Minneapolis City Conference Championships
Location: Gale Woods Farm
Weather: 56ºF and mostly cloudy with humidity around 70%.
BOYS
Top Teams: Minneapolis Washburn (18 points)
Top Individuals: Joseph Minor (Washburn, 15:56 SB), Caleb Haugland (Washburn, 16:02 SB)
The Skinny: Assuming Washburn runs their top runners, they should dominate the field. Minor is the second returner to State, and Haugland has been right on his shoulder in every race so far this year. Having not raced since the Roy Griak Invitational, it will be interesting to see the fitness of these two All-State caliber athletes and their 6th-ranked team. But the biggest thing to watch out for is the health of Matt Cota, who ran his first race of the season at Griak in 17:47. If he can run up with Minor and Haugland, suddenly Washburn is truly in the running out of the Section of Death.
Girls
Top Teams: Minneapolis Washburn (15 points)
Top Individuals: Emily Covert (Washburn, 17:32 SB), Cloe Garcia-Grafing (Washburn, 19:13 SB), Grace Dickel (Washburn, 19:15 SB), Olivia Orr (Washburn, 19:45 SB), Anna Kelly (Washburn, 19:48 SB), Maddie Hannon (Southwest, 19:51 SB)
The Skinny: Again assuming Washburn runs their top runners, this could be the first time we see US#13 Emily Covert since she broke onto the national scene with a stunning win at Griak. She's shown that she's not afraid to run all out when there isn't any competition to challenge her, so look for her to run a fast time. And with four teammates sub-20, Covert's 6th-ranked Washburn squad performance here could indicate whether they're legit contenders for a podium spot at State.