Fast and Flat!
First, while the new course at Fort Snelling was certainly less challenging than the notorious layout of Les Bolstad, it offered some positive differences: 1) the course was double looped which made for an incredibly spectator friendly course. From start to finish the racecourse was lined with people, which certainly played a role in the fast times we saw; 2) the incredibly flat nature of the course offered a different end of the spectrum than what we became accustomed to at Griak: fast times that almost felt like a track race! This was a completely different race we were used to seeing.
Class Reactions
Second, the results were witnessed on Saturday are certainly a precursor for what we can expect come the MSHSL state meet. While nothing is set in stone, these races demonstrated who the front-runners will be come November.
AAA
Let's start by looking at AAA: going into the meet, the Wayzata boys were the top ranked team and one of the favorites in the NXR Heartland region. Ultimately, it was the Minneapolis Washburn boys who would come away as the top team from MN with a 5th place finish. Wayzata would wind up 7th.
The discrepancy in points was minuscule in a race this size: 260 for Minneapolis Washburn to Wayzata's 286. While the top two teams in the state demonstrated they are the teams to beat, it became much murkier as to which team is the favorite for the third and final podium spot come November. Ultimately, it was the 5th ranked Stillwater boys who would finish as the third team from Minnesota with 384 points.
Maple Grove was the suprise team of the meet, coming in unranked and finishing with 414 points (only 30 beind Stillwater) as the fourth Minnesota team. Close behind, each with 433 points, was 7th ranked Rosemount and 4th ranked Blaine. Waconia came in ranked 9th and would beat a couple team ahead of them in 3rd ranked Mounds View and 8th ranked Edina. With a score of 444 points, they were close to being in contention for a top 5 finish on the Minnesota side!
Come November, it appears we are going to see a tight team battles on the boys side! While Minneapolis Washburn and Wayzata have separated themselves at this point, the race for third appears to be one of closest in recent memory.
On the girls end, Wayzata came in as the top ranked AAA team, but most coaches could have made an argument for Edina holding that spot in the latest rankings. In the end, it was Edina who would come away with a runner-up finish to Harrisburg, SD, being the top Minnesota team in the process. With a score of 182 points, they demonstrated talent up front (placing three girls in the top 22 scoring spots) and holding steady with their fourth and fifth runners.
Many considered Wayzata to be in a rebuild this year but they are proving that is not the case, with a score of 209 points and a top-three finish. St. Michael-Albertville came in as the 2nd ranked team in the most recent coaches poll, but came out as the third Minnesota team with a score of 240 points. While they were ahead of Wayzata through three runners, they lost some points in the fourth and fifth spots. These three teams have been the favorites since the first coaches poll and Griak only served to validate those feelings from coaches.
Beyond the top three, there were some suprises further down the rankings: Blaine came in unranked and ended up the fourth Minnesota team; Waconia came in ranked 4th and was the seventh Minnesota team; Rogers was ranked 10th and finished as the fifth Minnesota team; finally, Farmington came in ranked 8th and would finish in front of 4th ranked Waconia and 7th ranked Mounds View. Things will be incredibly tight on the girls end come November!
AA
A few of the top AA programs in the state opted to compete at meets besides Griak this week (most ranked teams not in attendance were at Lucky Lindy in Little Falls on Thursday). Despite their absence, there is plenty of data to decipher for this class.
Lets start with the top ranked team in AA, Mankato East. Competing in the championship race, Mankato East would come away in 16th place (eighth Minnesota team overall). With a scoring average of 16:04, this team continues to show it is deserving of a top ranking in AA.
The 3rd ranked St. Paul Como Park competed later in the day via the Gold Race and would come away with a team victory of 104 points. At the moment, Mankato East is faster through all 5 scoring spots, making it a difficult hill to climb for Como Park to repeat as state champions.
Minneapolis Southwest came in as the 4th ranked AA team and would end up on the losing end of a close battle with 6th ranked Delano - with only 40 point separating these two teams. While Mankato East cemented themselves as one of the favorites (along with Perham who did not compete) the race for the final podium spot appears to be tight, with Como Park, Minneapolis Southwest, and Delano all producing scoring averages of 16:40 or faster.
Add Willmar to the mix (competed at Lucky Lindy) and this appears to similar to the AAA boys and what we can expect come November.
On the girls end, Northfield once again dominated the AA scene with a score of 328 points in the championship race. Makayah Petricka started the race, yet did not show up in their final team results. Despite this, they dominated 2nd ranked Minneapolis Southwest by almost 300 points!
In the Gold Race, we had a huge surprise as 12th ranked Marshall tied 4th ranked Orono with 116 points. Ultimately, Marshall would claim the third spot in the team score on the tie-breaker. 9th ranked Byron would end up with the second fastest scoring average on the day (19:30) on their way to a runner-up finish in the Gopher Race.
At this point, it appears the top two teams are Northfield and Perham (competed at Lucky Lindy), with third place being another tight team affair. While Minneapolis Southwest and Orono have been the highest ranked all season, Marshall, Byron, and Becker (competed at Lucky Lindy) have demonstrated they are certainly not to be forgotten when it comes to the third and final podium spot come November!
A
Finally, let's wrap up by discussing A. While significantly fewer ranked A teams competed at Roy Griak than the other classes, many of the top teams were still present. On the boys side - in what is becoming a common affair - Nova Classical Academy and Mounds Park Academy were in a tight team battle (albeit in different races). In the end, we are left to look at the scoring averages, which show 16:40 for Nova Classical Academy and 16:54 for Mounds Park Academy. While Mounds Park Academy has come out with victories in previous meetings this season, it appears the final verdict will have to wait a couple more months. The other team of note on the boys side was the defending champions LA/RP/H. With a scoring average of 16:54, they are certainly in the mix with teams like Nova Classical Academy and Mounds Park Academy.
On the girls, side, Loyola-Cleveland continues to demonstrate they are a top threat in A this season. With Charlotte Meyer as a legitimate threat for the individual title and a scoring average of sub 20:00 and a 5th place finish in the Gopher Race, this team is showing its mettle early this season. St. John's prep also has a serious threat for the individual title with returning champion Margaret Duffy.
They ended up with a scoring average of 20:19 and a 31st place finish in the championship race (only A team in the race) and are proving they are much improved from last years state finish. And finally, in a flip from last weeks results at Rockford's Rocket Run, Heritage Christian Academy came out with a faster team average than Providence Academy (in different races).
Final Thoughts
Roy Griak often serves as a precursor to the MSHSL state meet. This year appears to be no different. While many of the top teams in the state have separated themselves, the race for the final podium spot (top three) and beyond looks to be some of the tightest in recent memory. With this chapter of the season closing, we are officially three weeks from the start of championship season (conference races) beginning a five weeks out from section qualifying meets. Time will tell which teams will be at the top of podium come November, but Griak, as always, gave us a good glimpse into what we can expect come the MSHSL state meet.