Photo by Paul Trende
The cross-country season is taking shape. The five Journal-covered programs all have kids with realistic shots at state. LFC’s Isaac Snyder and Lillyan Kiehne, LARP’s Ryan Prinsen, GMLOS’ McKenna Hendrickson, Chatfield’s Lexi Kivimagi and Aletta Strande, and Kingsland’s Garrison Hubka and Cole Kruegel have been the main standouts. Team-wise, LARPH’s boys and Chatfield’s girls have been the best. All those kids and teams (minus Kingsland) took on the St. Charles Invite. The top two competitors for each sex were both from the above teams. The girls were up first. GMLOS senior McKenna Hendrickson ran away
Photo by Paul Trende
with first place. She (20:42.74) finished ten-plus seconds ahead of Chatfield’s Lexi Kivimagi (20:53.03). Gopher Aletta Strande (21:14.76) took fourth. It was Hendrickson ‘ssecond first place of the year. She’s been top three at the four events she has ran. Kivimagi and Strande have each finished top five at the three moderate sized meets. LFC’s Lillyan Kiehne (21:59.4) finished ninth to round out the “Journal 11” top 10 runners. Gophers Ella Bakken (17th > 22:41.48) and Charlotte Oeltjen (18th > 22:56.65), LARPH’s Ellie Ekern (16th > 22:33.38) and Lauren Honken (19th > 22:57.05) finished top 20. Sixty-one total girls competed. Team-wise, PEM had four in the top 10 (3, 5, 6, & 8) to take first place (35) over Chatfield (67). LARPH (123) took fourth, LFC (140) fifth, and GMLOS (158) eighth (of nine complete teams). On the guys’ side, a trio of Stewartville runners were out early, but “Journal 11” junior competitors Isaac Snyder and Ryan Prinsen had their number. At the end, Snyder took first (17:47.14) over Prinsen (17:51.5). It was Snyder’s second first, though his first at a race with five-plus teams. He has finished top five at five events. Prinsen racked up his third runner-up finish. He has four top five placements. LARPH guys Aaron Ploetz (8th > 18:24.87) and Tyler Betthauser (9th > 18:29.1) also checked in in the top 10. Finishing top 20 were GMLOS runners Carter Glynn (12th > 18:36.98) and Tate Georgen (13th > 18:38.76), LARPH runners Matthew Sprague (15th > 18:45.74) and Brennan Kunst (17th > 18:52.12), and Chatfield guys Treyton Lanning (18th > 19:04.26) and Gabe Erding (19th > 19:04.38). Sixty-two guys competed. Stewartville (44) nipped LARPH (45) for first place. The Tigers had runners 3, 4 ,5 ,9, and 23. LARPH had runners 2, 7, 8, 13, and 15. GMLOS (97) took third, Chatfield (123) fifth, and LFC (148) sixth (of eight complete teams). The 5,000-meter events were held in good weather at the St. Charles Golf Course.
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