The Minnewaska Area cross-country teams opened up the season at the Morris Area Invitational last Monday at the Pomme de Terre Golf Course in Morris.

The Laker girls placed third of nine teams, while the Minnewaska Area boys were fourth of eight teams.

NLS won the girls meet with 47 points, followed by West Central Area (88) and Minnewaska (102), while Sauk Centre earned the boys title with 41 points, followed by LQP-DB with 79, NLS with 83 and Minnewaska Area with 92.

Lauryn Ankeny led the girls with a ninth-place finish, while Maeson Tank was second for the boys team.

The Lakers are set to compete at the Wadena-DC Invitational, Tuesday (tomorrow) before preparing for the Long Prairie-GE Invitational, Monday, Sept. 11.

at Morris Invitational

NLS and Sauk Centre won titles at the Morris Area Invitational last Monday at Morris.

Paynesville-BBE’s Madi Wendlandt won the girls title with a time of 20:57, while Lauryn Ankeny led the Lakers with a time of 22:07 to place ninth.

Piper Citrowske-Lee was next for the Lakers with a time of 23:36 to earn 22nd, followed by Teagan Stark in 30th (24:28), Aubrey Stark in 32nd (24:45), Sophia Wallin in 34th (24:49), Izzy Bautista in 37th (25:10) and Sydney Ankeny in 38th place (25:11).

•  In the boys competition, Sauk Centre’s Jacob Drevlow led the Mainstreeters to the team title with a time of 17:23 to earn first individually.

Maeson Tank was right behind with a time of 17:49 to place second, while Zachary Palmer was 11th for the Lakers with a time of 18:45, and Ian Mills earned 17th with a time of 19:23.

Also racing for Minnewaska Area were Carter Dinsmore, who placed 45th (21:52), followed by Jayce Kovarik in 51st (22:01), Ryan Koehntop in 60th (23:01) and Chase Wacker in 66th place (24:43).  

There were 72 runners in the boys’ race and 64 in the girls.

•  In the girls, JV race of 2,450 meters,Autumm Hess was 18th of 39 runners with a time of 13:00, while Alannah Christensen placed 31st (14:13).  Winning the race was Alyssa Swedzinski, of LQP, with a time of 11:41.

There were 55 runners in the boys JV race won by WCA’s Carter Kjesbo with a time of 8:36.  Minnewaska Area did not have any runners in the boys JV, boys 7th grade and girls 8th grade races.

In the girls’ 7th grade race, Nori Song earned second place out of 13 runners with a time of 10:39, while Jillian Deutsch was sixth (11:36) and Ayden Svenning was 11th (16:25) in a race won by Kyla Vick of NLS (10:14).

Rylan Tank placed fifth for the Lakers in the boys 8th grade race with a time of 10:46.  Melrose’ Thor Hoppe won the individual title with a time of 10:15.

at Morris Invitational

Girls varsity team results:  (1) NLS 47  (2) WCA 88  (3) Minnewaska 102  (4) Melrose 108  (5) LQP-DB 140  (6) Paynesville-BBE 146  (7) Morris Area-DA 150  (8) Sauk Centre 160  (9) Benson-KMS 200

Girls top five:  (1) Madi Wendlandt, Pay 20:57  (2) Lucie Comstock, Breck-W 21:10  (3) Hailey Werk, Morris 21:28  (4) Amber Rosemeier, BKMS 21:28  (5) Kiera Wietzema, Breck-W 21:38 

Minnewaska Area times:   (9) Lauryn Ankeny 22:07  (22) Piper Citrowske Lee 23:36  (30) Teagan Stark 24:28  (32) Aubrey Stark 24:45  (34) Sophia Wallin 24:49  (37) Izzy Bautista 25:10  (38) Sydney Ankeny 25:11 . . . 64 total runners

Boys varsity team results:  (1) Sauk Centre 41  (2) LQP-DB 79  (3) NLS 83  (4) Minnewaska 92  (5) Melrose 125  (6) Breckenridge-Wahp 137  (7) Paynesville-BBE 171  (8) Benson-KMS 183

Boys top five:  (1) Jacob Drevlow, SC 17:23  (2) Maeson Tank, Min 17:49  (3) Zackery Bruder, Osakis 17:52  (4) Cadyn Vanderwal, Orton 18:07  (5) Jett Kubesh, NLS 18:08

Minnewaska times:   (2) Maeson Tank 17:49  (11) Zachary Palmer 18:45  (17) Ian Mills 19:23  (45) Carter Dinsmore 21:52  (51) Jayce Kovarik 22:01  (60) Ryan Koehntop 23:01  (66) Chase Wacker 24:43 . . . 72 total runners