Paiton Schwab takes off from the starting line of the Class AA girls’ 1600-meter run at the Minnesota State Track and Field Meet at Hamline University in St. Paul. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

ST. PAUL – Things didn’t go exactly as planned for Austin eighth grader Paiton Schwab at the Class AA state track and field meet Saturday.

Schwab fell behind early in the 1600-meter run and she finished in 17th place with a time of 5:25.04. Shakopee freshman Tess Misgen won the race with a time of 4:50.78.

“They all started off real fast” Schwab said. “I tried to stick with them the best I could. It was definitely a different kind of race, trying to catch up.”

Schwab was the youngest runner in the field at state and the experience should help her towards next season.

“It was a really fun experience,” Schwab said. “It’ll help me do better next season.”