A report of the top collegiate performances around the country by former Minnesota high school athletes.

  Joining the men's squad, headed up by veteran coach Joe Piane, is Minnesota 2A 800-meter state champion Eric Gebeke and New Jersey cross country state champion Timothy Ball.

We haven't played one-on-one basketball against each other in a while," says Mark Derrick, a senior at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill. "I used to lose to him all the time just because he was bigger than me, but now that I've grown, it should be a pretty even game." (via Running Times)

A report of the top collegiate performances around the country by former Minnesota high school athletes.

  Two of Park’s fastest athletes will be running in different colors next fall. (via www.swcbulletin.com)

St. James High School senior Cheyanne Bowers has signed a national letter of intent to run cross country for the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits. (via http://www.stjamesnews.com)

A report of the top collegiate performances around the country by former Minnesota high school athletes.

First on Greta Danielson’s collegiate bucket list was a good engineering school. Next was a great team atmosphere in the cross country and track and field programs.  (via St. Cloud TIMES)

For Jensen Orlow, it was two years ago that the Holy Family Catholic runner decided that his cross country and track careers wouldn't end after the competition of high school seasons.  (via scoreboardmn.ourvarsity.com)

  Cardinal senior Jamie Piepenburg will run track and cross country for the Golden Gophers. (via www.echopress.com)

Erica Seidenkranz (Monticello) has committed to the University of Minnesota - Duluth and will compete in cross-country, indoor and outdoor track as a "bulldog".  Erica has had a wonderful high school running career with many athletic success, but she is also very successful in the classroom and is currently ranked #1 in her class with a 4.0 gpa.  Because of this combination, she was very fortunate to have been recruited by many top athletic and academic schools across the country, and narrowing it down to a manageable number was difficult.  

Brandon Clark (The Blake School) signs with Penn after considering the University of Minnesota, Purdue University, Iona College, and Villanova University.

A report of the top collegiate performances around the country by former Minnesota high school athletes.

WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE MINNESOTA BOYS CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE YEAR CHICAGO (January 23, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Josh Thorson of Wayzata HS as its 2011-12 Gatorade Minnesota Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Thorson is the first Gatorade Minnesota Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Wayzata HS.

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Haylie Zenner has made a habit of having success in the Twin Cities. So why stop now? Zenner, the Fergus Falls track and field star, put herself in position to have more success by committing to the University of Minnesota for next year. (via www.inforum.com)

A report of collegiate performances around the country by former Minnesota high school athletes.

High School Track and Field Rules Changes Focus on Jewelry Violations and Pole Vault Requirements   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                        Contact: Becky Oakes INDIANAPOLIS, IN (January 20, 2012) —  In its June 8-10 meeting in Indianapolis, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Committee addressed the jewelry rule and clarified two rules in the pole vault among its nine major changes. All changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

A report of the top collegiate performances around the country by former Minnesota high school althetes.

CHICAGO (January 12, 2012) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN HS, today announced Maria Hauger of Shakopee High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Minnesota Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year.  Hauger is the first Gatorade Minnesota Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Shakopee High School.

Maria Hauger, Shakopee High School junior, has been named 2011-2012 Minnesota Girls Cross County Runner of the year by Gatorade in collaboration with ESPN HS.  (via Shakopee Patch' property='og:site_name)

Kingsland graduate Chris Erichsen will be running with the best marathon runners in the United States Saturday in Houston, Texas, when he participates in the Olympic Marathon Trials. (via bluffcountrynews.com)

A report of the top collegiate performance around the country by former Minnesota high school athletes.

      PORTLAND, Ore. - The Stillwater Running Club placed 10th on Saturday at the Nike Cross Nationals race at Portland Meadows.    

To her parents, friends, and teachers in Shakopee, Maria Hauger is called Bug. It's been like that since the day she was born. (via FS North)

To say the least, NXN did not go as planned. The race went out hard, as usual, and in this respect I wasn't surprised at all.  I planned on pushing the first 400-800 to get good position.  I think I regret it.

Greetings from Portland and Nike Nationals!

The Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) brings together the best teams in the country and pits them against each other on the most unique course available.  Portland Meadows will once again play host to the championship battle and the manufactured course that traverses the interior of a horse racing track will have all the traditional features of European style cross country racing; including plenty of mud.

Twenty-two of the nations' top teams and forty-five of the best individuals will make the trek to Portland, Oregon for Nike Cross Nationals. The teams are comprised of two winners from nine different regions and four “At-Large” berths, decided on by a team of Nike consultants. 

