Class AA Boys Preview
Eden Prairie and Wayzata have been the top two squads in Class AA boys from Section 6 with Eden Prairie having maintained its edge over Wayzata with a 25-41 win in their section championship. Eden Prairie and Wayzata are considered to be two of the best teams in the NXN Heartland Region and especially Eden Prairie will be considered to a favorite to qualify for the national meet. Eden Prairie posted a team average of 16:15 in their sectional and were led by state meet favorite Aaron Bartnik. Bartnik's top challengers will be section 3 winner Jake Sandry of Bloomington Jefferson and Marty Joyce of Woodberry. Sandry has the fastest 5K time in the state this season with a 15:32 performance under his belt.
Class AA Girls Preview
The Eden Prairie girls will attempt to make it a clean sweep for their school of the Class AA state titles as the top ranked team in Minnesota for most of the season. In their sectional championship, Eden Prairie posted a team average of 15:32 with a 1-2 finish from Megan Platner and Claire Johnson. Their top opponent will be Section 7 champions Elk River, who have ran very strong as late including an impressive sectional meet will fast times posted across the board to produce a team average of 15:18. Elk River has two individuals capable of finishing among the top 5 with Emma Bates and Abbi Aspengren. Bates will attempt to challenge individual favorite and star freshmen from Shakopee High, Maria Hauger, who has been undefeated so far this season. Hauger has ran well into the low 14s for 4K this season including a 14:12 season best. Heidi Peterson of Sartel High School also figures to be in the mix with Hauger and Bates as the Section 8 winner has ran under 14:30 for 4K this fall.
Class A Boys Preview
Top individuals in the state are featured in these smaller school division races. Paul Koullick turned in a top 10 finish earlier in the season at the competitive Roy Griak Invitational and will be the featured runner in the boys' race with Perham High School, Minnehaha Academy, and Plainville-Elgin-Millville as the top ranked Class A squads coming into the state meet.
Class A Girls Preview
The Perham girls are also in contention for a state team title, but Waseca High School was impressive in their Section 2 victory with a top 5 among the top 11 and team average of 15:36 to compile a low team score of 25 points. The Perham girls do feature one of the top individual contenders in Maddie McClellan