MFL MarMac freshmen Khloe Schutte and Blair Winter are headed to the Iowa High School State Track and Field Meet. Schutte placed second in the 400 meter dash, and Winter second in the discus, at the May 14 Class 2A state qualifying meet at North Fayette Valley in order to automatically advance.

The two are the first MFL MarMac girls track and field athletes to qualify for state since 2019, when Schutte’s sisters, Summer and Hannah Schutte, qualified in the 200 and 800 and Emma Ammons as a thrower.

“It’s super exciting,” said head coach Kylie Sandstrom. “These girls have worked really hard, and they’ve earned that.”

Winter was the first to punch her ticket, after reaching 110 feet, 9 inches in the discus. The 123-foot-9-inch mark from NFV’s Hannah Schroeder was the only throw better.

Winter acknowledged the achievement felt unreal at first.

“I think most people’s goal at the beginning of the season is to make it to state, but when you finally do, you get a feeling that makes all the hard work worth it,” she shared.

The freshman has worked throughout the season to hone her craft.

“In the start,” she explained, “I was focused mostly on power and seeing how far I could get it. Toward the end, I realized the discus isn’t just about power. It’s a lot about technique and figuring out the speed. In the middle of the season, I had a little bit of a rough patch, but making adjustments with my technique really helped me in time for state qualifying.”

Although nervous last week, Winter remembered all she’d worked on throughout the season, starting from entering the ring to leaving the ring.

“To punch the ticket to state, I focused on staying confident, improving each time and not overthinking the moment,” she said.

Assistant coach Jess Brehmer works with the MFL MarMac girls throwers. She said Winter’s athleticism, form and competitiveness help her excel at discus.

“Blair never backs down from any challenge put before her. She’s overcome some obstacles throughout the season, not placing where she’d like. But she’s got the drive and determination to get where she is. She shows up every day to practice ready to work and improve her form. It’s always a work in progress, and she’ll continue to work on her releases this week heading into the state meet,” Brehmer said.

Schutte raced in the 400 not long after learning Winter had qualified for state, and said that inspired her. A time of 1:00.62 put her just behind winner Maryn Laures from Denver, who crossed at 59.35 seconds.

She was immediately embraced by her teammates, breaking her out of a moment of shock.

“It was just a feeling I haven’t felt before,” Schutte described. “Out in that race, it’s just me—not a team where we all depend on each other, even though I do depend on my teammates. When all my teammates came to me and they just showed that they support me, it felt amazing. Then I saw my parents and got hugs from them. It was a great feeling of accomplishment.”

When she takes to the Blue Oval at Drake Stadium in Des Moines this week, Khloe will be the third Schutte sister to run in the 400 at the state level. She’s been running the distance since seventh grade, drawn to the fact it’s not too long or too short.

“It gives me the adrenaline going all the way around,” she said. “It feels good at the end because it feels like I accomplished something, because my body hurts.”

Coach Sandstrom said her athletes are encouraged to push themselves outside their comfort zones. In Schutte, she’s seen a drive to do so, to keep making herself better.

“This kid does not give up. If she loses, she’s angry,” she commented.

Schutte has placed either first or second in the 400 at all her meets this season. She believes facing tougher competition the last few weeks helped her shave time as she strived to run under a minute.

Heading into state qualifying, though, she had to focus not on that specific time, but a time that would get her to state. Now, she’s hopeful for a sub-60 seconds time at state.

“The Blue Oval’s the perfect time to do it,” Sandstrom said. “Mindset is a huge thing. She’s got a good mindset. Ball of nerves, but she finds the drive she needs.”

The state track and field meet will run from Thursday to Saturday, May 21 to 23. Schutte will race in the 400 meter dash at 7 p.m. on Thursday, then Winter will take the ring in discus at 2 p.m. on Friday.

Schutte and Winter are excited to experience state together. While they want to perform well, the ultimate goal is to have fun.

“I love having Blair with me because she has such a great attitude with everything. She’s always wanting to have fun, and she always has the best mindset out there,” Schutte shared.

“Sharing the moment with Khloe just makes it 10 times better,” Winter agreed. “She is the hardest worker I know and refuses to give up. Running against her in practice has made all our runners so much better. She pushes each one of us, and if anyone deserves this, it’s definitely her.”

Sandstrom believes the two will feed off one another.

“What I’m super excited about is they’re not competing at the same time, so they get to be each other’s support system,” she said.