Cross Country: Newcomers Tally Titles

The week in cross country for “Journal-11” programs included meets in Rushford and Pine Island. Two cross country newcomers arrived on the scene by tallying individual titles to highlight the action.

Rakosnik/Kreidermacher Win LARPH’s First Invite

LARPH hosted its first of two cross country invites. Rushford’s Ferndale Golf Course was the site. Just three teams, the hosts, Chatfield and LFC attended. A pair of relative newcomers to cross country, LFC’s Autumn Rakosnik and LARPH’s Wyatt Kreidermacher were the stories. Rakosnik, just an 8th grader, entered having captured lower-level race titles. She probably will not run lower-level races anymore. Rakosnik (21:02) took first, ahead of former state cross country entrants, second and third place finishers, teammate Lillyan Kiehne (21:49) and Chatfield’s Lexi Kivimagi (22:10). Gopher Charlotte Oeltjen (22:13) took fourth and Burro Charity Kingsley (23:01) fifth. Chatfield’s Marianna Miron (23:17) took sixth and LFC’s Grace Kingsley (23:23) seventh. LARPH’s top runner was eighth place Lauren Honken (23:25). Nineteen girls competed. Rakosnik’s arrival helped LFC (25) top Chatfield (33) and LARPH (63) for the team title. Rakosnik is not completely out of nowhere. On top of her lower-level wins, she made sections in the 800-meters in track and field in the spring as a 7th grader. On the guys side, the running talents of Lewiston-Altura’s Wyatt Kreidermacher are more known. He took fifth in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters at track and field sections. This is just his first year of cross country as he juggles both it and playing soccer for St. Charles/L-A/L. But his addition to the LARPH boys team makes them even stronger. Kreidermacher (17:50) topped teammate Ryan Prinsen (18:00) for first with fellow LARPH guys Aaron Ploetz (18:42), Tyler Betthauser (18:54), Brennan Kunst (18:56), and Isaac Rasmussen (19:42) taking fourth thru seventh places. Only LFC’s Isaac Snyder (18:17), who took third, cracked LARPH’s stranglehold. Matt Kingsbury’s team (18) easily topped LFC (57) and Chatfield (62). Chatfield’s top finisher was 8th place Maddex Lanning (19:50). The boys race had 41 runners.

Rakosnik Wins Again, Helping LFC Take Second at PI

The Pine Island Invite was a more normal sized event, with eight full teams on the boys side, five on the girls side. LFC’s Autumn Rakosnik notched her second event title in three days. The 8th grader (20:11.3) bested Jordan’s Bianca Peterson (20.49.75) and Byron’s Kylea Garas (20:51.67) for the individual 5,000-meter title. LFC had had five in the top 20. Lillyan Kiehne (21:01.65) took fourth, Charity Kingsley (22:03.73) 13th, Grace Kingsley (22:27.61) 17th, and Eliza Cullen (22:35.29) 19th place. All five girls are sophomores or younger with Kiehne (10th grader) the only “high school” aged runner. Rakosnik, the Kingsleys and Cullen are all 7th or 8th graders. Their efforts helped Ellen Cullen’s group (44) take second to Byron (37). GMLOS also competed, taking fifth (of five). They did not have anyone in the top 30. Seventy-two total girls ran. Rakosnik’s times at this event (20:11.3), and at Ferndale days earlier (21:02), are of note. Each would have put her in the top 15 of sections last year, with the Pine Island time placing her fifth. On the guys side, Jordan (33) topped Pine Island (76), GMLOS (103), and LFC (115) with Z-M/K-K, Lourdes, Cannon Falls, and Byron also bringing full teams. PI’s Bo Rosane (17:29:64) topped LFC’s Isaac Snyder (17:35.46) and a trio of Jordan runners for the individual title. GMLOS had two in the top 10, Carter Glynn (9th place > 17:56.99) and Erik Shaw (10th place > 17:59.08). Teague Alden (22nd place > 19:15.60) gave them three in the top 25. LFC’s Jaxon Huntington (19:15.81) and Landon Sethre (19:33.84) took 23rd and 25th to also make the top 25. Eighty-eight total guys competed at the 5,000-meter event.