•  Laker athletes place 35th and 122nd, respectively, during meet at U of M

Two members of the Minnewaska Area cross-country program competed at the State Boys and Girls Class A Cross-Country Meet, Saturday at the University of Minnesota.

Sophomore Lauryn Ankeny was competing in her third-straight state meet after advancing to state with her team as an eighth-grader and individually last season as a freshman.

Joining her was senior Maeson Tank, who also qualified individually to the state meet last year.

Tank, who was fourth at the section meet one week earlier, placed 35th at the state meet with a time of 16:57, while Ankeny, who was also fifth during the Section 6A competition, placed 122nd at the state meet with a time of 21:54.

Just missing out on state berths this year were Nori Song, who placed ninth at the section meet for the Laker girls, and Zach Palmer, who was 18th for the boys team at the section meet.

“The course was very muddy and greasy in spots due to the melting snow, which made it very slippery,” Minnewaska Area coach Jennifer Johnsrud said.  “Lauryn and Maeson both ran hard and highlighted a great season of cross-country for our Laker program by running at the state meet.  Both of these athletes have been a coach’s dream.  They are fierce competitors and even better people.”

Heritage Christian won the boys Class A team title, while St. Cloud Cathedral dominated the Class A girls  meet.

Seniors on this year’s  cross-country teams for the Lakers are Izzy Bautista, Teagan Stark, Jayce Kovarik and Maeson Tank, who also served as captains for this year’s team.

State Cross-Country Meet

Heritage Christian won a three-team battle for the boys Class A title at the State Cross Country Meet, Saturday at the U of M, Les Bolstad Golf Course in St. Paul.  Heritage had a total of 106 points to edge runner-up Cotter by eight points and third-place Bertha-Hewitt by 15.

Bertha-Hewitt won the Section 6A team title one week earlier, while section runner-up Staples-Motley was 15th of 16 teams at the state meet.

Maeson Tank placed 35th for the Lakers with a time of 16:57, one of his top times ever on the very tough course.  He was in a pack of 13 runners who finished seven seconds from each other in 30th through 42nd place.

“Maeson ran really well for the conditions of the course,” coach Johnsrud said.  “He ran one of his fastest times of the season and had an exceptional finish.”

Section 6A champion Zane Guderjahn, of Bertha-Hewitt, placed 10th overall with a time of 16:20, while Issiah Tabatt, of Staples-Motley, was 17th (16:39), and two St. John’s Prep runners were in the top 21, including Nick Hansen in third (15:56) and Zach Meyer in 21st (16:47).

In addition, Sauk Centre’s Jacob Drevlow was 28th (16:51), Bertha-Hewitt’s Brady Rach placed 30th (16:54) and WCA’s Carter Kjesbo was 40th (17:00).

There were a total of seven runners finishing under 16 minutes, including the top two who were under 15:42.  Eddie Snider, of Mounds Park Academy, won the individual Class A boys title with a time of 15:40, just one second faster than William Ahrens of Redwood Valley.

•  In the girls race, St. Cloud Cathedral dominated the meet with 68 points, followed by Section 6A champion Staples-Motley in second with 125 points and Winona Cotter in third with 151.  

Wadena-Deer Creek, which edged the Lakers for the second state team berth, placed 14th with 300 points.

Lauryn Ankeny ran a time of 21:54 to place 122nd out of 160 total runners.

Olivia Pauly, of St. John’s Prep, won the race by 11 seconds with a time of 18:20, while Audrey Brownell, of Staples-Motley, placed second (18:31) and Ella Voit, of SCC, was third (18:36).

Brownell placed second at the Section 6A meet with a time of 19:10, while section champion Kyanna Burton was fifth at the state meet with a time of 18:46 after running a 19:10 at sections.

“Lauryn did not have her best race, but high school athletics can be like that sometimes,” coach Johnsrud said.  “She had a fantastic season and one race certainly does not define her or the season.”

The Laker girls ended the team portion of their season with two seventh-graders, one eighth-grader, one ninth-grader and three sophomores competing at the section meet meaning the whole starting team returns for next season.

State Class A Boys and Girls Cross-Country 

Girls varsity team results:  (1) SC Cathedral 68  (2) Staples-Motley 125  (3) Cotter 151  (4) Hawley 155  (5) Rochester Lourdes 159, Nova Classical 201, Canby-Minneota 208, Redwood 211, Northwest Nighthawks 218, United N Central 218, Carlton-Wren 255, Loyola-Cleveland 279, South Ridge 283, Wadena-DC 300, St. Paul Academy 308, Mountain Lake Area 352

Girls state top 5:  (1) Olivia Pauly, St. John’s Prep 18:20  (2) Audrey Brownell, Staples-Motley 18:31  (3) Ella Voit, SCC 18:36  (4) Jenna DeBates, Luverne 18:40  (5) Kyanna Burton, Staples-Mot 18:46

Minnewaska:   (122) Lauryn Ankeny, Minnewaska Area 21:54 . . . 160 total runners

Boys varsity team results:  (1) Heritage Christian 106  (2) Cotter 114  (3) Bertha-Hewitt 121  (4) Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin 146  (5) Redwood Valley 168, Windom 175, St. John’s Prep 197, LA-RP-H 215, Mount Lake Area 235, Park Rapids 237, Hawley 251, South Ridge 262, St. James 266, St. Cloud Cathedral 295, Staples-Motley 302, Nova Classical Academy 309

Boys state top 5:  (1) Eddie Snider, Mounds Park 15:40  (2) William Ahrens, Redwood 15:41  (3) Nick Hanson, St. John’s Prep 15:56  (4) Mark Swanson, Northwest Nighthawks 15:57  (5) Levi Dougherty, Heritage Christian 15:57

Minnewaska Area times:   (35) Maeson Tank, Minnewaska 16:57. . . 160 total runners

Check out more photos in our photo gallery!