Round 1:
After hardly running any races during the 2021 cross country season, Scorzelli shined in the 2022 season with four sub 18 minutes performances, the Class AA individual state title, and the Class AA state team title with Highland Park.
This year was a big breakout for the junior runner, she lowered her PR to 17:25, notched her first win at the 5K distance, and won her first state title after finishing 2nd in both the 1600m and 3200m at this year's track and field state meet.
Scorzelli also broke the Highland Park school record in the 5K beating out her former teammate Molly Moening who held the record with a time of 17:49. Scorzelli beat that mark on three occasions this year with times of 17:25, 17:30, and 17:45. Her time of 17:25 puts her 6th all-time for Minnesota girls juniors.
Going into the 2023 fall cross country season, Scorzelli is ranked as the top girls returner in Minnesota with her 5K PR of 17:25, just ahead of Norah Hushagen.
Isabelle Schmitz:
For the fifth cross country season in a row, Hutchinsons Isabelle Schmitz orchestrated a winning streak of at least 5 wins in a row. This year Schmitz won her first 9 races of the year which included the Wright County Conference East title and the Section 2AA title, her third titles for both races.
Schmitz ended her season by finishing as the Class AA runner-up at the state meet behind Luna Scorzelli and then went on to the Team Heartland Regional to finish 15th overall with a new PR of 17:48.90.
Overall this season, Schmitz was ranked as the #9 runner overall for the 5K, the #2 runner for Class AA, and the 3rd ranked junior in Minnesota. Next year she will be the 5th ranked returner in the whole state.