The 2024 cross country season for teams from LARPH, Chatfield, LFC, GMLOS, and Kingsland was highlighted by LARPH boys going to state for a sixth straight year while gals Autumn Rakosnik (LFC) and Lexi Kivimagi (Chatfield) made state individually, each (at least) repeating doing so. LARPH returns a large group from its state team. Rakosnik and Kivimagi are also back, as said kids should again highlight this year’s running action.
LARPH boys cross country as of late has been a dynasty program. Coach Matt Kingsbury has sent a boys group to state six years running. The last year’s incarnation had its best season. Among the team’s accomplishments, the guys were TRC Meet champions and Section 1A meet champions. They notably had six guys finish top 11 at the first meet and six finished top 16 at the later event. LARPH took fourth at state, a very strong showing, and best in program history. Team LARPH should be primed for a good encore. They graduated just one of their top six runners, All-TRC selection Wyatt Kreidermacher, a key cog in the group (9th place TRC Meet, 11th place 1A Meet, 31st place at state). But the returning group is headed by four established seniors, five All-TRC performers total (and another that just missed). They have a great group that is not heavily dependent on one runner’s dominance. Senior Trey Hegland had the team’s highest finish at state (28th place) and highest finish at sections (5th place) while taking sixth at the TRC Meet. He improved 69 places at state (having placed 97th in 2023). Senior Aaron Ploetz led the team at the TRC Meet (5th place) while taking 12th at sections. Junior Brennan Kunst was the team’s third highest finisher at state (38th place), their second highest finisher at sections (7th place) while also finishing top 10 at the TRC Meet (ninth place). Senior Isaac Rasmussen (10th place TRC Meet, 16th place at 1A Meet) and sophomore Grayson Speltz (11th place TRC Meet, 15th place 1A Meet) also return after making All-TRC a year ago. Adding to the wealth, senior Hunter Rislov (22nd TRC Meet, 24th 1A Meet) and sophomore Will Jewison (25th TRC Meet) were not too far back from making all-league. Team LARPH still has rival Cotter/Hope Lutheran, which also returns a vast majority of its line-up to contend with. But not compiling a seventh straight state berth (the top two in the section make state) would be a huge disappointment. On the gals’ side of the team, LARPH finished sixth (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 12th (of 19) at sections. Caitlin Bauer (So.) flirted with making state individually. She finished 10th (TRC) and 11th (1A) at the last two meets of the year. She heads the girls cast. Junior Vada Larson also made All-TRC after her 14th place showing at the league meet. They give the gals team a strong duo. Glory Erickson (Jr. > 35th place TRC Meet) is a third notable returnee. LARPH’s schedule includes the normal two meets at their home golf courses, Ferndale (September 16) and Heartland (October 2). They also run at Wabasha, La Crescent, Luther, St. Mary’s, St. Charles, and Plainview.
The second highest finishing team of the five Journal-covered cross country programs were Ellen Cullen’s gals from Lanesboro/Fillmore Central. The Burros were TRC Meet runner-up to Cotter/Hope Lutheran. They then took a distance third (134) to Rochester-Lourdes (62) behind the Ramblers (47) at the 1A Meet. Heading the troupe was freshman Autumn Rakosnik, who continued her strong running by taking second at the 1A meet behind C/HL’s Sonja Semling. In her second state cross country meet, Rakosnik took an impressive 9th place, garnering her All-State honors. A two-sport state qualifier last season (track and field), Rakosnik, now a sophomore, is back as one of the state’s top Class A gals runners. But L/FC hopes to make a run at state as a team. They return all seven girls who ran at sections last year. Each finished top 50 (of 134 total). Four were All-TRC. Joining Rakosnik, were senior Lillyan Kiehne and twin sophomores Charity and Grace Kingsley. Kiehne, an individual state qualifier in 2021, took 8th place at the TRC Meet, earning her fifth All-TRC nod. She then was LFC’s second finisher at sections (20th place). Charity Kingsley took 19th and Grace 20th at the TRC Meet. They then were the team’s 4th (Grace 39th place) and 5th (Charity (43rd place) finishers at sections. Eliza Cullen (Fr. 34th place) was the team’s third finisher at sections (34th place). Rounding out the key returnees are Olivia Rindels (Jr. > 24th place at TRC Meet), who just missed making All-TRC, plus Isabelle Peterson (So.). Rakosnik gives LFCMC a strong #1 and Kiehne a good #2 but improvements need to be made to bridge the gap to make state. On the guys side of things, LFC took sixth (of 10 complete) at the TRC Meet and 8th (of 20) at sections. Key returnee Riley Grant (Jr.) was their top runner. He took 15th place at the TRC Meet to make all-league and then finished a solid 22nd at the section run. Andy Brown (Jr. > 26th place TRC Meet, 33rd place 1A Meet), Jaxon Huntington (Sr.), and Cooper Pickett (Jr.) also return after finishing top 50 at the TRC Meet. They give LFC a solid foursome (though the later did not run at sections last year). All told, five of seven athletes return from last year’s 1A Meet team with Quinn Lepper (8th grader) and Harper Pickett (8th grader) also having competed. Elias Corson and Elizabeth Clarke join with Kiehne and Huntington to give LFCMC four total seniors. The Burros schedule includes hosting the TRC Meet (October 14). They also run in Stewartville, La Crescent, at Luther College, Rushford, St. Charles, Lewiston, and Plainview.
