by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Track participant Alexondra “Lexi” Kubasch loves to be competitive, but the intense competition is lightened by the friendships among both teammates and competitors, as well as the upbeat spirit so prevalent at every track meet.
Track can be an especially grueling sport.
“We have good workouts, and we have fun doing them,” said Kubasch, pausing and then adding, “But sometimes I do feel as if my legs are going to give out, and I’m just going to die.”
Kubasch, a senior at Sartell High School, has been a track participant since she was in ninth grade. She competed at state in 2015 and 2016. In the latter year, she earned fourth in the long jump, at 17 feet, 6-1/2 inches. That was at a meet at Hamline University.
This season, her last as a Sartell competitor, she said she hopes to make state in long jump one last time.
Kubasch decided to join the track program when she was a freshman. At that time she was a member of the softball team, but she felt the game was too easy, unchallenging, and she needed to be more competitive. And track, she discovered, is just exactly what she needed.
Kubasch’s specialty is the 4 x 1 relay, which means she and three other team members run 100 meters each, passing the baton in the relay, for a total of 400 meters. One of the members of the four-person team that placed in the state 2015 relay was Kassy Kubasch, Lexi’s older sister, who is now 21 and a licensed practical nurse.
“I love the atmosphere about track,” Lexi said. “Everyone is really nice. I like the competitive atmosphere. You try to succeed, you want to win, and even if you don’t win, it’s still fun, and so winning is always a plus.”
Kubasch is a bit sad about her last year in high-school track.
“I want to help out younger peers this season,” she said. “I want to help make them gung-ho, and I want to encourage every one of them to do their best. I’m going to graduate in just two months, and that time is going to fly by.”
Her favorite school subject is science. Her hobby is rollerblading with friends, especially gliding down the Wobegon Trail between St. Joseph and Avon.
Kubasch is going to study law enforcement at St. Cloud State University. She is planning to be a police officer or an investigator.
Roster
The Sartell-St. Stephen School District girls as listed on the track roster for this season on the Minnesota State High School League’s website are: seniors Clara Bakken, Alexis Dalton, Morgan Gugger, Shelby Hall, Alexondra Kubasch, Karen Radi; juniors Kayla Boehmke, Cora Cielinski, Kali Killmer, Kimberly Kirick, Allison Koopman, Carolyn Rengel, Erin Stone, Abigail Veitch; sophomores Avery Atkinson, Colette Jemming, Courtney Kosloske, Tessa Schwinn, Kathryn Senchea, Adriannah Strom, Abigail Weber; freshmen Lydia Anderson, Hannah Bjelland, Josie Boelter, Elizabeth Crandall, Anne Dummer, Alexis Erikson-Murphy, Rachael Gooding, Rebecca Gooding, Kautra Gooding, Hope Grasswick, Dalainah Gustafson, Ryleigh Higel, Paige Mackenthun, Gretta Hahowald, Megan Nelson, Jaden Nguyen, Sarah Ufearo, Maya Workman; eighth-graders Ingrid Buiceag-Arama, Katelyn Hammer, Morgan Vosberg; and seventh-grader Hannah Spoden.
Alexondra “Lexi” Kubasch
