The Cotter track and field teams were determined not to let the cold weather force them to go three and out for the start of their competitive season.

Starting Monday afternoon and running well into the evening hours, Cotter athletes bore the brunt of biting winds and chilling temps at Paul Giel Field. They competed against both conference teams and athletes from the larger Big 9 Conference in the Winona Open.

“I’m really excited” said Cotter junior Jane Koll before the start of the meet. “It’s great to get back into the swing of racing.” Koll went on to place 3rd overall in hurdles and 4th in the triple jump.

The Cotter athletes were both determined and excited to perform. Their first two meets were cancelled due to inclement weather.

“We haven’t had our track spikes on in a long time” said sophomore Garret Grant. Moods were high around the track. “We’re feeling ready to go” said junior Bryant Gernes before racing in the 4 x 800 relay.

Facing tough competition from larger schools, Cotter showed that a late start didn’t throw off the start of their season. Brothers Alex and Connor Walechka led the Cotter throwers, both setting career bests in shot put. Alex took 2nd overall in discus later in the day.

“I’m feeling really good” said Alex Walechka. “We worked a lot in the off-season, and that has really carried over. When we started [the season], all the fundamentals were already done.”

This season is Cotter’s first without a number of state competitors, including Colin Duellman (100m and 200m) and Leah Koll (triple jump). Even so, the Cotter pits were full of runners new and old ready to step up and compete. Cotter fielded varsity athletes ranging from 7th grade up to seniors.

Of course, there is no mentioning Cotter running without mentioning Grace Ping. The 7th grade phenom won both the 1600m and 3200m races and set new school records for both (5:11 and 10:42, respectively). Her tireless training and unmatched performance from her breakout cross country season has clearly carried over into her spring track.

The Cotter track team will next compete at Dover-Eyota on Tuesday.