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)