Cross Country: LARPH Boys Win First Class A State Title, LFC’s Rakosnik Takes 11th 

There is no question.  Section 1A was the best at the State Class A boys meet at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights.   The top two teams and top three individuals were from the section.  Heading the cast are the state champion team from Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson/Houston. Matt Kingsbury’s group reached the top of the mountain.   A climb that began in 2019 (15th), 2021 (15th), and 2022 (14th), but saw great improvement in 2023 (8th) and 2024 (4th), was epitomized by even greater improvement this year.  LARPH’s six returning state runners all cut substantial time and only one did not finish higher.  The Card-Tro-Canes (67) topped rival Cotter (97) with defending state champ Redwood Valley (137) taking third.  LARPH’s team score was the lowest since Perham won with 75 in 2018.  One-hundred-sixty runners completed the 5,000-meter race.  LARPH had six guys finish in the top 1/3 of the field, a true team effort.  Sophomore Grayson Speltz (16:21) ran his fastest race of the year to lead the way with an 11th place finish.  He cut much time off last year’s state effort (17:30.3) and placing (72nd).  His was also the fastest state time by a LARPH runner in their recent dynasty.  Only Tyler Rislov (2021) placed higher (sixth).  Senior Isaac Rasmussen (16:31.9) took 17th.  He cut much time of last year’s state effort (17:42) and placing (86th).  Senior Trey Hegland ran his fastest time of the year (16:33.3) in taking 19th place.  He shaved time off last year’s effort (16:55.3) and placing (28th).   Senior Aaron Ploetz (16:36.7) ran his fastest time of the year in taking 22nd place.  He shaved much time off last year’s showing (17:51.6) and placing (103rd).  Running his first state meet, sophomore Will Jewison (16:48.6) ran his fastest time of the year to take 37th place. He was the team’s fifth scoring runner.  Junior Brennan Kunst (16:49.8) was a little off his normal pace, but he was faster than last year at state (17:02.1).  He again took 38th place.  Finally, senior Hunter Rislov (17:32.4) took 92nd place, running faster than last year (18:09.5) and finishing higher (118th).  In their seven-year state run (six state meets, as 2020 was annulled by COVID), this year’s squad has six of the top 10 (sub-17-minute) state times.  That is a state champion.  Cotter had runners one, two and three in repeat state champ Erik Semling (15:19.7), Ryan Littlefield (15:41.1), and Kellen Groth (15:52.5), a fantastic feat itself.  Rambler Jonah Alexander (43rd) and Pacelli runners Zemecha McManus (33rd) and Isaac Johnson (46th) also made the top 50 from Section 1A.  

On the girls side of things, Lanesboro/Fillmore Central’s Autumn Rakosnik took on her third state meet.  Rakosnik (19:03.2) ran faster than last year (19:29.9).  But after taking ninth a year ago, she finished a still strong 11th this year (of 159 runners).  It was her second fastest 5,000-meter run of the year.  It was her fifth time between 19:00 and 19:10.   St. John’s Prep’s Margaret Duffy (17:55.5) topped Staples-Motley’s Audrey Brownell (18:14.6) for the girls individual state title.  New London-Spicer (97) claimed the team title over St. Cloud-Cathedral (97) on sixth runner tiebreaker.  Section 1A champion Lake City took sixth behind Olivia Yotter’s tenth place finish (18:52.1).