Event Coverage Central: Week Six

Saturday 10/5
BOYS CLASS A TEAM CHAMP: ELY |  INDIVIDUAL WINNER: Luke Olson, Ely, 17:38.3
RECAP: Ely got a boost from senior Luke Olson returning to full form as the Timberwolves swept team and individual class A titles on Saturday tough conditions at the 69th annual Swain Meet. Olson's time was the best on the day between the two class divisions but most athletes were slowed by the weather and conditions. Ely used Olson's low stick at the front to overcome a large split and hold off second place Lake City despite the Tigers having five through over 28 places ahead of Ely. East Grand Forks top trio ran 2-3-4 behind Olson with junior Tyson Mahar, senior Cole Nowacki and sophomore Jonathan Krueger posting the best front three performance of the meet, lifting EGF to a fifth place team score.
Minnehaha Academy was third overall, led by senior Trace Chiodo in ninth place, followed by Wadena-Deer Creek taking fourth. Virginia freshman Cameron Stocke was fifth in the individual standings followed by Math & Science senior Harris Anderson, Mora senior Cooper Lennox and Rockford senior Nels Trandahl in 6-7-8. Plainview-Elgin-Millville senior Samson Hagen rounded out the top ten.
BOYS CLASS AA TEAM CHAMP: CLOQUET |  INDIVIDUAL WINNER: Max Charlsen, Forest Lake, 17:54.5
RECAP: Cloquet turned in a quality team win with four in the top 12 and six in the top 30 in a field of 150. Forest Lake's senior Max Charlsen was the individual champion by less than a half second over Cloquet senior Jordan Allen, both in 17:54. Duluth Denfeld junior Isaac Fink was about 40 seconds back in third place. Princeton senior Ryan Young edged Bloomington Jefferson senior Timothy Leuth for fourth.
Jefferson was the team runner-up, just ten points behind Cloquet, while seeming to race with a bit of caution on a tough day as MNXCCA no.6 Colden Longley was Jaguar's sixth man. Forest Lake led by Charlsen's victory was third with Rochester Mayo, led by junior William Roden in eighth, coming in fourth. Princeton finished wrapped up the top five teams.
Cambridge-Isanti sophomore Jaxon Jones was sixth followed by Tartan senior Nathan Ossell in seventh. Cloquet senior Jesse Bahen and junior Zach Studdiford wrapped up the top ten individuals.
GIRLS CLASS A TEAM CHAMP: LAKE CITY | INDIVIDUAL WINNER: Ava Hill, Mesabi East, 20:17.0
RECAP: MNXCCA no. 6 Lake City earned a hard fought win over second place no. 11 Stewartville in the class A girls competition. Lake City was victorious on the strength of two runners in the top ten. North Shore Coop was also tough with a 52 split to take third. The Blake School was just two points back in fifth despite having two runners in front of North Shore's top athlete but their split of over 2:30 cost them the what could have been a top three finish. Minnehaha Academy rounded out the top five teams.
MNXCCA no. 7 Mesabi East senior Ava Hill powered through the conditions for a nearly 30 second victory over runner-up Wadena-Deer Creek junior Kira Sweeney. Math & Science freshman Greta Hansen ran a solid third place finish three seconds ahead of fourth place Lake City freshman, no. 12 ranked Jacey Majerus. No. 8 ranked Duluth Marshall School sophomore Keegan Mcauliffe was fifth overall. Plainview-Elgin-Millville sophomore ran to a sixth place finish ahead of Mountain Iron-Buhl eighth grader Liz Nelson. Saint Paul Academy and Summit School seventh grader Sawyer Bollinger-Danielson was an impressive eighth place, nine seconds up on ninth place EGF freshman Lydia Floden. Lake City seventh grader Peyton Meincke finished tenth overall and a key ninth place team scorer for the victorious Tigers.
GIRLS CLASS AA TEAM CHAMP: FOREST LAKE | INDIVIDUAL WINNER: Ellie Hanowski, Forest Lake, 20:50.2
RECAP: Forest Lake was dominant in their class AA competition victory. The Rangers put seven in the top 26 scorers, including five scorers in the top 16 to post a low 33 point team score. Freshman Ellie Hanowski led four FL runners in the top 10, winning the individual race by four seconds over Bloomington Jefferson freshman Megan Lee. Jefferson was second as a team with 110. Visitation was a solid third with five in the top 53 scorers. Cloquet was fourth ahead of fifth place Hibbing.
Seventh grader Norah Hushagen, junior Natalie Runquist and freshman Jordan Parent were 4-5-7 overall for Forest Lake. Spring Lake Park sophomore Kaitlyn Finnegan was third with Cloquet sophomore Harmony Tracy split up the Forest Lake pack in sixth. Princeton senior Lexi Duscher continued her strong year with an eighth place run followed by teammate Julia Daubner in ninth. Visitation no.1 runner Margaret Dalseth completed the top ten.