Hello Internet: Well, after missing Footlocker, I'm back on my feet.  Training is feeling good and I don't think my illness should affect my race too much.  Fingers crossed!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and break.

Greetings from Bemidji!

While the rain held off for most of the day, there was a mist in the air but, with temperatures in the low 50s, it was a comfortable day for racing and spectating.

Covering the Midwest Regional for the Foot Locker Championships, MileSplit compiled the following PHOTOS: Boys Seeded Race Boys Seeded - Top 10 Finishers Girls Seeded Race Girls Seeded - Top 10 Finishers Boys Freshman / Sophomore Race Girls Freshman / Sophomore Race

MileSplit's continuing coverage of the Foot Locker Midwest Regionals at UW-Parkside in Kenosha, WI. Click here to view the VIDEO COVERAGE of both the BOYS Seeded Race. Click here to view the VIDEO COVERAGE of the GIRLS Seeded Race.   Top 10 Interview Coverage of the following runners: Boys 1. Futsum Zeinasellassie - 14:58 3. Michael Clevenger - 15:11 5. Tony Smoragiewicz - 15:15 Girls 1. Molly Seidel - 17:08 2. Julia Bos - 17:14 (part 1 and part 2) 6. Sydney Scott - 17:43 7. Nicole Mello - 17:43

Hello everyone! My name is Jenna Truedson.  As a freshman I run cross country at Bemidji High School.

  And just like that, a door closes.

Hey everyone, I’m Brandon and I’m a senior at The Blake School. This has been a fun Championship season for us as a team, although both our teams just missed the podium at State with fourth place finishes (our team goal was to win State).  Both teams should return to State next year, along with my teammate Clare Flanagan who will be defending her individual title.  

Hello everyone! Our names are Erica and Amber Seidenkranz.  We run cross country at Monticello High School.  Erica is a Senior and Amber is a sophomore.

Hey everyone, I'm Josh Thorson, a senior at Wayzata High School.  Wayzata is one of the bigger schools in Minnesota with around 3400 students and our cross country team has around 150 high school boys.  We've qualified for NXN for four years (2007-2010) so this is the first year since they started having regional qualifying meets that we haven't made it.

Minnesota had a very good showing at the Heartland Regional race for Nike Cross Nationals. You can follow several athletes as they prepare for their race, and take part in the experience that is Nike Cross Nationals.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Just eight days after capturing the Class AA state championship, members of the Stillwater boys' cross country team put on a more dominating performance in front of a wider audience to win Sunday's Nike Cross Heartland Regional at Yankton Trail Park.

For the second straight year, Tony Smoragiewicz proved that he's not just the best high school cross country runner in the state, but the best in the Midwest. (via The Argus Leader)

Click on the “Nike Cross National Qualifiers, from Heartland Regional” title for more.    

Futsum Zeinasellassie is in at NXN, now to qualify at Foot Locker before beginning the quest to win both titles. (Photo by Paul Everett)

  In a battle between the two best runners in the state, the Card senior proved up to the challenge (via www.echopress.com)

    The Nike Cross Heartland Regionals, Sioux Falls, SD, Sunday November 13 (http://www.runnerspace.com/nxnhl) brings together the top high school teams and individuals from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin as a qualifier for the Nike Cross Nationals Championships, Portland, Oregon, Saturday December 3.   Only the top two teams and five individuals (not on those teams) from this Heartland Regionals (among eight regionals nationally) advance to Nationals.  This article is an attempt to highlight the top teams and individuals from each state, and then suggest most likely national qualifiers.   (By state high school federation rules, high school teams and individuals can not officially participate in post-high school season competitions representing their schools.  Therefore, high school teams will technically be representing “clubs” (e.g., Tiger XC club) and individuals competing “unattached” in the regional and national NXN meets; but we’ll identify these clubs/individuals by the associated high schools.)

  NORTHFIELD — Paced by a pair of strong lead-run performances from five-time veterans Austyn Thier and Megan Sauer, the Adrian Dragons finished seventh Saturday afternoon in the team standings of the girls’ Class A state high school cross country meet at St. Olaf College. (via www.dglobe.com)

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Stillwater boys cross country coach Scott Christensen admits that going out for his team isn't for just any runner. (via TwinCities.com)

NORTHFIELD, Minn. - There was a moment of doubt in Shakopee junior Maria Haugers mind Saturday morning. (via TwinCities.com)

Macon, Trost are runners-up at state cross country - The Post-Bulletin is Rochester and South East, Minnesota's number one local news, sports, weather, entertainment and business source. (via PostBulletin.com)

By John George | www.lakesareasports.com - Northfield, MN   The Perham girls finished 10th at the Class A State Cross Country Meet. (John George photo)   The Perham girls had 3 goals coming to the State Cross Country Meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield.  Place higher than last year (12th), finish higher than their ranking (No. 12), and beat the Section 8A champs, Park Rapids.  They did all three. The Lady Jackets finished in 10th place Saturday with a score of 227.  The team they finished behind at the Section 8A Meet, Park Rapids, finished in a tie for 11th (247).

