MANKATO — After she finished her three-sport high school sports career Carolyn Hackel, who graduated from Austin High School in 2015, wasn’t sure if she was ever going to compete in organized sports again.

Hackel had competed in soccer, gymnastics and track and field for the Packers and she competed in multiple Minnesota state Class A gymnastics meets and multiple Minnesota Class AA state track and field meets for sprints in the long jump, where she holds the AHS record. However, a major injury in her senior season put a damper on Hackel’s zest for sports. Hackel broke her ankle in her senior gymnastics season, causing her to miss out on competing in any state meets her senior year.

When she enrolled in Minnesota State University in Mankato in the fall of 2015, Hackel heard from the track and field coach about joining the team, but she wasn’t about to jump right back into competing.

“I wasn’t wanting to do another sport because I was scared of getting hurt again,” Hackel said. “But the more I thought about it, the more I missed being on a team and competing.”

This fall Hackel finally gave into the MSU coaches and she decided to give track and field another shot. She expected to compete in sprints and long jump like she had in the past, but she ended up with a much bigger workload. Hackel competed in the pentathlon during the indoor season for the Mavericks and now she’s competing in heptathlon in the outdoor season.

It’s been a new experience for Hackel as she had to learn how to throw the shot put, javelin, compete in the high jump and run in the 100-meter hurdles and 800-meter run — all for the first time. She also had to continue to compete in the long jump and the 200-meter dash, which were two of her main events for the Packers.

“We have the most amazing coaching staff here. They’re very patient and they’re very willing to work with individuals and do whatever works for the athlete,” Hackel said. “I owe it all to my coaches, they were amazing in the teaching process. They broke it down and taught the steps.”

Hackel hit a height of 5-feet, 6-inches on her first ever high jump and she finished in the top-eight in hurdles in the Northern Sun Conference in the indoor season. It was a little tough just for Hackel to take the field of competition after sitting out for over a year. She was also recovering from a surgery she had in October.

“Getting back into competing was very nerve racking. I knew I was ready, but I didn’t feel ready,” Hackel said. “I know we have a great program with amazing coaches and athletes. I knew they would prepare me to perform at a level that I was excited about. My mind was all over the place, but getting on the blocks again was amazing after a 14-month injury.”

Hackel recently competed in her first ever Heptathlon in Maryville, Missouri and she held her own with a fifth place overall finish. She took ninth in the javelin with an 82-0, eighth in the shot put with a 30-9, fifth in the high jump with a 4-9.75, fourth in the long jump with a 16-3, eighth in the 800-meter run with a 2:48.63, second in the 200-meter dash with a 26.30 and first in the 100-hurdles with a 14.71.

Hackel said she was exhausted after the two-day event.

“I had no idea that it was going to be as tough as it was. Props to the kids that have been doing it for a long time, because my body was feeling it,” Hackel said. “But that’s part of of the process of learning it. I’m excited to learn. Every time I step out there it’s a clean slate.”

Hackel said MSU’s track and field team has some of the best Division II athletes in the nation and she’s had plenty of solid competitors to look up to. A preseason poll has the Mavericks women’s team winning the Northern Sun Conference for the second straight outdoor season.

Hackel has embraced being part of the team at MSU and she’s also seen some familiar faces on some opposing teams. Hackel competed against Austin grad Rachel Quandt, who runs hurdles at the University of South Dakota in an earlier meet during the indoor season. Austin grad Madison Overby runs distance for the University of North Dakota and Austin senior Amber Hansen will throw for UND next season.

“It’s cool to have a good chunk of Austin athletes competing at the next level of track,” Hackel said. “Rachel and I competed against each other and it was weird that we were wearing different uniforms, but it was so good to have a familiar face among the competitors.”

Hackel stated that she has absolutely no regrets about coming back to track and field, even on the days when she’s sore and tired. She’s looking to keep competing for the Mavericks as long as she can.

“I went with it and here I am. I’m loving it,” Hackel said.