PREVIEW
Warroad Invite
Location: Warroad HS, Warroad, MN
Weather: Mid 70s & high humidity
BOYS
Virtual Meet Projection: East Grand Forks (26), International Falls (38), Roseau (62)
Top Individuals: Cole Nowacki (East Grand Forks, 16:13), Tyson Mahar (East Grand Forks, 16:21), Sakariye Ismail (East Grand Forks, 17:14), Jonathan Krueger (East Grand Forks, 17:23), Jake Erickson (International Falls, 17:42)
The Skinny: East Grand Forks is bringing a strong group of runners to the meet today that should be able to hold off the team from International Falls. The concern for East Grand Forks is their fifth runner who is ranked well behind their top four who are projected to grab the top four spots. At the Roseau Meet last week, they defeated International Falls by 20 points finishing in a similar fashion of how they are projected to finish today so there should be similar results today. Cole Nowacki, Tyson Mahar, Sakariye Ismail, and Jonathan Krueger (the top four runners for Grand Forks) finished in that order at the Roseau Meet and all ran to personal bests. That pack of four will be tough to beat today. Nowacki and Mahar were East Grand Fork's two representatives at the state meet last year but with the improvements that they are showing, they could be one of the teams to qualify out Section 8A this year.
GIRLS
Virtual Meet Projection: East Grand Forks (35), Warroad (53), Thief River Falls (64)
Top Individuals: Jerzie Finstad (Thief River Falls, 19:33), Lydia Floden (East Grand Forks, 20:14), McKenna Langerud (East Grand Forks, 20:23), Marin Garrett (East Grand Forks, 20:29),
The Skinny: The defending champions from East Grand Forks High School are back and ready to have another great performance. The team is projected to finish with their top six runners in the top 15 and with their seventh runner not far off. This depth is what has proved to be their strong suit. Last year they finished with their top five runners in the top eight. They finished 17 points behind second place at the Section 8A meet in 2017 and barely missed a state championship appearance. Marin Garrett was their sole competitor at the state meet. She was their third runner at the Roseau Meet earlier this season behind Lydia Floden and McKenna Langerud who both ran to personal bests at that meet. With the early season success, those two along with Garrett seem like they will be able to challenge Jerzie Finstad of Thief River Falls. Finstad has the fastest personal best and has finished as high as eighth at the Class AA state meet (2016 in the 1600m) but she finished over a minute behind the leaders at the Detroit Lakes CC Invitational earlier this season.