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Six area runners qualify for state meet

MONTGOMERY — Fairmont’s boys and girls cross country teams each ran to fourth place, while Martin County West girls and boys finished fifth and seventh, respectively, at the Section 2A cross country meet Thursday in Montgomery.

Fairmont’s boys finished with 129 points, 10 behind third-place Belle Plaine, while the Cardinal girls finished with 150, 19 behind third-place the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/ Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Grizzlies.

The Cardinal girls were led by state-qualifying runs from Laura Thompson and Sarah Krumholz.

Thompson finished fifth overall with a time of 19:24.49 and Krumholz finished ninth for the final state-qualifying spot, with a time of 19:54.2.

Tabitha Thatcher was the third Cardinal girl to cross the finish line with a time of 20:26.91, while Hannah Neusch was next in 21:55.84. Corene Moeller had the final counting time for Fairmont when she finished in 22:48.96.

The Cardinals’ Kobi Malo (23:02.27) finished in 82nd, while Emma Gudahl (23:13.9) finished 89th in the 131-competitor race.

Fairmont head coach Bob Bonk said he was happy with his girls team’s performance, especially the two state qualifiers.

“I was really happy for those two girls, especially Sarah getting the last spot,” Bonk said. “It’s not easy to be in that top group out of 130 runners or so. They both performed admirably. The whole team really gave it their best effort. I think it was one of our best team performances as far as times go, we were a little too spread out in this meet to qualify for state (as a team), but it was a good effort nonetheless.”

A state-qualifying run from Marissa Whitehead led the MCW girls team. Whitehead finished in 19:29.33, good for sixth place.

Katie Hartke crossed second for MCW in 35th place overall with a time of 21:17.72. Emily Matejka (21:31.85) was next to finish for the Mavericks in 37th place and Brianna Morrow (21:38.03) and Ivy Kokoruda (21:39.39) finished back-to-back in 40th and 41st places, respectively, for the final two contributing MCW scores.

Caitlin Whitehead (22:17.75) finished 61st and Kari Matejka (22:31.77) finished 67th for MCW.

The Blue Earth Area Bucs girls finished 18th as a team with 443 points.

Callie Stevermer was first to finish for the Bucs when she crossed in 22:09.14 for 55th place. Amanda Jacobson finished in 65th with a time of 22:27.51, while Emma Germain finished in 110th with her time of 25:12.46.

Leah Becker (25:40.37) finished 113th and Arianna Nagel (26:10.24) finished 122nd for the final two contributing Bucs’ times.

Elizabeth Jacobson finished in 131st with a time of 2:50.95 and Aubrey Hueper finished 133rd with a 29:42.01 time for BEA.

The Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain Jayhawks were 19th overall as a team.

Sylvia Rodriguez was the first to cross the finish line for the Jayhawks with a time of 22:13.45, while Ella Bergeman finished in 102nd with a time of 24:24.68.

Autumn Lewis was the third Jayhawk to cross in 25:06.64 for 108th place.

Samantha Moeller (26:32.45) finished 126th and Marissa Lewis (29:36.15) finished 132nd.

Three area boys qualified for state as individuals.

Blue Earth Area’s Grant Strukel finished second overall, Martin County West’s Carson Kahler finished fifth and Fairmont’s William Saari took the final qualifying spot in 11th place.

Saari led the Cardinal boys with a time of 16:48.23, while Connor Artner finished 17th with a time of 17:09.95.

Andrew Moeller was the third Fairmont finisher with a time of 17:31.03, good for 22nd overall, and Darrian Kueker was fourth with a time of 17:37.43 for 29th.

Dylan Kennedy had the final counting time for the Cardinals, finishing in 50th place with a time of 18:18.0.

Tony Ortega (18:21.75) finished in 52nd and Jacob Lueth (18:40.04) finished 58th.

Bonk said the Cardinal boys produced their best finish since at least 2010.

“William got that last spot (to qualify for state),” Bonk said. “That was really exciting, I was hoping at least one of the boys could squeeze in there. None of them were favored to do that, but to come in there and get that spot is really exciting.

“Our guys ran incredibly well today. On paper, I think we were picked around seventh or eighth. … Darrian had like a 30-second personal best, which is a great way for a senior to end his career. He’s been at every single practice and meet since sixth grade. He’s been a tremendous part of our team for so long. Andrew Moeller as well, a six-year letter winner going out, those seniors ended on a very high note.”

Kahler’s fifth-place finish in 16:31.6 led the Maverick boys.

Zane Borchardt was the second MCW competitor to finish when he crossed in 17:34.94, good for 26th place. Easton Gregory followed close behind, finishing in 32nd overall with a time of 17:42.49.

Jamesson Forsberg (18:03.58) finished in 44th and Kolton Larson (18:18.75) finished 51st as the final two contributing Maverick scores.

Isaiah Johnson crossed in 65th place with a time of 18:48.76 and Jake Whitehead finished 74th with a time of 19:02.35 for the Mavericks.

Strukel’s second-place finish in 16:18.1 led the BEA boys to a 394-point 13th-place finish as a team.

Brady Olsen placed second for the Bucs and 49th overall with his time of 18:15.85, while Cameron Germain finished 110th with a time of 20:36.02.

Angel Martinez (21:15.21) finished 122nd and Blake Townsend (21:17.18) finished 123rd as the final two contributing BEA scores.

Nate Phippen (21:48.69) finished 127th for the Bucs.

The Madelia/Truman/GHEC Jayhawks did not have enough runners to compete in the team portion of the sectional meet.

