NORTHFIELD, Minn. – There was a moment of doubt in Shakopee junior Maria Hauger’s mind Saturday morning.
Alexandria’s Jamie Piepenburg had just surged into the lead with 800 meters remaining in the state Class AA girls cross country meet at St. Olaf College. Hauger, the two-time defending big-school champion, initially wasn’t sure how to respond.
“There was a 1 percent doubt about what to do,” Hauger said. “I wish it was me that had taken the lead, but I didn’t panic. That was key.”
Hauger stayed the course, mindful of long, disciplined training runs that dictated she bide her time.
Her magic moment came with 200 meters to go, when she used a finishing kick that caught Piepenburg with about 10 meters to spare en route to winning the Class AA crown with a 4,000-meter time of 14 minutes, 4.1 seconds. Piepenburg, a senior, was three seconds behind and finished runner-up to Hauger for the second consecutive year.
Hauger is the first three-time champion since Carrie Tollefson of Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle won four in a row from 1991-94. Tollefson won two in Class AA (1991 and ’94) and two in the small-school class (’92 and ’93).
“My goal is to win it all four years,” said Hauger, who can become the first four-time big-school champion. “I am almost there.”
Piepenburg, who was nearly stride for stride with Hauger throughout, made her break with a half-mile to go.
“I felt like it was the right time to make a move,” she said. “I went for it. I thought I had enough to kick it in. I was so close. I am happy. I was going for gold but will be OK with silver. I had a good race.”
Hauger, who hasn’t lost a race since fifth grade, made her move a little later. Had she waited any longer, she might not have caught Piepenburg in the finishing chute.
“This one came down to who wants it most,” she said. “I laid it all out there.”
— Monticello won the Class AA team title with 93 points. Lakeville South was runner-up with 118.
Monticello, the big-school runner-up last season, was paced by senior Erica Seidenkranz, who was ninth overall but eighth in the team-scoring criteria. Senior teammate Amber Stoick was 12th (10th team) and sophomore Amber Seidenkranz was 13th (11th team).
— St. Cloud Cathedral won the Class A team title for the first time since 1986 with 94 points. The Crusaders, the small-school runner-up last season, defeated Annandale, which was runner-up with 118 points.
The Crusaders were paced by senior Greta Danielson, freshmen Rachel Eickhoff and Paige Danielson and sophomores Morgan Durbin and Brigid Brew.
— Blake sophomore Clare Flanagan was the Class A champion. She covered the 4,000-meter course in 14:21.7. Esko junior Marisa Shady, the small-school champion last season, was third in 14:45.5.
