Saint Peter Public Schools

Congrats to Saints’ girls head track coach Jeff Portugue for being named the Minnesota Track and Field Coaches Association’s 2026 Girls Coach of the Year for Class AA. The Saints completed the most successful seasons in the program’s history in early June, winning the Class AA State True Team state title for the second straight year and finishing second in the MSHSL Class AA State Meet team standings. 

“I’m extremely honored, but in all reality I feel this is a team award,” Portugue said. “I’ve been so fortunate to have such great assistant coaches and a large group of fine athletes. This was an amazing season, and I feel strongly that our kids rose to the occasion all season long.”

Portugue began his coaching career with the Saints’ girls track and field program back in 1992 as an assistant coach, and he took over as head coach in 1998. Over the past two seasons, he has had four individual state champions as well as 13 state medalists (10 individuals and 3 relays). One more indication of the strength of this year’s team is the fact that girls on this year’s roster set school records in 10 of the 18 events over the past two seasons.  

The Saints’ girls nearly had a perfect season in 2026 as they won every meet they competed in, except the Minnesota State Class AA Meet, which they lost by a single point to Orono, the team they defeated for the AA True Team State Meet. 

Portugue was also head coach of the 2011 Saints’ girls track squad that tied for the MSHSL Class A State Championship. In addition to his girls track coaching duties, he is also the head coach of the St. Peter girls cross country team that posted back-to-back top six finishes at state in the fall of 2024 and 2025, as well as last season's state individual champion, Keira Friedrich, who will run at the University of Minnesota this fall.


(Above) The Saints' girls track & field team, under the direction of head coach Jeff Portugue, won their second straight Minnesota Class AA True Team state title this spring at Eden Prairie.


The Saints' girls track & field team receives the Class AA state runner-up trophy at the MSHSL State Class AA Meet at St. Michael-Albertville High School in early June. Coach Portugue is fourth from the left (above the "8" on the medal stand.