One More Massive Day - Thursday Sections

Section 8AA Championships

Location: Pebble Lake Golf Course, Fergus Falls

Weather: VERY windy (35mph with gusts over 50), high chance of rain/snow, mid-30s at racetime

BOYS

Season Best Projection: Sartell-Saint Stephen (50 points), Bemidji (72), Moorhead (96), Alexandria (110)

Season Average Projection: Sartell-Saint Stephen (37 points), Bemidji (96), Alexandria (102), Moorhead (102)

Top Individuals: Keaton Gruber (Alexandria, 16:08), Samuel Ringger (Sauk Rapids-Rice, 16:09), Soren Dybing (Bemidji, 16:22), Zach Johnson (Moorhead, 16:25), Ryan Fernholz (Sartell, 16:27), Dawson Strom (Moorhead, 16:28), Alex Nemeth (Sartell, 16:31), Tanner Olson (Detroit Lakes, 16:35)

The Skinny: There is a good chance that this race is going to be miserable thanks to the unsavory weather forcast, which includes a severe wind warning. It's unknown to us at the moment how this forecast will affect how this meet is carrier out, but assuming the race is run as planned, Sartell will be hoping to wrap up an impressive season with s strong win as a team. Behind them is projected to be Bemidji, who in previous years have turned peaking into an art form, often times coming from under the radar (like they were this year) to place very well at State. This Bemidji team is not nearly as strong at the top as previous years, but they are very deep, so they could give Sartell a good push if they are firing on all cylinders together. But Moorhead and Alexandria, both programs with a long and successful history, cannot be overlooked completely. In the team battle, Keaton Gruber has a very slight edge over Sam Ringger in terms of season best and is coming of a conference championship (beating Ringger, among others), but Ringer has very quietly had an impressive season himself. Behind those two should be a very tight and very good battle, and some might even get up to push Gruber and Ringger a bit (in particular one of Sartell's top runners).

GIRLS

Season Best Projection: Becker (80 points), Sartell-Saint Stephen (89), Alexandria (105), Monticello (114)

Season Average Projection: Becker (40 points), Monticello (105), Brainerd (107), Moorhead (111)

Top Individuals: Sadie Hamrin (Bemidji, 18:35), Ingrid Buiceag-Arama (Sartell, 18:54), Elise Yeager (Monticello, 19:18), Victoria Kolbinger (Becker, 19:29), Allison Hendrickson (Becker, 19:33), Jerzie Finstad (Thief River Falls, 19:33)

The Skinny: This is without a doubt the biggest disagreement between out two projection systems. While both project Becker as winners (for good reason, as Becker established themselves early in the season as one of the state's best), the fast times run by Central Lakes Conference schools (mainly Sartell and Alexandria)  last week heavily skew what appears to be an-otherwise close competition well into their favor. In all likelihood, the final standings will probably be more similar to our season average projection, with Becker winning handily and a very tight battle for second. But is previous head-to-head matchups are to be believed, then that spot falls in Monticello's favor. In the individual competition, but Bemidji's Sadie Hamrin comes in with the top time of 18:35, it might be more appropriate to label Sartell's Ingrid Buiceag-Amara as the true favorite as she has been much more consistent and usually been placing higher in her races.