The Cameron girls’ exceptional showing at the State WIAA Track and Field Championships was highlighted by the Division 3 1600-meter relay state championship.
The Comets, who qualified for the meet in five events, also finished second in two relay races while Inez Schmidt placed third in the 800m run and eighth in the 1600m. She joined fellow junior Bridgette Mohns, and freshmen Quinn Grassmann and Aggie Schmidt (Inez’s sister) to win the state relay title.
For the third consecutive season, Cameron won a relay title at the WIAA State Track & Field Championships. Last week, the team of (row one, from) Agatha Schmidt, Quinn Grassmann, (row two) Inez Schmidt and Bridgette Mohns won the 1,600-meter relay at La Crosse.
Jacob Maes Photography
“The Comets competed in the 130th annual Wisconsin Track and Field Championships in La Crosse,” coach David Martin said. “For the girls, it was the 55th annual state track and field tournament. The Comets competed well both days.
“The Comets arrived on Thursday, warmed up at Veterans Stadium (at UW-La Crosse), and celebrated the state meet with a team meal and discussed strategies for their quest for a state title.”
Inez Schmidt was the first Cameron athlete to compete in Friday’s 1600m run final.
“Inez ran her fastest time of the season and placed eighth with a time of 5:14.25,” Martin said.
Addy Duellman, a Cochrane-Fountain City senior, won the state title in 4:55.52.
“Quinn Grassmann, Aggie Schmidt, Claudia Mohns (another freshman and Bridgette’s sister) and Bridgette Mohns, representing the Cameron girls, ran well in the 400m and 800m relay prelims on Friday and qualified with the second fastest seed times for Saturday’s finals,” Martin said.
The foursome posted preliminary times of 49.16 seconds in the 400 and 1:43.42 in the 800. In the 800 prelims, the top three teams all finished faster than the old Division 3 state meet record of 1:44.37.
“With four events remaining in the preliminaries on Friday, the meet was suspended due to lightning in the area,” Martin said. “Eventually, the meet was set to resume at 7:30 a.m. Saturday with the boys’ 3200m run
“On an absolutely beautiful and sunny bluebird day, the Cameron girls brought four events to the finals on Saturday.
“Bridgette Mohns, Claudia Mohns, Aggie Schmidt and Quinn Grassmann placed second in both of their first two sprint relays,” the coach said. “The Comets clocked their fastest times of the year down at the state meet with season best times of 1:42.31 (800 finals) and 49.16 (400 prelims).”
A group consisting of a senior, two juniors and a sophomore from Kickapoo/LaFarge set the D3 400m relay record with a championship time of 48.87 seconds. Kickapoo/LaFarge set the previous record of 48.9 at last year’s state meet. Cameron finished the finals in 49.36 seconds, crossing 0.27 ticks in front of third place St. Mary Catholic.
The same foursome from Kickapoo/LaFarge won the 800m relay title in 1:41.92, 2.45 seconds faster than the old D3 state record. Cameron’s group of three freshmen and one junior finished 1.29 seconds ahead of third place St. Mary Catholic. The top four teams all finished ahead of the old state record time.
“In the 800m run final on Saturday, Inez Schmidt was seeded fifth,” Martin said. “Schmidt ran an amazing race, placed third and set a new school record of 2:13.82.”
Hannah Miller of Kewaunee won the D3 800m state title in 2.11.62. Other than Schmidt, the top four finishers were all seniors.
“In the 1600m relay finals on Saturday, Inez Schmidt, Bridgette Mohns, Aggie Schmidt and Quinn Grassmann ran their fastest time of the year and placed first with a time of 3:57.80,” Martin said. “The girls were awarded their first place medals and are your 2026 state champions in the 1600m relay!”
Cameron won the state title in impressive fashion, beating the field to the line by nearly three seconds. McDonell Central came in second in 4.00.44.
Amazingly, the D3 state record time of 3:57.44 was set in 2024 by Cameron. Bridgette Mohns and Inez Schmidt were part of that group as freshmen. On Saturday, joined by two current freshmen, they won another state title.
Lauren Pearson and Lexi Kuffel, juniors at the time, rounded out Cameron’s 2024 state championship 1600m relay team.
That started an amazing run for the Cameron girls in the state relays. After finishing on the state podium just twice over 24 years in the relay races, the Comet girls have earned first place medals in three consecutive seasons.
Last year, Bridgette Mohns joined 2025 seniors Maddie Severt, Lexi Kuffel and Lauren Pearson to win the 400m state relay title in 48.96 seconds. This is the third consecutive season Bridgette Mohns has topped the podium, with her senior season yet to go.
“In the team standings, with over 72 teams competing in Division 3, the Comet girls, along with hard-working and valuable alternates Brooke Schulz and Payten Severt, scored 33 points to tie for third place with Cochrane-Fountain City,” Martin said.
Ladysmith won the state team title with 34.5 points in a tight finish, edging Assumption by half a point and finishing just 1.5 points ahead of the third place teams.
“Congratulations ladies and coaches on an amazing and memorable performance!” Martin said.