Last year’s cross-country season was highlighted by LARPH’s boys qualifying for their fifth straight state meet while Chatfield’s Lexi Kivimagi and L/FC’s Autumn Rakosnik each impressively finished top 35 at the big meet in Northfield. LARPH, Kivimagi and Rakosnik should again highlight the action this year.
They are in the midst of a dynasty. Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson/Houston boys cross country qualified for state for a fifth straight year last season. The Card-Tro-Canes were TRC runner-up to Cotter but then topped the Ramblers for the 1A team title. Team black and red then took 8th place at state, their best showing in their run. Matt Kingsbury’s group should again be a viable contender, though they lost a couple key contributors in Ryan Prinsen and Tyler Betthauser. Prinsen (4th place TRC and 1A Meet) was arguably their best runner, finishing highest at the state meet (46th place). Betthauser (14th TRC Meet, 17th 1A Meet) was also All-TRC. But LARPH was super deep with seven guys in the top 31 of sections. Five of those guys return. Brennan Kunst (Jr. > 5th TRC Meet, 7th 1A Meet) finished top 10 at each of the big late season runs. He is their top returning finisher from state (52nd place). Wyatt Kreidermacher (Sr. > 8th 1A Meet, 82nd at state) juggled both cross country and soccer but was key in LARPH’s 1A title. He is a wild card as he will again juggle the two sports. Aaron Ploetz (So. > 7th TRC Meet, 31st 1A Meet), Isaac Rasmussen (Jr. > 11th TRC Meet, 15th 1A Meet), Trey Heyland (Jr. > 20th TRC Meet, 30th 1A Meet), and Hunter Rislov (Jr. > 21st TRC Meet) also return. All the above (save Kreidermacher, who did not run at said meet) made All-TRC. Matthew Sprague (Sr. > 24th TRC Meet), an All-TRC runner in 2023, ads to the team-wealth. On the girls’ side of things, LARPH took 7th (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 15th (of 20) at the 1A Meet last year. The squad graduated its sole All-TRC pick in Lauren Honken (21st TRC Meet). Six of seven runners from the 1A Meet do return. Caitlin Bauer (Fr. > 23rd TRC Meet) came close to making All-TRC and had the squad’s top 1A Meet finish (54th place). Vada Larson (So. > 33rd TRC Meet, 61st place 1A Meet) is the next best returning runner. From there, Glory Erickson (So.). Hannah Tuveson (Jr.), Charlie Peterson (8th grader), and Ainsley Rice (Sr.) are key returnees. LARPH, as typical, hosts two home meets, at Ferndale course on September 17 and at Heartland course on October 3. They also run at W-K, La Crescent, Luther College, St. Mary’s College, St. Charles, and PEM.
Lanesboro/Fillmore Central’s top exploits a year ago came from their girls team. A young L/FC squad was TRC Meet runner-up to Cotter and the Burros’ fifth place 1A Meet finish was the highest for any Journal-covered gals team. Now freshman Autumn Rakosnik had a huge season to lead the way, taking third at the TRC Meet and finishing runner-up at the 1A Meet. Rakosnik finished an impressive 28th (of 160) at state. But Coach Ellen Cullen returns six of seven girls total from the 1A Meet (on top of Rakosnik). Junior Lillyan Kiehne (7th TRC Meet, 17th 1A Meet) was (also) All-TRC and finished top 20 at sections. She is a former state entrant (2021). Youngsters Eliza Cullen (8th grader > 25th TRC Meet, 30th 1A Meet), Grace Kingsley (Fr. > 26th TRC Meet, 44nd 1A Meet), and Charity Kingsley (Fr. > 27th TRC Meet, 36h 1A Meet) give L/FC five returnees who finished top 30 and top 50 at the two big late season meets. Eva Collins (8th grader) is a sixth notable returning runner. The Burros could contend in the section, albeit they are quite young. On the guys’ side, L/FC took seventh (of 10) at the TRC Meet and a middle-of-the-road ninth (of 20) at sections. L/FC graduated two of seven runners from the 1A Meet including top performer Isaac Snyder (16th TRC Meet, 21st 1A Meet), an All-TRC honoree and former state qualifier. Riley Grant (So.) is their top returnee, as he just missed All-TRC last year (22nd place) and is the highest returning performer from sections (33rd place). Jaxon Huntington (Jr. > 39th TRC Meet), Landon Sethre (Sr. > 47th TRC Meet, 59th 1A Meet), Cooper Pickett (So.), and Andy Brown (So.) are the other four 1A Meet returnees. L/FC has meets at Stewartville, La Crescent, Luther College, St. Charles, PEM, and LARPH twice (Ferndale and Heartland golf courses).
