Conference Tuesday - The Biggest Day Of XC Of The Year

Proctor Lions Invitational

Location: Proctor Golf Club

Weather: Cloudy, low 40's

BOYS

Virtual Meet Projection: Cloquet (48), North Shore (Cook County/Two Harbors) (85), Ely (118)

Top Individuals: Luke Olson (Ely, 16:20), Jordan Allen (Cloquet, 16:42), Blaine Bong (Cloquet, 16:49), Jesse Bahen (Cloquet, 17:03), Wyatt Rauvola (Cromwell/Floodwood, 17:04), Sam Rengo (Esko, 17:07), Will Surbaugh (North Shore, 17:09), Aaron Nelson (Mountain Iron-Buhl, 17:11)

The Skinny: Cloquet will get one last tune-up before Sections to try to make it back to the State meet, as they have been having an excellent season. They are the strong favorites according to the virtual meet, and past meet results have backed it up thanks to a very strong front four, though they would be helped a lot if they can cut down the gap between their fourth and fifth runners. Their closest competition will be the 11th-ranked North Shore team which has been ranked all season and seen some impressive team performances. Ely is a wild card team, as they actually beat North Shore in the virtual meet if James Schwinghammer is included, but he has not run since August, so their projection falls to third as a result. However, Luke Olson will be expected to run, and he's a strong favorite for the individual win. Only he and Cloquet's Jordan Allen and Blaine Bong have broken the 17-minute barrier this year in this field, but Olson has done it six times while Allen and Bong have done it four times combined.

GIRLS

Virtual Meet Projection: Duluth East (50), Proctor (102), North Shore (Cook County/Two Harbors)(106)

Top Individuals: Sydney Binsfield (Proctor, 19:21), Ashlee Siegle (Masrhall Duluth, 19:35), Emma Stattelman (Marshall Duluth, 20:16), Molly Weberg (Duluth East, 20:22), Rebecca Miles (Duluth East, 20:33), Lauren Cawcutt (Cloquet, 20:47), Zoe Devine (Ely, 20:48), Autumn Smith (North Shore, 20:51)

The Skinny: Serving as something of a conference meet for the conferenceless Duluth East team, the Greyhounds are a clear and strong favorite over the newly-crowned Lake Superior Conference champions from the host school of Proctor, scoring fewer than half their points in the virtual meet projection. Led all season by seniors Molly Weberg and Rebecca Miles, Duluth East has won this meet every year since the Class A and Class AA scores have been combined, scoring just 47 points with last year's win (also over Proctor). However, it is Proctor who has the meet's individual favorite in the form of Sydney Binsfield, who is fresh off an individual championship for the Lake Superior Conference. Binsfield missed most of last season with injury, but has made up for lost time by having an outstanding senior season. Fellow senior Ashlee Siegle will be her closest competition, as she has been for much of the season.

(written by Mark Rice)