By John George | www.lakesareasports.com - Northfield, MN   The Perham boys finished 2nd at the Class A State Cross Country Meet. (John George photo)   For the 5th time in school history, the Perham boys cross country team finished in 2nd place at the Class A State Cross Country Meet in Northfield at St. Olaf College. Perham finished with 73 points, just one-point behind St. Cloud Cathedral for the State title.  

                      (Photo courtesy of Kimm Anderson) Cathedral gets nod vs. Perham in a tight meet (via St. Cloud TIMES)

                      (Photo courtesy of Kimm Anderson) NORTHFIELD - Elena Danielson delivered an inspiring message to her teammates on the St. Cloud Cathedral girls cross country team earlier in the week. (via St. Cloud TIMES)

Shakopee junior Maria Hauger started her day with bed bugs. At least 20 of them. And every one made her smile. Hauger -- her nickname is Bug -- came back from the shower to find ladybug-shaped sticky notes on her bed. Written on each were words of praise and encouragement, courtesy of her mother. (via www.startribune.com)  

  Defending champion Marisa Shady of Esko finished third in Saturday’s Minnesota Class A high school girls cross country meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. (via www.duluthnewstribune.com)

St. Cloud Cathedral boys and girls win Class A team championship titles.  Clare Flanagan (The Blake School) and Bryon Schuldt (Nevis) take medalist honors - full results, photos and video footage to be posted soon.

Monticello girls and Stillwater boys win their respective team titles - Maria Hauger (Shakopee) and Josh Thorson (Wayzata) take medalist honors - full results, photos and video footage to be posted soon.

      NORTHFIELD — A season-long goal for 25 area high school cross country runners will be realized Saturday afternoon on the campus of St. Olaf College in Northfield as they will be part of the 2011 Class A state cross country meet. (via www.dglobe.com)

  Undefeated senior Jamie Piepenburg will be racing in her final high school meet on Saturday as she and her Cardinal teammates head for the State Class AA cross country meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield. By: Lori Mork, Alexandria Echo Press (via www.echopress.com)

The Esko girls seek their first team title since 1980 in Saturday’s Minnesota Class A high school cross country championships at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. (via www.duluthnewstribune.com)

  Winning certainly has its advantages. (via www.inforum.com)

Simley High School runners will compete in the state cross country meet this Saturday.  (via Inver Grove Heights Patch)

Nov. 1, 2011 Contact: Lisa Lissimore or Ellen Rajkowski / MSHSL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE State Cross Country Running Meet Two team champions return to defend 2010 titles; Three individual champions return Two team champions return this Saturday, Nov. 5, when the Minnesota State High School League’s 2011 State Girls’ and Boys’ Cross Country Running Meet is conducted at St. Olaf College in Northfield. The Perham boys and Adrian girls are both in the hunt for their second consecutive titles in Class A. Three individual champions also return in search of more gold. Junior Marisa Shady of Esko claimed top honors in the Class A girls’ race last year, and junior Maria Hauger of Shakopee has won the past two years in Class AA. Senior Mubarik Musa of Worthington is the only male champion to return; he took the Class A crown in 2009 and will be competing in Class AA this year.  The girls run a 4,000-meter course. The boys run a 5,000-meter course.

Crusader girls, boys both ranked No. 1 entering state meet (via St. Cloud TIMES)

Class A coach's rankigns released for the week of 10/31/11 - this is the final 2011 ranking.

Class AA coach's rankings released for the week of 10/31/11 - this is the final 2011 ranking.

      Cloquet, MN (Northland's NewsCenter) --- 24 individuals and four teams from the Northland are headed to the MSHSL state cross country meet, following the Section 7A and 7AA section championships Thursday afternoon in Cloquet. (via www.northlandsnewscenter.com)

  By John George | www.lakesareasports.com  - Bagley, MN   The Perham girls cross country team finished in 2nd place at the Section 8A Meet on Friday in Bagley. They will appear in their 8th straight State Meet. (John George photo)      

  By John George | www.lakesareasports.com - Bagley, MN   The boys cross country team will go to State for the 10th straight year after winning the Section 8A title on Friday in Bagley. (John George photo)      

State contenders by section for Class A.

