Girls and boys cross country runners take to Mountain Lake Golf Course for first meet of season
The weather cooperated; the day was perfect for a run – and the Mountain Lake Wolverine Invitational Cross Country Meet was held on the Mountain Lake Golf Course on Wednesday afternoon, August 27 – the first Mountain Lake heralding a new season since 2011. In 2012 and 2013, the meet was cancelled due to heat and humidity.
Area girls and boys cross country runners – 10 junior high and varsity teams – took to the course for their first meet of the season.
United South Central/Alden-Conger’s freshman, Beth Stevermer, the state’s 10-ranked Class A girl, was into the chute first, covering the 4,000-meter course in 15:16. Another freshman, Jackson County Central’s Jessica Christoffer, was second with a time of 15:31. And a third freshmen, Fairmont’s Iliana Ramon, was third at 15:35.
The first finisher for the Mountain Lake Area Wolverines was senior Lydia Hildebrandt, clocking 16:40, good for 11th place and an individual medal (the top 15 runners received medals).
The finishes of the top five runners from each team are used to tally the team scores. For the girls, Fairmont (3-5-6-13-15) tallied 42 points to claim the girls’ team title, followed by Martin County West with 55, Jackson County Central scoring 106, Lake Crystal/Welcome Memorial/Nicollet with 120, Adrian with 159, Mountain Lake Area with 187 and Murray County Central with 234. Teams from Windom, Southwest Christian/Edgerton and United South Central/Alden-Conger ran incomplete.
Murray County Central junior Clayton Hartle was the area’s top finisher in the boys’ race, placing seventh with a 5,000-meter time of 18:02.
The boys from Martin County West demonstrated just why the Maverick’s are Minnesota’s top-ranked Class A boys’ team by placing six runners in the top-12 finishers – and winning the boys’ team title with a score of 30 (2-3-6-9-10). Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet finished second with 78 points, followed by Murray County Central with 114, Fairmont with 118, Windom with 130, Adrian tallying 139, Mountain Lake Area with 166 and United South Central/Alden-Conger with 182. The boys teams from Jackson County Central and Southwest Christian/Edgerton were both incomplete.
Following are photos from the girls and boys varsity races, including the top five Mountain Lake Area finishers in each.
WOLVERINE CROSS COUNTRY Head Coach Mike Nelson, center, gathers his varsity girl runners for the pre-run pep and strategy talk. Assistant Coach Matt Anderson has left the starting line, moving to a strategic position along the course. The girls are, from left, Lydia Hildebrandt, Briana Soutthivong, Rebekah Klassen, Ann-Katrin Schultz, Ashley Watkins (behind), Jorja Lepp and Liana Blomgren.
THE START OF the girls’ 4,000 meter race. Wolverine girls visible are, from left, Liana Blomgren, Lydia Hildebrandt, Brianna Soutthivong, Ashley Watkins, Rebekah Klassen and Ann-Katrin Schultz.
WOLVERINE SENIOR LYDIA Hildebrandt sprints downhill towards the finish chute, finishing in 11th with a time of 16:40.
SECOND WOLVERINE GIRL into the finish was Liana Blomgren, left, finishing in 26th with a time of 17:51.
BRIANNA SOUTTHIVONG WAS the third Wolverine girl to finish, ending 37th out of the field with a time of 18:36.
THIS TRIO OF Wolverine girls ran as a pack, with Rebekah Klassen, center, breaking away to finish 56th with a time of 20:41, and the fourth Mountain Lake Area finisher. Ashley Watkins, left, was the fifth girl runner into the chute, ending in 57th with a time of 20:42. At right is Ann-Katrin Schultz, who came in as the 58th runner with a time of 20:43. Also running varsity was Jorja Lepp, who was 80th with a time of 25:26.
THE WOLVERINE BOYS varsity runners listen to Head Coach Mike Nelson, with back to camera at right, as he plots the race. To the right of Nelson is Kyle Blomgren, volunteer coach – and again – Assistant Coach Matt Anderson has staked his position somewhere out on the 5,000 meter course. Varsity boys include Tommy Kraemer, Daniel Nelson, Junior Louangsaphakdy, Bubba Xayachak, Emmanuel Fentenez, Justin Lugo, Andrew Fast, Kaleb Haberman, Aaron Walzak, Austin Suderman, Aaron Fast and Ryan McCue.
THE WOLVERINE VARSITY boys tart their race heading uphill. Visible runners are, from left, Andrew Fast, Ryan McCue, Tommy Kraemer, Daniel Nelson, Austin Suderman and Aaron Walzak.
TOMMY KRAEMER RAN the course in 19:38, the first Mountain Lake Area runner to cross the finish, coming in 25th overall.
RYAN MCCUE WAS the second Wolverine boy to finish, coming in 29th with a time of 19:55.
THE THIRD WOLVERINE boys runner into the chute was Aaron Fast, ending 30th overall with a time of 19:58.
ANDREW FAST, RIGHT, twin brother to Aaron, ran the course in 20:35, and was the fourth Mountain Lake runner.
THE FIFTH WOLVERINE boys runner to cross the finish (finishes from a team’s top five runners are used to compute team totals) was Aaron Walzak, ending 46th overall and clocking 21:48.
