Today is the day.
Practices for all high school fall sports are officially beginning all across the state, which means the cross country season is underway. To celebrate, we will continue our previews of Minnesota's finest by turning our attention to Class A. Smaller in size but not in heart, the teams on the boys side all share a common theme; youth. Throughout all the top teams in the state are a bevy of freshmen and sophomores, many of whom have already left a lasting mark on their schools and the state. Many of these teams to follow are returning either all or almost all their top athletes from last season, and with several key graduations and this boatload of young returning athletes, the door has flung wide open in the team competition.
Check Out Our Class AA Preview Articles
Could we see an unprecedented four-peat at the top? Or could the perennial runners-up finally crack the top of the podium? Perhaps the one team primarily dominated by seniors will make a final statement before they move on. Or maybe the dominant skiiers of the north will translate their recent success on blades into spikes. And at least one team will be out for revenge after a brutal section made them have to watch the State Meet in spite of being considered a top-ten team in the state.
However it turns out, these ten teams will be in the mix the whole season, and we wish them luck...
Perham
Narrowly missing a state championship last season by the slim margin of 6 points, and after also being runner-up the year before, Perham will be aiming for their revenge this season. However, losing 4 of their top 7 runners from last season's team will make that challenging, especially when two of them are All-State runners Jacob Dickerson and Hunter Kjelshus. But both history and their returning depth suggest they will reload very well. Look for two runners who consistently scored last season, Clayton Anderson and Carson Speicher, to move into lead roles for Perham as the Yellowjackets hope to prevent Mora from winning their fourth straight State Championship.
| Name | Class | Time |
| 2019 | 16:31.7 | |
| 2018 | 16:46.8 | |
| 2020 | 17:19.6 | |
| 2020 | 17:52.4 | |
| 2018 | 17:53.7 | |
| Average Time: 17:16.84 Total Time: 1:26:24.2 1-5 Split: 1:22.00 | ||
| 2020 | 17:59.0 | |
| 2020 | 18:19.4 | |