ARMSTRONG — For one of the first times this season, the St. Edmond track and field team competes against fellow Class 1A programs as the Gaels compete in a state qualifier here on Thursday.

Action begins with field events at 4 p.m. Running starts at 4:45 p.m.

Joining St. Edmond will be Newell-Fonda, North Union, West Bend-Mallard, Alta-Aurelia, George-Little Rock, GTRA, Harris-Lake Park, Hartley-HMS, North Iowa, Sibley-Ocheyedan, South O’Brien, Storm Lake St. Mary’s and Trinity Christian.

In Class 1A, only the winner of each event at each SQM automatically qualifies for the state meet, which is May 22-24 in Des Moines at Drake Stadium.

At-large bids will go to the next 14 best performances from all of SQM meets.

The Gaels feature returning state placewinners Mariah Myers, Josie Harvey and Anna Lursen, along with previous qualifiers Faith Shirbroun, Brianna Saathoff, Anthony Valles, Grant Galles and Aaron Hindt.

Myers was the state runner-up in the shot put in 2024, while also placing 10th in the discus. Harvey was third in the 100 hurdles a year ago.

Lursen took fourth in the 800, while running the anchor on the third-place 4×800 relay.

Coming into the qualifier, Myers is seeded first in both the shot put and discus. Lursen holds the fastest times thus far in the 200, 400, 800 and 400 hurdles. She is also fifth in the 1,500.

Harvey owns the best 100 hurdles time among SQM schools in Armstrong, to go along with the seventh-best 100 and 400 hurdles.

Myrah Lemon is seventh in the long jump, Lily Eslick is ninth in the 3,000, and Naomi Valles is 10th in the same distance event.

As for relays, the sprint medley is seeded first, the distance medley third, the 4×400 third and both the 4×100 and 4×200 fifth. Lursen ran on four of those relay contenders throughout the year.

Shirbroun, Harvey, Valles, Saathoff, Lemon, Ava Bradley, Sasha Hess and McKenna Kvale were all part of the quartets.

Hindt is seeded second in the 100, 200 and long jump, as Valles is second in the 3,200 and fourth in both the 800 and 1,600. Liam Shannon is third in the 3,200 and Erik Larson seventh in the same distance event with Galles eighth in the 200.

The 4×800 relay of Levi Odor-Westrum, Matthew Crimmins, Shannon and Valles is second while the distance medley of Galles, Odor-Westrum, Hindt and Valles is third.

Odor-Westrum, Galles, Valles and Hindt are fourth in the 4×400. Galles, Odor-Westrum, Thomas Ehn and Hindt are fifth in the 4×200.