Photo by Paul Trende
She is one win away from perfection. Her Roy Griak Meet time (17:33.7) is the lowest time of any Class 1A girl this season, and (purportedly) the second lowest time in the state. But, the past two years have not been so awesome at the 1A meet for LARPH junior Caitlin Bauer. In 2024, Bauer ran 20:39.8 to take 12th place. She was the first girl on the outside looking in at state, having missed by one spot and eight seconds. Last year, Bauer upped her finish to ninth, running 20:11.3. But she was again the first girl on the outside looking in. Trimming over two minutes off her times the past two seasons made it a no-doubter Bauer qualified this year. At the line, the R-P junior finished in 18:01. Second-place, 9th-ranked Maya Bartosova (19:09.4) was a full minute-plus behind. Bauer blasted her way to state and goes ranked #1 in Class A. She has only won races. She is LARPH’s first girls champ since Kristin Ostrem (2005-2007). Also making state individually were LCH’s Hope Docan-Morgan (4th > 19:27.1), LFC’s Autumn Rakosnik (5th > 19:38.2), Cotter/HL’s Emma Hatanpa (6th > 19:39.9) and Hayfield’s Hadley Doman (7th > 19:49.8). Rakosnik, the defending 1A Champ and ranked 12th, clinched her fourth straight state berth. She ran 19:06.6 in her championship season last year, 19:32.2 in taking second in 2024, and 19:56.3 in taking second in 2023. Though usurped by Bauer in the section, Rakosnik is still one of the state’s top Class A runners. Team-wise, #6 in A Goodhue (71) won its first ever cross-country team title over 11th-ranked Lake City (108). Chatfield (139) took fourth, LFC 8th (205), LARPH 9th (212), Kingsland 15th (404) and GMLOS 16th (409) of 17 teams. Gophers Henley Johnson (17th > 20:52.5) and Lexi Kivimagi (23rd > 21:22.8) finished top 30, as did LARPH’s Emily Helgemoe (19th > 20:55.8). Kivimagi ran her final varsity cross country race. She was a state qualifier for four years, from 2021 thru 2024, including winning the 1A individual title as a freshman in 2023.
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