As River Falls sophomore Quin Andrews made the final turn of his last lap of the 800-meter run in the state track and field championships in La Crosse, he kicked it into a gear that other racers – often older, more experienced runners – simply didn’t have.

In that final stretch, Andrews dug deep and passed four or five competitors while sprinting to a school record time of 1:54.45, which also secured a runner-up podium finish. Andrews was the only sophomore in the race who finished better than ninth place.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Andrews said after leaving the podium area with the runner-up medal hanging around his neck. “I was just expecting to get somewhere on the podium and I was mainly going for the school record. I got out hot and didn’t get boxed in. I swung around and just gave it everything I had and it worked really well.”

While thousands of fans were in the stands cheering at the Veteran’s Memorial Field Complex at UW-La Crosse on Saturday, June 3, none were cheering louder than Andrews’ fellow teammates and the River Falls coaching staff.

For Max Haskins, who coaches River Falls alongside Kady Bauschelt, Andrews’ runner-up finish in the 800-meter run was a product of his elite endurance and extra gear that very few runners have, especially underclassmen.

“He always has that extra gear and is a very strong finisher,” Haskins said. “If you watch his mile or his 800s, he always makes moves with his long stride. He trusts that he’ll have more left in the tank and be able to outkick just about anybody. He planned to make a wide swing, pass some people and see what happens. He was going for broke, so it was awesome to see him do it.”

Andrews’ time of 1:54.45 set a new PR by two seconds and broke River Falls’ school record by approximately one second. He broke the record of 1:55.50 previously held by Grant Magnuson, who set the benchmark when he finished runner-up in the 800 at the 2021 state championships.

Despite his eventual success, Andrews entered the state championships in several unfamiliar positions. In addition to Saturday being his first taste of the biggest stage in the sport, he was the only sophomore in the fast heat and wasn’t one of the odds-on favorites to win.

River Falls’ sophomore phenom, who regularly finished top three and even won races throughout the 2023 campaign, took his seeding and overall underdog nature personally. Andrews used it as fuel for his breakout performance in front of a packed crowd on Saturday afternoon.

“He had a chip on his shoulder as the youngest guy in the race,” Haskins said. “He was the only sophomore in the fast heat. He wanted to prove that he belonged, and we knew that he did, but it’s one thing to think that you do and another to go out there and prove it.”

For Andrews, the runner-up finish at the 2023 state championships is just the beginning. After the race, he spoke about his lofty goals for the next two years and how he’s already targeting an individual state title in the 800-meter run.

“I’m thinking next year I’m going for first place,” Andrews said while trying to hide a big smile. “I’ve got a lot of time left and a lot of time to improve on everything.”

Other River Falls state championship results

While Andrews was certainly River Falls’ headliner this year, the Wildcats had more than a dozen other athletes compete in the 2023 state track and field championships in La Crosse.

Senior Kayleigh Volkman was the only other Wildcat who competed in the finals on Saturday. The senior pole vaulter faced a daunting task, as the starting height of 10 feet, 6 inches would tie her PR.

Of the 24 state qualifiers in the girls’ pole vault, Volkman was one of just 13 who cleared the starting height. The senior vaulter had three opportunities to clear 11 feet, but couldn’t quite set a new PR and advance to the second round.

“It’s always a tough thing with field events at state because they start them high,” Haskins said. “She made 10 feet, 6 inches on her third attempt. For her to go down and get a mark at state, that’s what she wanted to do. She wanted to hit a PR and add another height, but she was very pleased with it and we were too. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her.”

River Falls senior Rebecca Randleman ended her illustrious career with a pair of preliminary performances in the 100-meter dash and the 4x200 relay. Randleman ran a 12.88 in the 100 open which finished 15th and came up five spots short of qualifying for the finals on Saturday.

Randleman also anchored the 4x200-meter relay, which included senior classmates Brooklyn Silloway and Abi Banitt and junior Lilly Jensen. Their squad ran a 1:44.95 and finished just two slots out of qualification for the championships finals.

All three of Randleman’s high school track and field seasons – excluding the COVID year in 2020 – ended with her competing at the state championship meet in La Crosse. She qualified for state in both a relay and a 100-meter open in each of her three varsity seasons.

“It’s pretty special for someone to be a three-time state qualifier and a three-time qualifier in the open,” Haskins said. “Most would be lucky to get to an open 100 once in their career. For her to be the anchor of the relay teams every year is pretty special. She wanted to make it to Saturday, but is still super happy with how she finished.”

Senior Jacob Gilbertson finished 19th in the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.89. He also anchored the 4x200-meter relay, which included sophomore Charlie Loesch and juniors Trey Hartung and Robert Anderson. Their relay squad posted a 1:32.15, which secured 21st and missed championship finals qualification.

River Falls’ 4x400-meter relay group included sophomore Ty Bauschelt, junior Morris Toppel and the aforementioned Andrews and Anderson. They posted a time of 3:28.58, which finished 16th among 24 teams.

In total, River Falls had 17 athletes qualify for states in seven different events. Coach Haskins reflected on the 2023 season and the success his Wildcats experienced this spring.

“As a whole, it was a very successful season,” Haskins said. “We had a shot at a conference title and were in the mix. We had individual conference, regional and sectional champions. If you told us that we’d bring 17 kids to state and have a second-place finisher, I’d say that would absolutely be a successful season. There are a ton of positives to look back on this year.”