Photo courtesy of PhotoWorks The 2025 Marshall girls track and field team includes Adaugo Nwachukwu, Adyson Fischer, Ahnya Schlenner, Alexandra Brown, Alexia Oaxaca, Amelia Mertz, Aria Williamson, Asia Howard, Avery Schneekloth, Ayanna Flowers, Aysia Miles, Brielle Czeck, Brooke Gillingham, Brooklyn Purrington, Chioma Onyeaghala, Claire Wambeke, Dakota DeCamp, Ehlyday Moo, Elizabeth Garvey, Elsie Deutz, Emery Podratz, Emry Jans, Esther Say, Finley Pelz, Hailey Larsen, Hayden Lawrenz, Jaelyn Nawrocki, Janae Suar Gutierrez, Jasmine Murphy, Jenna Sanders, Joleigh Kesteloot, Jolie Sprik, Ju Eh, Julia Pafko, Kaitlyn Soupir, Kaliyah Knox, Kamori Coequyt, Kasumi Yang, Katelyn Leibfried, Kaya Koch, Ku Saw, Kyla Sprik, Landrey Graven, Leighton Porter, Lilliana VanMeveren, Lucienne Pearson, Madelyn Hoefer, Madi Ziemer, Madysson Hasert, Makayli Burrell, Maren Hasse, May Thu, McKenna Runia, Merry-Wind Marchington, Mickensy Monsen, Oakleigh McCoy, Oakley Schneekloth, Olivia DeGroot, Olivia Mertz, Paige Gillingham, Paige McLain, Paw Shee, Peyton Boeck, Peyton Erickson, Piper Meulebroeck, Serenity, Lavarie-Carmona, Shaelyn McDonald, Shyann Murphy, Sierra Bahr, Starlett Dempewolf, Taleigha Bigler, Tha Dah, Tha Sher, Vanessa Peterson, Yadira Rodriguez and Zuriel Werscel. The team is coached by Marie Sample with Kathleen Deutz, David Wingert, Alex Solheim, Samantha Nielsen, Willie Jans and David Sample.

MARSHALL — The Marshall track and field team had success on both sides of the team last year. The boys and girls teams combined for eight individual state tournament qualifiers, with seven of them returning this year, as well as four qualifying relay teams. They’ll look to send some athletes to the section meet and beyond in 2025.

The lone individual qualifier from last year’s state tournament that isn’t returning this season is Allyson Sample, who placed fourth in the 3200 meters. Marshall head coach Marie Sample said that last year’s seniors helped mentor the young kids consistently in a way that got this year’s group accustomed to putting in the work necessary to get back to that point.

One of the most notable features of this year’s track and field team is its size. The team’s roster to start the season consists of 168 athletes, a program record. Coach Sample said that number may dwindle as the season goes along, but that getting all of those athletes as many opportunities is something that the coaching staff is going to make an active effort for.

“It’s so important to give them an opportunity to compete, but when you have a team that big, it’s challenging to keep them out,” Sample said. “If you’re not able to be at one of the top 3 or 4 in every event, sometimes it’s hard to keep going, but it’s a good problem to have. We’re going to see if we can just keep providing opportunities for them to keep growing and getting better.”

For the boys distance team, there are a significant number of runners that have already had state tournament experience this academic year. Sam Deutz, Josh Leibfried, Landon Marthaler, Kohen Holcomb, Keagen Anderson and Ethan Bly already helped Marshall claim a cross country Class AA state championship in the fall season and bring that same experience to the spring.

Anderson, Leibfried and Bly helped Marshall earn a runner-up finish in the state 4×400-meter relay last year, with sprinter Alex Franson anchoring the team to a time of 3:24.98. Bly and Leibfried also got a third-place medal in the 4×800-meter relay, along with Deutz and Mykel Paulsen, while Franson earned a fourth-place individual medal in the 400-meter dash at 50.40 last year at state.

