Area cross-country teams compete in section tournaments Thursday
The Austin Packers boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams were both in Faribault Thursday for the Section 1AA meet, and in the girls competition, freshman Marissa Shute of the Packers will be heading to the state cross-country meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield on November 6th as she took fifth overall individually with a time of 20:03.5. Austin was fifth out of 11 teams in the team competition with a total of 128 points as besides Shute, Nadia Vaughn took 10th place with a time of 20:39.6, Kya McManus was 30th with a time of 22.06.1 and Cassidy Shute was 32nd with a final time of 22:09.3. Plainview-Elgin-Millville took first in the team compeition with 80 points, and host Faribault was second with 97 points.
In the boys competition, Austin took third as a team with 102 points, as Winona was first with 77 points, followed by Albert Lea with 88 points. Thomas Herrick ran the best time for the Packers as he took 11th with a time of 17:50, Thomas Asmus was 18th with a time of 18:07.7, Joseph Garry was 23rd for Austin with a time of 18:26.9, Jackson Barry took 24th with a time of 18:29.1, Joseph Hilkin was 26th with a final time of 18:34.5 and Kaden Murley was 40th, with a time of 19:02.7.
Both the Pacelli Shamrocks and Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms boys and girls cross-country teams took part in the Section 1A meet at Northern Hills Golf Course in Rochester Thursday, and Kirsten Koopal of the Shamrocks girls cross-country squad qualified for the state meet by taking 10th with a time of 20:56. The Shamrocks as a team took 13th place with a total of 284 points, as Lake City was first in the team competition with 88 points, edging out Winona Cotter in second with 90 points. For Blooming Prairie, Head Coach John Bruns reported that 7th grader Gloria Hernandez was within four places and 30 seconds from qualifying for the state meet as she took 14th with a time of 21:22. The Blossoms as a team took 14th place with a total of 344 points.
In the boys competition, Javier CiFuentes ran the best time for Pacelli, as he was 67th with a time of 20:01. For Blooming Prairie, Hosea Baker turned in the best time for the Blossoms as he was 39th with a time of 19:16. As a team, Blooming Prairie took 17th place with a total of 402 points, while Pacelli was 19th with a team total of 469 points. Lewiston/Altura/Rushford/Peterson won the team competition with 66 points, edging out Rochester Lourdes, who took second with 70 points.
