PREVIEW
Blooming Prairie Invite
Location: Blooming Prairie Country Club
Weather: High 70s, sunny, strong wind
BOYS
Virtual Meet Projection: Medford (37), Blooming Prairie (54)
Top Individuals: Tyler Stursa (Medford, 18:22), Daniel Nydegger (New Richland H-E-G, 18:40), Garrett Fitzgerald (Medford, 18:41)
The Skinny: One thing this meet has plenty of is youth, as only three boys have broken 19:00, and all three are still sophomores. Tyler Stursa has the quickest personal best in the field, and just ran 1:15 faster at the Tri-City United Gerry Smith Invitational than he did in 2017. However, Daniel Nydegger edged Stursa at that meet, 18:59 to 19:04, so this could be a very tight battle between the two. At both their races this year, Medford has edged NRHEG by just one place, and will look to do so again to take the win in Blooming Prairie. While on paper the home team looks like the second best team here, they lost to both Medford and NRHEG at the Stewartville Bill Glomski Invitational, so they may be battling Austin Pacelli for 3rd.
GIRLS
Virtual Meet Projection: Austin Pacelli/Lyle (37), Blooming Prairie (44)
Top Individuals: Kayla Christopherson (Austin Pacelli/Lyle, 19:07), Rory Bickler (Austin Pacelli, 20:25), Bobbie Bruns (Blooming Prairie, 21:08)
The Skinny: The clear highlight of this meet will be Kayla Christopherson, who has finished in the top ten at State three years in a row. After running 20:05 at the Luther All-American Invitational, expect her to drop into the 19s for the first time this season. Her teammate Rory Bickler is the only other athlete to break 21:00 in the field, so expect her to be the first girl in pursuit. However, given that there's about a minute gap between each of the top five athletes based on PR, this meet should be spread out very quickly, with many running essentially alone for much of the race. Led by Christopherson and Bickler, Austin Pacelli will be expected to take the win, though the home team will try to spoil those plans. Just 7 points behind in the virtual meet, Blooming Prairie's seven finish before Austin Pacelli's 5th, so they'll hope their tighter pack can counter Pacelli's frontrunning duo.
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