clay Invitational at UND’s Fritz Pollard Athletic Center and left with a sweep — both teams took first place in one of the strongest indoor fields of the season.
Edmund Wotoe was the story of the day, winning both the 60 meters in an indoor PB 6.98 and the 200 meters in 22.43 — a Top 10 All-Time mark. Shadrach Zuo continued his monster indoor season with a win in the long jump at 22’1.75”. The boys 4×200 A team of Etina Monono, Shadrach Zuo, Espen Bement, and Madison Suah won in 1:35.62. The boys 4×400 squad of Wyatt Myklebust, Eli Schlichting, Oliver Carlson, and Tavan Schlichting won in 3:34.19. Eli Schlichting also won the mile in an indoor PB 4:35.63.
On the girls side, Kaityn Walthers was dominant, winning both the 60 meters (7.92) and the 200 (26.50). The girls 4×200 — Walthers, Quinn Erickson, Nadia Davis, and Romedna Gaye — won in 1:48.17. Quinn Erickson had a breakout meet, finishing 2nd in the long jump at 16’10.25” — a strong mark for the sophomore.
The Spuds traveled to NDSU and came home with titles on both sides. The boys won with 96 points to Sheyenne’s 72, and the girls matched Davies point for point, finishing tied at 85.
Zak Walker was the story of the boys meet. He won the 55 meters at 6.95 before returning to dominate the 200 in 21.77 — the top indoor 200M time in Minnesota so far this season. Shadrach Zuo won the long jump at 22’0”. The distance crew was outstanding — Eli Schlichting, Conner Copeland, Oliver Carlson, and Dylan Riepe won the 4×800 in 8:27.31.
On the girls side, Kaityn Walthers won both the 60 (7.85 Indoor PB) and the 200 (26.30 Indoor PB). Brooklyn Johnson and Sophia Johnson went 1-2 in the 3200, with Ava Stout right behind in 3rd.
The JV squad got their moment in the spotlight and the Spuds delivered on both sides. The boys won 61–46 and the girls took it 57.5–32.5 in a meet that was all about development and watching the next wave find their footing.
Frankie Jacobs swept the 200 and anchored the winning 4×200 relay. Murray Beckerleg won the 55 meters outright. Freshman Nolan Townsend won the high jump at 5’4” — an indoor PB.
On the girls side, Uniqua Nimely and Stella Carlson set the tone in the 55. Eve Halverson won the hurdles in an indoor PB 9.94 and added points in the long jump and triple jump. Nearly every event had multiple Spuds in the top five. This group is building something.
A snowstorm couldn’t slow the Spuds down. The Concordia Indoor meet earned the nickname “Snowmergency” for good reason, but Moorhead showed up and put on one of their best performances of the season — boys won with 177 points, girls dominated with 154.5, nearly 40 clear of second-place Perham.
The headline was Zak Walker, who turned in one of the top individual performances in the state this indoor season. He won the 55 in a personal best 6.47 — one of the top times in Minnesota — then came back to win the 400 in an indoor PB 52.69. Ian Schimmelpfennig won the 3200 in an indoor PB 10:48.30, with Barrett Hicks, Jonathan Nelson, Gannon Helmick, River Jacobson, and Andrew Jaeger packing the next five spots — six Spuds in the top seven.
On the girls side, Romedna Gaye won the 55 (7.48) with Quinn Erickson right behind at an indoor PB 7.52. Freshman Lillian Humeniuk won the 800 in an indoor PB 2:30.08. Isabelle Oakes cleared 8’9” in the pole vault — a Top 10 All-Time mark for the program.
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