Girls Cross Country Preview

For the first time in the Journal Sports era, the cross country season begins with the section champ hailing from Fillmore County. The Lanesboro/Fillmore Central Burros enjoyed a magical 2015 campaign. They won 9 of 11 races. They racked up TRC and Section 1A titles. Ellen Cullen was Section Coach of the Year. LFC finished 9th of 16 teams at the program’s first ever state meet. The Burros enter 2016 having lost nothing. They return their top six runners, Kiera Olson (senior, two-time cross country state competitor, top team finisher at state, eight top tens), Leah Ruen (senior, seven top tens), Emily Snyder (sophomore, top runner at section meet, eight top tens), Bailey Ruen (junior), Ashley Miner (junior), and Maddie Smith (sophomore). Head and shoulders above the other county squads, they have not only cross country cred, but state track cred. The next best county girls cross country program at the 2015 Section meet were the Chatfield Gophers. Chris Frye’s team finished 12th (off 22). He has a youthful group (one senior, five freshman, three 8th graders, two 7th graders). His top returnees are Beatrice Martin and Kaylee Maker (both freshman). Each finished top 50 (of 148) at Sections. LARP and Kingsland’s girls finished 17th and 18th at the 1A Meet. LARP head coach Matt Kingsbury graduated his top runner (Bailey O’Hare). Eighth grader Hannah Linder (43rd at 1A Meet) is his top returnee. Kingsland Knights coach Erin Milz returns her top four runners from last year (seniors Marina Schwanke, Erica Earley, and Andrea Mettler, sophomore Renee Lechner). Schwanke heads the group, having posted seven top 25 finishes in 2015.