Adriana Leiding becomes Fairmont's first all-state flag football player

Adriana Leiding turned Fairmont’s second girls flag football season into a statewide breakthrough, leading Minnesota with 112 receptions and earning the program’s first all-state selection. Her 851 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns gave Fairmont a centerpiece as the Cardinals finished 5-5 and carved out a playoff run in a sport the school had only just begun to build.

Fairmont beat Lakeville North in a District 4 playoff game before falling to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva. She completed all three of her pass attempts for 20 yards and a touchdown and added 110 rushing yards on 15 carries.

Leiding and Audriana Suckow were named to both the all-tournament and all-district teams, while Kate Hagen, Maya Earhart, Alissa Moore and Chloe Darnell earned honorable mention on the district awards list.

The Minnesota Vikings reached out in fall 2024. Fairmont High School launched its girls flag football program the next year with a $12,000 Vikings grant and uniforms and equipment support, and nearly 30 girls in grades 9 through 12 planned to participate in the first season. Leiding was a freshman when the program started, and head coach Mat Mahoney said the goal was to build a long-lasting legacy.

Minnesota’s girls flag football league grew from a four-team pilot in 2024 to 51 schools in 2025 and 104 schools in 2026, with the Vikings adding $600,000 in support for the 2025 official league and more than $32 million in NFL investment nationwide. The second annual state tournament was played at TCO Stadium in Eagan and streamed by Strib Varsity.