Chatfield cross country saw its flag best carried again last year by its girls squad. Niki DeBuhr’s Gopher gals took fourth (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 8th (of 19) at the 1A Meet. Sophomore Lexi Kivimagi was the headliner, as she took seventh and eighth respectively at said two runs. For a fourth consecutive year, she earned a state berth, finishing 54th at the big run. Kivimagi and Charlotte Oeltjen each made All-TRC, but Oeltjen (also a state track and field 3,200-meter qualifier) was one of two 1A meet competitors to graduate (while another is not out). Joining Kivimagi as returning 1A Meet competitors are Adeline Schild (8th grader > 23rd place at TRC Meet, 45th place 1A Meet), who just missed making all-conference, Kylie Sinn (Sr.), and Sophie Welder (8th grader). The guys squad took 7th (of 10 full) at the TRC Meet and 9th (of 20) at the 1A Meet. Maddex Lanning (Sr. > 28th at TRC Meet, 42nd at 1A Meet), Ben Peeters (Jr > 35th at TRC Meet, 44th at 1A Meet), Max Hoover (So.), and Ivar Stavlund (Sr.) allow the Gophers to return four of seven section meet runners from a year ago. They had three key seniors graduate. Madelynn Kelly and Gavin Carr give Chatfield five total seniors. The Gophers host a home meet on September 30. They also run at Stewartville, Luther College, Rushford, St. Mary’s, St. Charles, and Plainview.
GMLOS cross country saw its girls lead the way a year ago. They took fifth (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 10th (of 19) at the 1A Meet. The boys took ninth (of 10) and 15th (of 20) respectively. Senior Naomi Warmka returns as the gals top runner, as she made All-TRC (17th place TRC Meet, 54th place 1A Meet). Sadie Bustad (So.), the squads top 1A Meet finisher last year (40th place), also returns. All told, six of seven 1A Meet competitors from last year are back. Zoe Steinkamp (So.), Audrey Main (Fr.), Keyawin Stier (Sr.), and Mabel Johnson (Jr.) join Warmka and Bustad, giving coach McKenzie Bradley a good nucleus. On the guys’ side, last year’s top runner, All-TRC guy and senior Carter Glynn (17th place TRC, 31st place 1A Meet), went out for football instead. Ashton Gehling (So.), Cody Hyrkas (Sr.), Abe Phillips (Sr.), Zeke Phillips (So), and Shane Ruechel (eighth grader) all return, allowing GMLOS to bring back five of seven runners from last year’s 1A Meet. None cracked the top 80 at sections. Cole Reid joins Warmka, Stier, Hyrkas, and A-Phillips to give GMLOS five seniors. GMLOS’ schedule has them running at Stewartville, Hayfield, Rochester, Pine Island, St. Charles, Lewiston, and Austin.
Kingsland was basically a one-squad, plus one, team a year ago. Erin Milz’s Knights did not have the numbers to field a full boys team. The girls took 11th (of 11) at the TRC Meet and 17th (of 19) at the 1A Meet. Kingsland graduated it sole All-TRC runner, Kylie Meyer, who was their top athlete at both the TRC (15th place) and 1A Meet (30th place). Anna Imm (Fr. > 30th place TRC Meet), Gretchen Hubka (Jr.), Kaylie Betts (Sr.), and Julie King (Jr.) allow Kingsland to return four of seven gal runners from last year’s 1A Meet. Two other runners, Reeyin Lanning (Fr.) and Esme Mundfrom (So.), ran at sections in 2023. Betts is the team’s lone senior. Kingsland had just one male runner last year. They have three this year but all three are just seventh graders. The Knights have meets in Wabasha, Stewartville, La Crescent, Lake City, Lewiston, and Plainview.
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