Jackson County Central track and field Coach Rafe York tweets this at the end of his Twitter Barrage after every meet for the Huskies:
So if he’s tweeting like this about Tuesday’s Section 2A true team meet, it must be special:
The Huskies and Martin County West will be in the field of 16 teams participating in Tuesday’s meet in Wells.
Under the true team format, every entrant is scored. Teams can have two entries in each individual event and one relay.
For individual events, first place is awarded twice the number of points as teams competing in the meet, with points awarded to subsequent placers decreasing by one point per place.
For Tuesday’s meet, first place will be worth 32 points, second place is 31 points, etc.
In relays, first place is awarded a number of points equal to three times the number of teams competing in the meet, with subsequent places decreasing by three points per place.
Tuesday’s relay races will be 48 points for first, 45 for second and then keep subtracting three from there.
Pole vault competition starts at 1:30 p.m., the other field events start at 3 p.m. and running events start at 4 p.m.
The championship team for both girls and boys will advance to the state Class A true team meet Saturday, May 20 at Stillwater High School.
Teams that place second through fifth in each section will be entered in a virtual meet against the other teams that place second through fifth in section meets to determine four wildcard teams for the state meet.
Section 2A teams
Blue Earth Area
Jackson County Central
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton
Lake Crytal Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet
Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther
Mankato Loyola/Cleveland
Maple River
Martin County West
Minnesota Valley Lutheran
Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey
New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva
River Valley
Sibley East
St. Clair/Immanuel Lutheran
United South Central/Alden-Conger
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
How it started
True team section and state meets started in 1992, but the journey to get there started in 1984.
There were coaches throughout the state who believed there must be a better way to determine the best team in the state. Many felt that while having solid teams, when entered in the state individual meet those teams could not score enough points to overtake a team with a few outstanding athletes.
There were many years that a few or just one athlete would score enough points to place high at the MSHSL state meet.
For example, in 1987, Heather Van Norman was the lone Windom athlete to qualify for the state meet. She won the 100, 200 and 400 meter events and the 30 points gave the Eagles the team title.
In 1988 she won those events again and ran on a third-place relay team and Windom won another state team title with 36 points.
Area results
Jackson County Central has had two girls teams and one boys team qualify for state true team meets.
For the boys, the Huskies placed fifth in the 2010 Class A meet and were sixth in 2014.
JCC’s are the defending Section 2A champions and were seventh in last year’s state meet.
Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield won the Class A girls title in the first state true team meet in 1992.
Southwest Star Concept won four straight state titles from 1998-2001.
Current Big South Conference schools have won a dozen true team state titles. Of those, 11 have been won by girls teams.
Fairmont won four straight Class AA girls team titles from 1998-2001, the same years that SSC won its four Class A girls crowns.
Fairmont doubled up state true team titles in 1998 as the Cardinals also won the state boys team title.
Other state Class A girls titles were won by Blue Earth Area in 2009, 2015 and 2016; Luverne in 2010 and 2014; and Pipestone in 2007.
Also, Pipestone won the Class A boys title in 2010.
