BOYS CLASS A TEAM RECAP
FULL RESULTS | VIDEO INTERVIEWS
Perham completed their piece of Minnesota high school sports history in the boys class A team race. The race was tighter for the Yellowjackets as they edged runner-up West Central Area by just eight points, 75-83. After WCA edged Perham in the first scoring position, the two-time defending champ claimed narrow wins in the rest of the scoring slots to earn the win. Points were tied after two spots but a four point difference in the third and three point advantage in the fourth slots was enough to finish of the historic victory. This year's win gives Perham their eighth state title in school history.
Perham was just four seconds better in team average, 16:25 to 16:29 and only ten seconds better in top five splits, 68 seconds vs. 78 seconds. Unlike the girls team, the boys put two athletes in the top ten individuals, an important key in that race as WCA also ran two athletes in the top ten. Sophomore Jacob McCleary was fourth overall with senior Brandon O'Hara running eighth overall. WCA had third place finisher senior Jacob Bright and ninth place senior Jack Van Kempen.
St James Area earned a hard fought third place finish to match their coaches poll ranking coming into the day with 154 points and three runners in the top 20 scoring athletes. Lac Qui Parle Valley was fourth with 182 and three athletes in the top 22 scorers. Staples-Motley rounded out the top five just two points back of LQPV with 184 and two athletes in the top five overall.
BOYS CLASS A INDIVIDUAL RECAP
Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin junior Geno Uhrbom broke away half a mile into the race and never looked back on the way to a dominant defense of his class A state title. His 2019 winning time was a full 11 seconds better than a year ago and 15 seconds head of runner-up Staples-Motley junior Emmet Anderson. Uhrbom's winning time of 15:27.6 broke the class A state meet record set in 2005 by Rochester Lourdes Mike Torchia. Unlike his first few years of outstanding performances the rest of the GNK team made it to state this season and his state title lifted the Titans to a ninth place team finish.
Staples- Motley junior Emmet Anderson, the only class A runner to better Uhrbom over the past two seasons was runner-up improving on his third place finish a year ago. West Central senior Jacob Bright was less than two seconds behind in third, improving on his eighth place finish last season. Perham's no. 1 runner, sophomore Jacob McCleary was fourth, a large jump from his 16th place result a year ago. Staples-Motley senior Hunter Klimek was fifth in his final state meet, after running 17th in 2018.
Boys Class A MNXCCA All-State (top 25 individuals)
| RANK | TIME | ATHLETE/TEAM | GRADE | MEET DATE PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15:27.60 | Greenway High School | 2021 | |
| 2 | 15:42.60 | Staples-Motley High School | 2021 | |
| 3 | 15:43.80 | West Central Area School | 2020 | |
| 4 | 15:48.70 | Perham High School | 2022 | |
| 5 | 15:49.70 | Staples-Motley High School | 2020 | |
| 6 | 15:51.10 | Virginia High School | 2023 | |
| 7 | 16:04.50 | Ely High School | 2020 | |
| 8 | 16:06.90 | Perham High School | 2020 | |
| 9 | 16:16.20 | West Central Area School | 2020 | |
| 10 | 16:19.80 | Mounds Park Academy | 2020 | |
| 11 | 16:20.00 | Northwest Homeschool Coop | 2022 | |
| 12 | 16:20.30 | Mankato Loyola High School | 2020 | |
| 13 | 16:25.50 | Mora High School | 2020 | |
| 13 | 16:25.50 | East Grand Forks High School | 2021 | |
| 15 | 16:26.30 | Perham High School | 2020 | |
| 16 | 16:28.80 | East Grand Forks High School | 2020 | |
| 17 | 16:29.90 | Lewiston-Altura High School | 2021 | |
| 18 | 16:31.30 | Saint James High School | 2020 | |
| 19 | 16:31.50 | West Central Area School | 2022 | |
| 20 | 16:32.70 | Math & Science Academy | 2020 | |
| 21 | 16:33.90 | Saint James High School | 2021 | |
| 22 | 16:36.40 | Rockford High School | 2020 | |
| 23 | 16:36.60 | Heritage Christian Academy | 2020 | |
| 24 | 16:36.90 | Tri-City United | 2020 | |
| 25 | 16:39.00 | Cook County High School | 2021 |