The Austin track and field team will be well represented at the Class AA state track and field meet as it has three athletes set to compete at Hamline University in St. Paul Friday and Saturday.

Austin senior Andrew Baker will compete in the 800-meter run, junior Carolyn Hackel will compete in the long jump and eighth grader Paiton Schwab will compete in the 1600-meter run.

Baker ran in the Class AA state cross country meet earlier this season and he’s hoping to cap off his last track and field season on a good note.

“It’s a good way end to my career,” Baker said. “I want to give it my all and do the best I can in my last race ever as a high schooler.”

Baker was able to get to the state meet by running the 800-meter run in less than two minutes for the second time this spring at the Section 1AA meet. It was a close race and Baker was glad he was able to finish strong.

“It was really exciting and it was a fun race. I knew it was going to be close,” Baker said. “I’d like to do the best I can at state. Hopefully I can go under two minutes again.”

Hackel will be competing in her third state meet, but this will be her first time long jumping at state. In the past she competed in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as state, but she will have a much different experience this season.

“I definitely miss the running portion, but long jump is different and it’s kind of nice to not have to worry about multiple events with prelims and finals,” Hackel said. “At the beginning of the season I never thought I’d be going anywhere with the long jump. The fact that it happened for me is kind of cool. Whatever happens, happens. I want to do my best and try to get to the podium.”

Hackel broke a 31-year old AHS long jump record record in the Big Nine meet and Section 1AA meet and she’s hoping to re-set that record again on Friday.

“I haven’t really had a ton of time to focus on technique and doing that should help a little bit,” Hackel said. “A little bit can go a long way in the world of jumping.”

Schwab will be making her state meet debut and she had to show some serious guts to get to state. Schwab was in third place in the 1600-meter run at the Section 1AA meet when she turned up her speed to pass the top two runners in the last 100 meters and win the event.

“I was just trying to make it to state,” Schwab said. “I had to give it my all and get that next girl. It was definitely surreal. I was excited and happy. I was full of different emotions.”

Schwab is hoping to break an AHS school record of her own at the state meet. She wants to run the race in 5:11, which would be the fastest a Packer girl has ever run the 1600-meter run. Schwab, who was just over a second from the school record at sections, is hoping the faster runners at state can push her to run faster.

“There’s a lot of girls that run 5:09s at state. Hopefully I can stay up with them,” Schwab said. “I’m definitely nervous, but I’m really excited at the same time. I couldn’t be anywhere without my teammates or coaches.”

STATE TRACK AND FIELD SEEDINGS

Class AA

BOYS

Austin senior Andrew Baker is seeded 15th out of 15 runners in the 800-meter run with a qualifying time of 1:59.59. Eden Prairie’s Cal Lawton is the top-seed with a time of 1:52.52. The 800-meter prelims are Friday at 12:06 p.m.

GIRLS

Austin eighth grader Paiton Schwab is seeded 11th out of 17 runners with a time of 5:12.25 in the 1600-meter run. Alexandria’s Bethany Hasz has the top-seed with with a time of 4:56.10. The 1600-meter run is Saturday at 10:47 a.m.

Austin junior Carolyn Hackel is seeded 12th out of 24 athletes in the long jump with a distance of 17-4.75. Mia Barron of Minnetonka is the top seed with a distance of 19-10. The long jump is Friday at 12:06 p.m.

Class A

BOYS

Hayfield junior Cody Carpentier is seeded 4th out of 16 throwers with a distance of 51-5 in the shot put. Jayme LaPlante of Chatfield is the top seed with a distance of 54-10.50. The shot put is Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Carpentier is seeded 4th with a distance of 154-3 out of 18 throwers in the discus. Tyler Kolander is the top seed with a distance of 177-0. The discus is Saturday at 4:45 p.m.

GIRLS

Lyle-Pacelli sophomore Sarah Holtz is seeded third with five other jumpers with a height of 5-3 in the high jump. United North Central’s Michaela Hesse has the top seed with a height of 5-5. The high jump is Friday at 3:30 p.m.

GMLOS junior McKenzie Kirtz is seeded 13th out of 16 runners in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:22.44. St. Croix Luther’s Jennie Scislow is the top seed with a time of 2:18.18. The 800-meter run prelims are Friday at 5:41 p.m.

Kirtz is seeded 7th out of 17 runners in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:19.17. Red Wood Valley’s Kayla Huhnerkoch is the top seed with a time of 5:09.35.