State true team track and field champions
Class A girls
2022: Grand Meadow-LeRoy-Ostrander-Kingsland-Southland
2021: Grand Meadow-LeRoy-Ostrander-Kingsland-Southland
2020: Cancelled, Covid-19
2019: Minnewaska Area
2018: Maple Lake
2017: Osakis
2016: Blue Earth Area
2015: Blue Earth Area
2014: Luverne
2013: Esko
2012: Esko
2011: Esko
2010: Luverne
2009: Blue Earth Area
2008: Luverne
2007: Pipestone
2006: Rushford-Peterson-Houston
2005: Cedar Mountain
2004: Cedar Mountain
2003: Mayer Lutheran
2002: Mayer Lutheran
2001: Southwest Star Concept
2000: Southwest Star Concept
1999: Southwest Star Concept
1998: Southwest Star Concept
1997: Holdingford
1996: Pierz
1995: Pierz
1994: Rochester Lourdes
1993: Plainview
1992: Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield
Class AA girls
2022: Rocori
2021: Rocori
2020: Cancelled, Covid-19
2019: Willmar
2018: Rocori
2017: Rocori
2016: Red Wing
2015: Rocori
2014: Sartell-St. Stephen
2013: Sartell-St. Stephen
2012: Totino-Grace
2011: Totino-Grace
2010: Totino-Grace
2009: Totino-Grace
2008: Totino-Grace
2007: Mankato East
2006: Sartell-St. Stephen
2005: Sartell-St. Stephen
2004: Mankato East
2003: Mankato East
2002: Mankato East
2001: Fairmont
2000: Fairmont
1999: Fairmont
1998: Fairmont
1997: St. Louis Park
1996: Shakopee
1995: Shakopee
1994: Sartell
1993: Sartell
1992: Sartell
Class AAA girls
2022: Minnetonka
2021: Rosemount
2020: Cancelled, Covid-19
2019: Rosemount
2018: Wayzata
2017: Minnetonka
2016: Lakeville South
2015: Mounds View
2014: Lakeville South
2013: Lakeville South
2012: Lakeville South
2011: Hopkins
2010: Mounds View
2009: Mounds View
2008: Eastview
2007: Mounds View
2006: Apple Valley
2005: Apple Valley
2004: Apple Valley
2003: Apple Valley
2002: Lakeville
2001: Lakeville
2000: Lakeville
1999: Lakeville
1998: Apple Valley
1997: Apple Valley
1996: Apple Valley
1995: Mounds View
1994: Apple Valley and Mounds View
1993: Apple Valley
1992: Minnetonka and Roseville Area
Class A boys
2022: Lanesboro-Fillmore Central
2021: Pine Island
2020: Cancelled, Covid-19
2019: St. Charles
2018: Holdingford
2017: Holdingford
2016: Montevideo
2015: Holdingford
2014: Holdingford
2013: Winona Cotter
2012: Maple Lake
2011: United South Central
2010: Pipestone
2009: St. Croix Lutheran
2008: St. Croix Lutheran
2007: St. Croix Lutheran
2006: Plainview
2005: Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
2004: Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
2003: Plainview
2002: Plainview
2001: Plainview
2000: Mayer Lutheran
1999: United South Central
1998: United South Central
1997: Murray County Central
1996: Byron
1995: Lanesboro-Fillmore Central
1994: Lanesboro-Fillmore Central
1993: Lanesboro-Fillmore Central
1992: Harmony-Lanesboro Preston-Fountain
Class AA boys
2022: Mankato East
2021: Willmar
2020: Cancelled, Covid-19
2019: Willmar
2018: Willmar
2017: Willmar
2016: Willmar
2015: Mankato East
2014: Totino-Grace
2013: Totino-Grace
2012: Totino-Grace
2011: Totino-Grace
2010: Mankato East
2009: Totino-Grace
2008: New Prague
2007: Mankato West
2006: Totino-Grace
2005: Mankato East
2004: Mankato East
2003: Mankato West
2002: Mankato West
2001: Sauk Rapids
2000: Sartell
1999: Red Wing
1998: Fairmont
1997: Mahtomedi
1996: Mahtomedi
1995: Shakopee
1994: Monticello
1993: Cretin-Derham Hall
1992: Rocori
Class AAA boys
2022: Rosemount
2021: Rosemount
2020: Cancelled, Covid-19
2019: Hopkins
2018: Wayzata
2017: Wayzata
2016: Wayzata
2015: Wayzata
2014: Wayzata
2013: Wayzata
2012: Minnetonka
2011: Rosemount
2010: Eden Prairie
2009: Rosemount
2008: Eden Prairie
2007: Mounds View
2006: Mounds View
2005: Lakeville
2004: Moorhead
2003: Mounds View
2002: Mounds View
2001: Mounds View
2000: Mounds View
1999: Mounds View
1998: Mounds View
1997: Stillwater
1996: Lakeville
1995: Stillwater
1994: Minnetonka
1993: Forest Lake
1992: Apple Valley