HOWARD LAKE-WAVERLY-WINSTED (2)
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted was just five points behind Perham at the state meet last year and looks to have the pieces in place to challenge the champs again this year. After winning section 5A last fall the Lakers came up two seconds behind the Jackets in team average time (19:47-19:49) and despite having four runners break 20 minutes, the space between top runner Gracie Mallak (19:08) and number two Brooke Baumann (19:54) proved the difference in scoring. While losing two runners from that team, HL-W-W has a third returning sub 20 athlete in sophomore Katelyn Routhier (19:49) and Mallak has gone under 19 minutes in her career. Low sticks at the front certainly make a big difference as we learned last season, so the Lakers top runner improving her 11th place state finish last year could be key in the Lakers bid to climb atop the state meet podium this fall.
2018 RETURNING TIMES/TEAM AVERAGES
| 1) Gracie Mallak | 19:01.1 |
| 2) Brooke Baumann | 19:46.1 |
| 3) Katelyn Routhier | 19:49.0 |
| 4) Ivy Fasching | 20:23.4 |
| 5) Jacklyn Tepley | 20:55.4 |
| Average Time: 19:59.00 Total Time: 1:39:55.00 1-5 Split: 1:54.30 | |
| 6) Danielle Wood | 23:01.4 |
| 7) Coral Schwinn | 23:55.2 |