The Minot High and Minot North girls track & field teams were among four programs that took part in the Minot Invite on Friday, May 8, at Duane Carlson Stadium. The Majettes finished second with 188 points and Minot North placed third with 89 points. Mike Kraft/MDN

For Minot North’s McKinnley Kragh, the only thing sweeter than a strawberry froyo with vanilla marshmallow and strawberry boba is clearing the bar at 11 feet in the pole vault for her best jump of the season and matching a personal best on Senior Day.

Competing in her final home meet of her four-year pole vaulting career, Kragh delivered one of two first-place finishes for the Minot North girls track and field team with a vault of 11 feet at the Minot Invite at Duane Carlson Stadium on Friday, May 8. The Sentinels finished third in the four-team event with 89 points.

“It’s very nerve-racking I’d say, especially because I haven’t been able to achieve what I want this season and being able to do that today is a very good feeling going into the postseason knowing that I can do what I know I can,” Kragh said.

Kragh’s clearing height matched her personal record set at the state meet last year, where she placed third behind West Fargo’s Jolee Dahl (11-9) and West Fargo Sheyenne’s Emma Briggs (11-9), who both graduated last season. Prior to Friday, Kragh’s best vault of the season was at 10 feet, 3 inches, which she accomplished four times. This year, Kragh has three meet victories in the event along with a third-place finish at the Mandan Kiwanis Invite and two four-place finishes.

“She is just an athlete that is committed to improving each time and has put the time and effort into it and I’m super excited she got 11 feet today,” Minot North coach Melissa Solper said. “Her confidence has definitely gotten a lot better and just being committed to just vaulting this year has really helped her instead of focusing on other things.”

Kragh used to compete in multiple field events in the past before shifting her focus solely to the pole vault. During her freshman year with Minot High, she also participated in the long jump and triple jump. When she moved over to Minot North as a sophomore in 2024, she dropped long jump in favor of the high jump, while continuing to compete in the pole vault and triple jump. Last year, she eliminated the jumps and replaced it with the discus, before shifting her complete attention to pole vault this season.

“The main thing was when I was younger, it didn’t make me nervous,” Kragh said of the pole vault. “Being able to go out there and have no nerves, flush it all and just do what I know how to do and go out and have fun.”

Kragh has finished runner-up in the pole vault each of the last two seasons at WDA. As a sophomore, she cleared 9 feet, 9 inches, but Bismarck High’s Alyson Krug ran away with the conference title with a vault of 12 feet, 2 inches. The following year, Kragh tied with Bismarck High’s Sydney Kiefer and Century’s Madelyn Kringstad at 10 feet, 9 inches, but Kiefer cleared the bar in fewer attempts to win the title.

Kragh’s eyes are more focused on state, as she has dreamed of being a state champion since her freshman campaign. As for WDA, she just wants to soak it in and enjoy the moment.

“To be honest, I just want to compete with myself and not be worried about placing until that big state meet,” Kragh said. “Just knowing I can get to these big heights like 10-9 and 11-0 as these other girls can.”

Along with confidence, Solper has seen Kragh grow as a leader.

“She started out as a Minot High athlete of one of mine,” Solper said. “These last years, having her bring in that leadership role has been a positive thing. She’s definitely a high-energy girl, so it’s been fun to have her on the team and lead some of these young girls to the next level.”

Kragh has plenty of moments from her time pole vaulting, but her favorite was one that took place away from the competition. It was during the state meet in Bismarck when the team would venture across the street from the hotel and grab some froyo from Orange Leaf.

“Being able to hang out with my whole team at state and supporting each other and at the end of the day being able to go get ice cream and talk about how we did and what we can do to improve on as a team was my favorite part,” Kragh said.

A pole vaulting state title would be the perfect sweet treat to cap off her career in her mind.

Brisa Lusson provided Minot North with its other event victory of the meet, winning the javelin toss with a personal record throw of 103 feet, 11 inches. Minot North’s Macey Blake took second in the triple jump with a personal-best distance of 34 feet, 2 inches. Teammate Kiarra Diaz was fourth (34-0).

“We’re just out there to beat our times and to improve what we can do,” Solper said. “We try to take charge of what we can control and not what others are doing. We’re committed to improving in each track meet with what we can do.”

Bismarck Century won the meet with 190 points, edging out Minot High, who finished with 188 points. Williston took fourth with 50 points. The Majettes won 10 events, with four winners setting personal records in the process.

Kaylee Jackson and Hadlea Faul both won a pair of events for the Majettes. Jackson tied with teammate Sophia Lade in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1:00.53 and won the 800 outright in a time of 2:28.71. Faul set a new personal best in the discus with a toss of 127 feet, 4 inches and also won the shot put at 35 feet, 10 inches.

Minot High won both of the relays, as the 4×100 team of Chinagozi Ugobi, Selia Stevick, Kadyn Braun and Eve Knutson finished in 51.97 and the 4×200 team of Paige Conklin, Stevick, Leighton Johnson and Eve Knutson finished in 1:46.77.

“We’re pretty balanced I’d say,” Minot High coach Disa Julius said. “We’re not heavy-loaded individually, so we’re going to try and shine in our relays at state and our jumps will be competitive at state and then Hadlea Faul will be quite competitive in the shot put and discus. We can’t forget about our distance girls. I’d say we’re pretty balanced. I just love that kids are coming out for track.”

The Majettes had two new athletes qualify for the state meet in their respective events, with Jackson qualifying in the 400 and Stevick doing the same in the 100. Stevick ran a personal-best 12.89 in the 100 to place third.

Kamryn Louser (1600 meter), Leighton Johnson (100 hurdles) and Ava Knutson (300 hurdles) all won their respective events. The Majettes had three of the top four times in the 400 and the top two times in the 800.

“Our most improved is probably our mid-distance,” Julius said. “Sophia Lade can show us now that she can run a 200 quite quickly. She’s going to be one of our fastest 400 runners and 800 runners.”

A late change to the schedule saw three teams from the boys side also competing. Minot High and Minot North were supposed to compete in the Dickinson Invite on Friday morning, but circumstances out of their control kept them in town. Williston also joined the fray for a three-team event. Minot North won the meet with 280 points, coming out on top in nine events. Minot High scored 114 points and won five events. Williston finished a point behind for third.

Minot High’s Logan Ludwig and Minot North’s Ethan Howey both won two events. Ludwig swept the hurdles, taking the 110 crown in 15.80 and the 300 in 42.41. Howey set personal bests in both the shot put (54-7) and discus (152-10). Minot High’s Blake Anderson took second in both.

James Pallotta (100 meters) and the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams also posted victories for Minot High.

Aaron Garza (400 meters), Lester Luis Fuentes (800 meters), Jonah Ahrens (1600 meters), Jon Folk (3200 meters), Cameron Jesz (high jump), Desmond Tieku (long jump) and Will Hannon (triple jump) all took first in their respective events.

Before the postseason gets underway with the WDA Meet, Minot High and Minot North will compete in the WDA Last Chance meet at Starion Sports Complex in Mandan on Monday, May 11, at 2 p.m.