BOYS TEAM CHAMPS: MOUNDS VIEW | INDIVIDUAL WINNER: Oliver Paleen, Saint Paul Highland Park, 15:56.5
RECAP: A wet and muddy track did not stop MNXCCA no.2  Mounds View from taking the team win in an impressive 16:43 average over just a 38 second split. Runner-up and no. 3 ranked White Bear Lake also had a solid showing with a 16:47 average but a 63 split left just enough points in play for the Mustangs to edge the Bears. No. 8 Stillwater posted the best pack of the day with just a 30 second split but did not get a runner in the top ten to finish two points back of WBL. St Paul Highland Park was the fourth team with a sub 17-minute team averaged helped by three in the top ten scorer. Willmar was fifth with a 48 second split but a slightly slower average of 17:08.
Highland Park senior Oliver Paleen stayed undefeated in 2019, following up his impressive win at Griak with a win at Alexandria. Paleen and Chanhassen senior Nick Scheller ran shoulder to shoulder most of the race before Paleen gained the edge in the final 800m. Buffalo senior Nick Oak was just behind the top pair for most of the race before finishing third in a season best 16:09.5. Highland Park senior Calvin Boone was fourth in his new season best 16:12.7. White Bear Lake senior Max Nelson was fifth followed by Chanhassen senior Zach Long his new season best 16:22.7. Mounds View senior Finn Sokolowski led the Mustangs pack in seventh followed by Sioux Falls Washington senior Chase Lather and Highland Park no. 3 man, senior Conor Gregg Escalante in ninth. Willmar junior Fuad Bashir rounded out an impressive top ten.

GIRLS TEAM CHAMPS: STILLWATER | INDIVIDUAL WINNER: Molly Moening, St Paul Highland Park, 18:25.1
RECAP: An exciting individual finish between St Paul Highland Park sophomore Molly Moening and Stillwater junior Analee Weaver ended with the two friendly rivals sprinting down the final 100m. Though Moening took the individual title in an outstanding 18:25.1, nothing could stop Weaver's MNXCCA no. 1 ranked Ponies from dominating the team score with just 40 points in field crowded with four other coaches poll ranked teams. No. 6 Highland Park produced an outstanding day in their own right to finish second as a team. No. 10 and host Alexandria was third on the strength of a 37 point split. No. 4 ranked Minnetonka finished fourth as a team followed by Willmar in fifth spot. 
Brookings (SD) senior Eleanor Abraham ran to a third place finish ahead of Stillwater freshman Brook Elfert who was the third team scorer. Minnetonka no. 1 Ella Graham ran a season best and career best 18:56.7 to finish fifth overall. White Bear Lake senior Madeline Verkerke was sixth and the final athlete under 19 minutes on the day. Highland Park freshman Delia Johnson was seventh ahead of Stillwater 3-4 runners freshmen Avery Braunshausen and Morgan Peterman. Alexandria sophomore Aleah Miller finished 10th.