Boys Team
Wayzata - Andrew Brandt, Blake Buysse, Khalid Hussein, Grant Matthews, Grant Price, Anders Sonnesyn, Mitch Tolander
Despite a tough first outing for the Wayzata boys at Roy Griak, they are entering NXN with a stronger team than the one that raced in September. With the return of a healthy Grant Price (fresh off a 15:45 run at a Thanksgiving Turkey Trot), and the continued fine form of State Champion, Khalid Hussein, the Wayzata boys have depth in spades. Each of their seven runners has the ability to run sub-16, and with a strong race they could be in contention for a spot on the team podium.
Senior, Anders Sonnesyn explained the team's goal of trying to find each other early and not get buried in the pack. "We want to still be able to move up and finish strong at the end."
Hussein, on top of leading the Wayzata boys, has an excellent shot at a top finish. "I'm going to try and go out and be in the lead pack around halfway to put myself in contention for a top-5 finish." Hussein is confident in his teammates to put it all together for one last strong performance. "Last year there were a lot of distractions that made us very unfocused, but this year we're 100% locked in and we trust in the process," he said. Hussein is confident and characterized his team as "ready for the moment."
A solid race effort at the Minneapolis Turkey Trot served as a 'fine-tuning' measure for the team, and put into a race where they will have some real team competition could spark the fire needed for the Wayzata boys to prove that they are one of the nation's best.