Photo courtesy of PhotoWorks
The 2025 Marshall boys track and field team includes Abu Hassan, Aidan Erickson, Aidan Schuerman, Alex Franson, Aniceto Lopezchilel, Anthony Soupir, Antonio Leos, Atrayu Marchington, Ben Pafko, Brady Dubs, Brayan Medrano, Calvin Moses, Cash Heemeyer, Cayden Hall, Charles Mueller-Thompson, Charlie Grannes, Christian VanLerberghe, Cohen Bell, Cole Condezo, Colton Lindquist, Dale Smith, Daniel Ruis, Davion Xayarath, Desean Stidman, Elijah VanLerberghe, Ethan Bly, Evan Gerke, Felix Kelsey, Foster Moore, Gaerick Hill, Gavin Zahnow, Grady Guetter, Gunnar Ruud, Hamish Ahmed, Hawkin Hartman, Ian Brockberg, Inam Meza, Jack Gunn, Jack Meier, James Karanja, Javier Valdovinos, Jaxin Martin, Joseph Nwafor, Jose Velasquez, Josh Leibfried, Josue-Joel Valdovinos, Kannon Depyper, Karson Miller, Keagen Anderson, Kevin Streeter, Khan Poe, Kieler, Rhea, Kohen Holcomb, Landon Marthaler, Lincoln Degroot, Malachi Carrasco-Storm, Mark Rabaey, Mason O’Donnell, Max Parks, Musin Ahmed, Mykel Paulsen, Nick Murphy, Noland Munson, Nouh Dahir, Preston DeBlieck, Rodolfo Garcia Naranjo, Roman Gaul, Sam Foster, Sam Meier, Sam Deutz, Taw Lo, Toby Wambeke, Ty Schnaser, Valentin Gonzalez, Wah Htoo, William Deutz, Wyatt Dorschner and Xavier Rabaey. The team is coached by David Sample with Kathleen Deutz, David Wingert, Alex Solheim, Samantha Nielsen, Willie Jans and Marie Sample.

Middle- and long-distance has also been a strong suit for the girls team. Katelyn Leibfried, Taleigha Bigler and Avery Schneekloth are among the varsity scorers who helped the Marshall girls claim their first Class AA state title in cross country season in 2023. The duo also ran with Peyton Boeck to earn a seventh-place finish in last year’s 4×400-meter state relay, and with since-graduated seniors Allyson Sample and Anna Kuecker to claim a runner-up finish in the 4×800-meter relay. Bigler also placed eighth in the individual 800-meter run at 2:20.32 in her third race of the day.

Coach Sample noted the team’s versatility as one of its strong suits this season. Aside from having its talented aforementioned distance runners and sprinters, they’re also poised for success in field events. She said that they have more pole vaulters than they’ve had in years, led by Autumn Deutz coming off a sixth-place finish at the state meet on the girls side and Brady Dubs starting strong on the boys side. Jack Meier and Brooklyn Purrington also qualified on the boys and girls side for the high jump last year, while Paige Gillingham was a state meet participant in the shot put as a sophomore while her sister Brooke adds more talent in the throwing events.

While the Tigers aren’t as deep in the hurdles, they still have talent there as well; Aidan Schuerman was a state meet participant last year and Sample said that Mykel Paulsen is transitioning over to the hurdles to help the team as well after having previously trained as a distance runner.

When asked about how that versatility was built, Sample cited the team’s deep coaching staff. Whether it’s Alex Solheim working with pole vaulters, David Wingert and Kathleen Deutz with the jumpers, David Sample with the sprinters or Samantha Nielsen with the throwers, the Tigers have a large cast of coaches looking to tailor training to all of their athletes. Even beyond the official coaching staff, the team also has volunteer coaches such as Steve Frederickson, Willie Jans, Zach Massner and Sam Tauer who are trying to do whatever they can to support the kids, Marie Sample said.

As the team gets into the season, Sample said the boys and girls teams are both aiming to compete for a conference title this year after claiming the Big South by winning the final event, the 4×400-meter relay, last season. They’re also looking to compete at a high level at sections and qualify as many runners as possible for the state meet, as well as the midseason Hamlin and Howard Wood meets.