A look at who will be competing at the state meet by section for Class AA.

ADRIAN — On a nearly perfect day for running, the Cardinals — Redwood Valley and Luverne — a pair of Southwest Conference foes, dueled each other in a highly-competitive Section 3A high school cross country meet at the Adrian Country Club late Thursday afternoon. (via www.dglobe.com)

ADRIAN — Powering her way to the finish Thursday afternoon, Adrian’s Austyn Thier won the Section 3A high school girls’ cross country individual title, leading the Dragons to a remarkable seventh consecutive team championship — and another trip to state meet. (via www.dglobe.com)

Holt wins girls, Lawrence cruises for boys (via St. Cloud TIMES)

ADRIAN — Organized team practices for high school cross country runners began more than 11 weeks ago on Monday, Aug. 15. (via www.dglobe.com)

      Arrive home at midnight after playing in a state soccer quarterfinal game, get up before 8 a.m. and then run in the Section 7A cross country championships at 11 a.m. at Cloquet Country Club. (via www.duluthnewstribune.com)

A great day for racing in Section 4A on one of the more difficult Section courses in the State.  Both team result races resulted in tie-breakers and unfortunately a mistake ridden Awards Ceremony.

COLD SPRING - The Sartell boys cross country team just narrowly missed qualifying for the Class 2A state meet by finishing in third place at the Section 8-2A meet Thursday afternoon. (via St. Cloud TIMES)

Coach's rankings released for the week of 10/24/11.

Class A coach's rankings released for the week of 10/24/11.

Central Lakes Conference Championships COLD SPRING — Tyler Broadwell’s first-place finish led the Sartell boys cross country team to the Central Lakes Conference championship Tuesday.   Granite Ridge Conference Championships MORA — The St. Cloud Cathedral boys and girls cross country teams both won team titles at the meet.  The girls had a team score of 18 points and the boys had 20 points. (via St. Cloud TIMES)

Class A #1 ranked St. Cloud Cathedral won both races in the newly formed Granite Ridge Conference championship meet.

    The Blake School sweeps the Tri Metro Conference Championship on a cold windy day (45 degrees and winds of 15 mph).

John George | www.LakesAreaSports.com The No. 2-A ranked Perham boys cross country team finished their regular season in style Monday night with a 1st place finish at the Park Rapids Invitational.  The Jackets had all 7 runners in the top-19, and the 5 scoring runners all in the top-13 to finish with 25 points.  Detroit Lakes was 2nd with 58, followed by Pelican Rapids in 3rd with 142. 

John George | www.lakesareasports.com A race featuring the top-3 teams in Section 8A at the Park Rapids Invitational on Monday really came down to a battle between the host Panthers, ranked No. 11 in Class AA, and No. 12-A Perham.  Despite going without their top runner, senior Cassie Beseman, Perham put all 5 scoring runners in the top-18.  But, led by meet medalist, No. 6 ranked Lydia Lutz (14:48), Park Rapids barely edged the Lady Jackets by 1-point, 61-62.  Warroad was a distant 3rd with 102 points. 

Coach's rankings released for the week of 10/17/11.

Coach's rankings for the week of 10/17/11 released.

Proctor boys take the Lake Superior Conference title, beating Ashland by 4 points; Superior girls win by 10 points.

Orono boys win varsity boys race while Annandale girls take the title in all three races as well as individually.

Mayer Lutheran boys and Belle Plaine girls take the top spot in the Minnesota River Conference Championships.

Northwestern Suburban Conference Championships held on October 13th at the Elk River Golf Club.

Class A #1 ranked St. Cloud Cathedral boys and girls sweep the Tech Invite.

The #2 ranked Perham boys and #12 ranked Perham girls defended their Heart of the Lakes conference titles at the Hawley Golf Course yesterday.  This is the 10th straight title for the boys, and 8th straight for the girls.

    The No. 17 Gophers men’s cross country team has not run in competition since placing third at the Roy Griak Invitational — a meet talented freshman Adam Zutz is especially familiar with. (via www.mndaily.com)

Class A rankings for the week of 10/10/11 released.

SARTELL - Sophomore Nichol Golebiowski placed first in the boys race in a time of 16:39 to lead St. Cloud Cathedral to the team title at the Sabre Run Tuesday afternoon at Sartell High School. (via St. Cloud TIMES)