XC Class A Week in Review: Shakeups, Upsets & Contenders

Redwood Valley competed in the Lac qui Parle/Dawson-Boyd Invitational this week. As the only ranked team in the field, Redwood Valley came away with a commanding victory, defeating Montevideo by a score of 21 to 85. Placing all five runners in the top 8, with all coming in under 17:45, Redwood Valley continues to demonstrate they are in the conversation for another state title this year. 

Nova Classical Academy did not compete this week. They will compete next at the Gryphon Invitational, hosted by Eagle Ridge Academy on September 30. 

LA/RP/H competed at the Jim Flim Invitational hosted by Winona this week. In a field of 18 teams, they would come away with a 4th place finish and top honors for A schools. Brennan Kunst took the individual win and teammate Grayson Speltz finished 7th overall. Despite the low sticks their next runner would not cross the line until over 1 minute after. In order to truly compete for another podium finish this year, they will need more out of their 3-5 runners come November. 

Mounds Park Academy did not compete this week. They will compete next at the Gryphon Invitational, hosted by Eagle Ridge Academy on September 30. 

Pacelli competed at the Lake City Invitational this week. Going up against the 9th ranked AA team in Stewartville, Pacelli almost came out with the victory, losing by a score of 39 to 45. Pacelli placed three runners in the top 10 and five under 17:40. Given their 1-2 punch and depth through five runners, which can compete with any team, look for this team to outperform their current 5th place ranking come the state meet. 

Competing at the Eden Prairie Metro Under the Lights Invitational, Cotter/Hope would come away with a 13th place finish in a field dominated by AAA and AA ranked teams. Led by Erik Semling (1st ranked) and Ryan Littlefield (2nd ranked), Cotter Hope had two runners in the top 8, but as has become a familiar theme, they are not as strong as other teams with their 4th and 5th runners. Given they have the ability to 1-2 at the state championships, this team will be a threat for another podium finish this year. 

St. Agnes competed in the 30 team field at the Farmington Cowbell Classic. With another ranked A team in Hertiage Christian also competing, it was St. Agnes who got the edge on the day, placing 8th overall. St. Agnes does not have any true low sticks in their scoring line-up, but make up for it with a close 1-4 spread (only 29 seconds). 

Sibley East competed at the Caty Delwiche Invitational hosted by Glencoe/Silver Lake. Coming in as the only ranked AA or A team in the field, they would come away with the win over by Blake by a score of 44 to 63. Gage Horstman continued to lead the way for this team with an individual victory in 16:05. Behind him, Julio Alejandro came in 3rd, crossing in 16:31. With their 3rd and 4th runners under 17:55 and their 5th just over 18:00, this team has the potential to place higher than their current ranking. With a 1-2 punch as competitive as any team in A (besides Cotter/Hope) they will be tough to shake by other teams. 

Competing at the Pierz Stampede Invitational, the Northwest Nighthawks came away with a dominant victory over Holdingford by a score of 30 to 113. They placed all five scoring runners inside the top 10. 

In a tight match-up with 7th ranked St. Agnes, Hertiage Christian almost pulled the upset at the Farmington Cowbell Classic. They would finish right behind St. Agnes in 9th place by a narrow score of 259 to 268. While Hertiage Christian beat St. Agnes at the 1-3 spots, it was their 4th and 5th runners that pushed them back. If they can get a little more out their 4 and 5 runners, this team has the potential to improve upon their current ranking. 

Competing at the JCC Tri for Health Meet, Windom secured a dominant victory over AA and A conference rivals. On what appears to have been a challenging course, Windom did not WOW anyone with their times, but their 1-5 spread of 48 seconds is impressive. 

Competing against much larger schools in the AA race at the Border Battle, Park Rapids came away with a 19th place finish in the 24 team field. Christian Thorson and Jack Mitteness lived up to their top 5 rankings, placing inside the top 20 individually. Behind them, their next runner was almost 2 minutes back. Given they have arguably the second best 1-2 in A, this team will have a hard time given their lack of depth compared to other teams, but is certainly a threat for a top 10 finish. 

As the only ranked team at the Melrose Dutchmen Invitational, New London-Spicer came away with a decisive victory over Paynesville by a score of 39 to 85. They placed all five scoring runners inside the top 16, with two under 20:00 and all five under 21:00 minutes. This a complete team that is certainly a threat to repeat as state champions. 

St. Cloud Cathedral simply dominated the Pierz Stampede, coming away with a winning score of 25 points. They would place all five scoring runners inside the top 10, with a spread of 12 seconds between their 1-3 and 1:05 between their 1-5 runners. Like last year, this team will rely on its depth and ability to get runners across the line in quick succession to find themselves back on top of A girls scene. 

In a nine team field at the Lac qui Parle/Dawson-Boyd Invitational, Redwood Valley found themselves in tight three-way team battle. Ultimately, Redwood Valley would secure the victory over Canby-Mineota by a score of 62 to 73. Placing 3 runners inside the top 4, all under 20:30, this team will be competitive with New London-Spicer and St. Cloud Cathedral through their top 3 runners. Beyond that, this team is thin and could see themselves further back in the team scores as a result. 

Competing as the only ranked team in the five team field at the NRHEG Invitational, Loyola/Cleveland would secure the team victory with a score of 27 points. Led by 2nd ranked Charlotte Meyer, they would place all five runners in the top 10 and six runners under 22:00. This team has a real chance to place in the top 2 or 3 come the state championship. 

St. John's Prep did not compete this week. They will compete next at the St. Michael-Albertville Invitational on September 30. 

Competing at the Farmington Cowbell Classic, Hertiage Christian came away with a 6th place finish and narrowly defeating 7th ranked Trinity/Unity for top A honors. Trinity Zimmerman led the way with a 6th place finish. Behind her, their 2-5 runners would come across in less than 1 minute of each other. This team can certainly compete for a top five spot come November. 

Trinity/Unity also competed at the Farmington Cowbell Classic. In a tight battle with 6th ranked Heritage Christian, they would end up on the losing end by a score 231 to 242. While Trinity/Unity was beaten at the 1-2 spots, they had the better 3-4 runners. Ultimately, it came down to the 5th runners of both teams to determine the final outcome. 

Barnesville competed at the Bagley Invitational this week. They secured the team victory of AAA Bemidji by a score of 50 to 89. Barnesville may not have the front-runners of some other teams, but their depth is perhaps the best in all A - placing all seven scoring members inside the top 22 and under 22:00 on the day. This is a tough team to predict, so don't be suprised to see them higher in the team standings come November. 

Competing at the Border Battle in the A race, Riverside Christian came away with a 4th place finish and honors as the top Minnesota team. Placing two runners inside the top 11 (both under 19:45), this team has a legit 1-2 punch, capable of competing with most teams in A. How high this team places will come down to their 3-5 runners. 

Driving up the Hibbing this week, Crosby-Ironton would find themselves competing against many of the top AAA and AA teams on the Iron Range. They would come out with a 3rd place finish, placing two runners in the top 15. 

Lake City competed in their home invitational this week. They would end up with the team victory on a tie-breaker over Goodhue. Like Barnesville, Lake City has incredible depth compared with many of their ranked A foes. The difference for them may come down to Olivia and Clara Yotter. Both finished under 19:40 and their top seven were under 21:20. This is a team that could certainly end up much higher than 11th come the state championship. 

Finally, Providence Academy competed at the Eden Prairie Metro Under the Lights Invitational, coming away with a 14th place finish. 

As seems to the case annually, A is probably the toughest class to peg. On both the boys and girls sides, there are certainly anywhere from 5 to 6 teams capable of making a run at the podium come the state championships.