Jacob Moeller was the first Jayhawk to complete the course when he crossed in 19:17.55, good for 79th.

Tallin Cook was second for the Jayhawks with a 103rd-place finish in 20:01.55 and Luke Kester (21:41.85) finished 126th as the final Jayhawk racer.

Strukel, Saari and Kahler compete in the Class A state boys cross country meet at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at St. Olaf College in Northfield, while Thompson, Whitehead and Krumholz hit the same course at 2 p.m. Nov. 3 in the girls’ state race.

SECTION 2A CROSS

COUNTRY MEET

Varsity Girls (5K)

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Belle Plaine 77; 2. Glencoe Silver Lake 107; 3. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 131; 4. Fairmont 150; 5. Martin County West 154; 6. LeSueur-Henderson 169; 7. LCWM/Nicollet 199; 8. St. James Area 24; 9. Mankato Loyola 256; 10. Norwood Young America 257; 11. St. Peter 276; 12. Maple River 346; 13. Tri-City United 348; 14. Minnesota Valley Lutheran 358; 15. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s/Sleepy Eye/New Ulm Cathedral 367; 16. United South Central/Alden-Conger 413; 17. Blue Earth Area 443; 18. Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain 496.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

(Top 10, 133 competitors)

1. Makenna Thurston (LCWM/N) 19:05.97; 2. Paola Acevedo (SJA) 19:19.82; 3. Grace Feder (GFW) 19:21.56; 4. Hadley Stuehrenberg (SP) 19:22.81; 5. Laura Thompson (FMT) 19:24.49; 6. Marissa Whitehead (MCW) 19:29.33; 7. McKenna Herrmann (BP) 19:41.9; 8. Izzy Lind (SP) 19:43.64; 9. Sarah Krumholz (FMT) 19:54.2; 10. Victoria Flores (LSH) 19:54.45.

Other Fairmont Results: 18. Tabitha Thatcher 20:26.91; 49. Hannah Neusch 21:55.84; 75. Corene Moeller 22:48.96; 82. Kobi Malo 23:02.27; 89. Emma Gudahl 23:13.9.

Other Martin County West Results: 35. Katie Hartke 21:17.72; 37. Emily Matejka 21:31.85; 40. Brianna Morrow 21:38.03; 41. Ivy Kokoruda 21:39.39; 61. Caitlin Whitehead 22:17.75; 67. Kari Matejka 22:31.77.

Blue Earth Area Results: 55. Callie Stevermer 22:09.14; 65. Amanda Jacobson 22:27.51; 110. Emma Germain 25:12.46; 113. Leah Becker 25:40.37; 122. Arianna Nagel 26:10.24; 131. Elizabeth Jacobson 27:50.95; 133. Aubrey Hueper 29:42.01.

Madelia/Truman/GHEC Results: 57. Sylvia Rodriguez 22:13.45; Ella Bergman 24:24.68; 108. Autumn Lewis 25:06.64; 126. Samantha Moeller 26:32.45; 132. Marissa Lewis 29:36.15.

Varsity Boys (5K)

TEAM RESULTS: 1. St. James Area 70; 2. Mankato Loyola 88; 3. Belle Plaine 119; 4. Fairmont 129; 5. Tri-City United 137; 6. Glencoe Silver Lake 139; 7. Martin County West 158; 8. LeSueur-Henderson 191; 9. St. Peter 199; 10. Norwood Young America 228; 11. Sibley East 330; 12. Medford 380; 13. Blue Earth Area 394; 14. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown/Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 398; 15. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s/Sleepy Eye/New Ulm Cathedral 425; 16. Minnesota Valley Lutheran 441; 17. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet 490; 18. Maple River 490.5.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

(Top 10, 134 competitors)

1. Drew Hastings (BP) 16:14.31; 2. Grant Strukel (BEA) 16:18.1; 3. Mitchell Johnstone (ML) 16:23.91; 4. Lane Schwarz (LH) 16:28.51; 5. Carson Kahler (MCW) 16:31.6; 6. Connor Hallaway (GSL) 16:34.06; 7. Jerrett Peterson (ML) 16:36.75; 8. Bailey More (SP) 16:36.85; 9. Seth Pierson (SJA) 16:41.55; 10. Hugo Ruiz (TCU) 16:46.18; 11. William Saari (FMT) 16:48.23; 12. Troy Parulski (SJA) 16:49.01; 13. Alex Knickrehm (SJA) 16:59.03; 14. Brett Omtvedt (ML) 17:03.7; 15. Austin Antony (TCU) 17:05.91.

Other Fairmont Results: 17. Connor Artner 17:09.95; 22. Andrew Moeller 17:31.03; 29. Darrian Kueker 17:37.43; 50. Dylan Kennedy 18:18.0; 52. Tony Ortega 18:21.75; 58. Jacob Lueth 18:40.04.

Other MCW Results: 26. Zane Borchardt 17:34.94; 32. Easton Gregory 17:42.49; Jamesson Forsberg 18:03.58; 51. Kolton Larson 18:18.75; 65. Isaiah Johnson 18:48.76; 74. Jake Whitehead 19:02.35.

BEA Results: 49. Brady Olsen 18:15.85; 110. Cameron Germain 20:36.02; 122. Angel Martinez 21:15.21; 123. Blake Townsend 21:17.18; 127. Nate Phippen 21:48.69;

Madelia/Truman/GHEC Results: 79. Jacob Moeller 19:17.55; 103. Tallin Cook 20:01.55; 126. Luke Kester 21:41.85.

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