Chatfield saw its girls lead the way again last year. But after years of contending for state, the Gophers’ gals fell back a smidge. Niki DeBuhr’s group took third at the TRC Meet but sixth at the 1A Meet. Chatfield had finished third three years running at sections previously. Still, strong running occurred. Lexi Kivimagi continued her excellent career, as she was TRC Meet runner-up and (helped by a fall) 1A Meet champion. The now sophomore placed an impressive 31st (of 160) in her second consecutive state meet. For a second year, she will form a strong two-some with fellow returning All-TRC performer Charli Oeltjen. The senior finished top 11 at the TRC (5th place) and 1A Meets (11th place), just missing state individually. Each has been All-TRC multiple times. After those two, though, Gophers will have to step up. Five of seven girls from sections return, but the other three, Arianna Dornink (Sr. > 36th TRC Meet, 60th 1A Meet), Kylie Sinn (Jr. > 35th TRC Meet, 70th 1A Meet), and Willa Kelly (Jr.), finished outside the top 50 of sections. The Chatfield guys took ninth (of 10) at the TRC Meet and 12th (of 20) at the 1A Meet. Only one runner from the section meet graduated. The other six return, though none made All-TRC. Maddex Lanning (Jr. > 27th TRC Meet, 34th 1A Meet) is their top guy. Aiden Johnsrud (Sr. > 38th TRC Meet, 57th 1A Meet), Grayson Fister (Sr. > 36th TRC Meet), Ben Peeters (So.), Alden Pearson (Sr.), Ivar Stavland (Jr.), and Zach Whalen (So.) are six other key returnees. Chatfield has meets at Stewartville, Hayfield, D-E, Rushford, Winona (St. Mary’s), St. Charles, and PEM while hosting their annual late season run on October 1.
GMLOS’ top team was their boys a year ago. With four guys finishing in the top 51 of the section meet, GMLOS placed 8th (of 20). They also took third at the TRC Meet and were the top Journal-covered boys team behind LARPH. Coach McKenzie Bradley returns five of seven guys, though one key departure was All-TRC honoree Erik Shaw (17th TRC Meet, 40th 1A Meet). Their top guy, Carter Glynn, returns. The junior led GMLOS at the TRC Meet (8th place) and at sections (27th place). He was the squad’s sole All-TRC pick. But Teague Alden (Sr. > 23rd TRC Meet, 37th 1A Meet) and Ashton Gehling (Fr. > 35th TRC Meet, 51st 1A Meet) give team Lark-Card-Rebs three more notable returnees. Cody Hrykas (Jr.) and Braydn Nordeng (So.) round out the five returnees from last year’s big meets. On the gals’ side, GMLOS took 8th (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 13th (of 20) at the 1A Meet. They return six of seven section runners. None made All-TRC but Naomi Warmka (Jr. > 30th TRC Meet, 53rd 1A Meet), Sadie Bustad (Fr. > 31st TRC, 55th place 1A Meet), and Audrey Main (8th grader > 38th TRC, 59th 1A Meet) all ran very close to each other at the big meets. Keyawin Stier (Jr.), Karina Lee (Jr.), and Mabel Johnson (So.) round out their returning 1A meet performers. Team GMLOS has meets at Stewartville, Hayfield, Dover-Eyota, Pine Island, St. Charles, LARP (in Rushford), and Austin.
In Spring Valley, Kingsland fielded a complete girls’ team last year while the boys were hit hard by graduation and did not. The gals took 11th (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 19th (of 20) at the 1A Meet. The boys did not have the numbers to field a full team. Coach Erin Milz returns six of seven girls but also gets an experienced runner from another school district. Kylie Meyer (Sr.) is the Knights top returning runner, as she took 18th at the TRC Meet to earn all-conference and then 45th place at sections. Gretchen Hubka (So. > 41st TRC Meet, 76th 1A Meet) was the next best trekker. Claire Mettler (Sr.), Jessie Meyer (So.), Esme Mundfrom (Fr.), and Julie King (So.) round out the returnees. The squad adds Reeyin Lanning (8th grader > 40th TRC, 62nd 1A Meet) from Chatfield, and she would have been the Knights’ second-best runner at the big meets last year. Kaylie Betts (Jr.) also is set to run, as she was a varsity runner in 2022 but did not compete in the big meets last year. No Knight guy ran at the varsity TRC or 1A Meets. Like last year, the Knights have just one boy out for a cross country. Kingsland has meets at W-K, Stewartville, Hayfield, D-E, Lake City, St. Charles, and PEM. They host the TRC Meet on October 15.
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