Cross Country: Kunst and Bauer Win Home Meet, Jim Flim Invite

LARPH cross country and its standout runners had another big week. Brennan Kunst and Caitlin Bauer continued to the lead the way for their teams and everyone else for that matter. At a home 5,000-meter run at Ferndale Golf Course, LARPH’s boys (24) topped Dover-Eyota (47) and Chatfield (59). Kunst took first (16:55.8) with teammate Grayson Speltz (17:24) taking second. Will Jewison (19:38.9), Cole Timm (19:50.5), Henry Meyer (19:58.6) and Cory Kotsmith (20:00.3) finished sixth thru ninth places to give the hosts seven in the top 10. Ben Peeters (18:15.8) took fifth place to pace Chatfield. Twenty-five guys competed. D-E’s girls (32) topped LARPH (36) and Chatfield (58). LARPH’s Bauer (19:27.3) won her fourth straight race. Emily Helgemoe (21:07.9) and Vada Larson (23:55.6) took second and tenth to give LARPH three in the top 10. Chatfield was led by Lexi Kivimagi (22:06.1) in fourth and Adeline Schild (23:05.9) in sixth. Twenty-two girls competed. A few days later, LARPH and Chatfield were back running at the much larger Winona “Jim Flim” event. The top four boys teams were Holmen (56), Owatonna (66), Winona High (115), and LARPH (129). Chatfield took 17th (of 18 complete). LARPH’s Kunst (16:20.4) impressively took first over Holmen’s Matthew Hoff (16:32.1) and Rochester-John Marshall’s Layton Mathis (16:32.1). Speltz (16:48.9) took seventh to make the top 10. Jewison (17:59.7) took 34th to make the top 40. Chatfield was led by Peeters (18:17.4) in 39th place (of 126 total runners). On the girls side, Owatonna (58) topped Belle Plaine (82) and Winona High (86) for first. LARPH (205) took seventh and Chatfield 15th (of 16 complete teams). LARPH’s Bauer (18:24.3) impressively won the race by over a minute over Owatonna’s Gracie Randall (19:43.5). LARPH’s Helgemoe (21:20.9) took 21st while Chatfield’s top runner was Schild (22:22.7) in 38th place (of 104 runners). Each 5,000-meter run took place around St. Mary’s University. Both Kunst and Bauer were LARPH’s first “Jim Flim” champs and each set a course record. LARPH’s boys are #3 in state in Class A with Kunst #6 and Speltz #11 individually. Bauer is ranked #1 individually on the girls side.