2009 State Cross Country Meet Preview: Three teams return to defend titles

Three team champions return this Saturday (November 7) when the Minnesota State
High School League's 2009 State Girls' and Boys' Cross Country Running Meet is conducted at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

The Adrian girls are in the hunt for their fifth title in Class A, and the Eden Prairie girls are looking to make it two in a row in Class AA. The boys of Wayzata are in the hunt for their third consecutive Class AA championship.

Junior Lukas Gemar of Moorhead is the only individual champion returning from the 2008 field. He took top honors in the Class AA race last year.

The girls run a 4,000-meter course. The boys run a 5,000-meter course.

Class A Boys Highlights

The Perham Yellowjackets, who placed second last year, are the highest returning qualifiers. They have seven runners with previous state meet experience. Ten other teams also return from the 2008 field: Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Fairmont, Jackson County Central, Adrian, St. Cloud Cathedral, Mora, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Albany, Esko, and Staples-Motley. The other teams qualified this year are Cotter of Winona, Waseca, Minnehaha Academy of Minneapolis, Holy Family Catholic of Victoria, and Eveleth-Gilbert.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Perham; 2. Minnehaha Academy; 3. Plainview-Elgin-Millville; 4. St. Cloud Cathedral; 5. Waseca; 6. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle; 7. Fairmont; 8. Jackson County Central; 9. Holy Family Catholic; 10. Adrian; 11. Esko; and 12. Albany.

Four Top 10 finishers return from the 2008 field: senior Paul Kaullick of The Blake School of Minneapolis, third; senior Connor Gjevre of Annandale, fourth; senior Jordan Bendson of Staples-Motley, seventh; and senior Austin Bauer of Milaca, 10th. Kaullick and Gjevre were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the final coaches poll.

Class A Girls Highlights

Nine of last year's 16 teams will be back. The Adrian Dragons, who are the four-time defending champions, return with four runners back from their 2008 team. Other teams that are returning are La Crescent, Rochester Lourdes, Fairmont, Holy Family Catholic of Victoria, Annandale, Albany, Esko, and Perham. The other qualified teams are Waseca, Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin, The Blake School of Minneapolis, St. Cloud Cathedral, New London-Spicer, Cook County/Two Harbors, and Park Rapids Area.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Waseca; 2. Perham; 3. Adrian; 4. Fairmont; 5. La Crescent; 6. Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin; 7. Annandale; 8. The Blake School; 9. Holy Family Catholic; 10. St. Cloud Cathedral; 11. Park Rapids Area; and 12. Esko.

Kayla Woltz, a ninth-grader at Chatfield, is the highest returning qualifier. She earned runner-up honors last year. Three additional Top 10 finishers also return: Perham senior Maddie McClellan, third; Medford senior Adriana Flores, seventh; and Fairmont sophomore Lauren Friese, eighth. McClellan was No. 1 in the final rankings from the state coaches association; Friese was No. 3, and Woltz was No. 5.

Class AA Boys Highlights

Ten of last year's 16 teams will be back, including the two-time defending champions from Wayzata. The Trojans have five runners with previous state meet experience. Other teams returning from last year's meet are Owatonna, Willmar, Burnsville, White Bear Lake Area, Eden Prairie, Wayzata, Forest Lake, Moorhead, and Alexandria. The other teams in the field are Lakeville North, Mankato East, Stillwater Area, Totino-Grace of Fridley, Andover, and Cambridge-Isanti.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Eden Prairie; 2. Wayzata; 3. Stillwater Area; 4. White Bear Lake Area; 5. Burnsville; 6. Moorhead; 7. Alexandria; 10. Lakeville North; 11. Totino-Grace; and 12. Willmar.

In the individual competition, junior Lukas Gemar of Moorhead returns to defend his title. He was ranked No. 8 in the final coaches poll. In addition to Gemar, two other 2008 Top 10 finishers also return: senior Marty Joyce of Woodbury, seventh, and senior Kemal Jarso of St. Paul Central, ninth. Joyce was ranked No. 3 in the final poll.

Class AA Girls Highlights

The Eden Prairie Eagles, who won the team title last year, return in search of more gold. They have five runners with previous state meet experience. Seven additional teams also return from last year's field: Lakeville North, Shakopee, Prior Lake, Woodbury, Minnetonka, Grand Rapids, and Moorhead. Grand Rapids includes students from Bigfork.

Teams from Lakeville South, Chanhassen, Rosemount, Roseville Area, Totino-Grace of Fridley, Mounds View, Elk River, and Monticello round out this year's Class AA field. Elk River also includes students from Zimmerman and Spectrum High School of Elk River.

The final rankings from the state coaches association for the qualified teams are: 1. Eden Prairie; 2. Elk River; 3. Roseville Area; 4. Shakopee; 5. Lakeville South; 6. Prior Lake; 7. Moorhead; 8. Monticello; 9. Lakeville North; 10. Minnetonka; and 12. Totino-Grace.

Last year's third-place finisher, sophomore Jamie Piepenburg of Alexandria, leads the field of five returning Top 10 finishers. The others are Eden Prairie junior Laura Lawton, sixth, Elk River senior Emma Bates, seventh, Mound-Westonka junior Julia Harrison, eighth, and Shakopee ninth-grader Maria Hauger, ninth. Hauger was ranked No. 1 in the final coaches poll, followed by Bates at No. 2 and Piepenburg at No. 12.

The Schedule

The Class AA boys' race will start at 10 a.m., followed by the Class AA girls' race at 11 a.m. The Class A boys' race will start at 1 p.m., followed by the Class A girls' race at 2 p.m. A combined awards ceremony will take place approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the girls' race in each class.

Courtesy: MSHSL