Minnesota Well-Represented in Griak Races

Boy's Gold Race

The boys gold race was run as the rain was starting to taper off, leaving some wet and muddy spots on the course.  This certainly didn't faze Richfield's Obsa Ali, who ran in the lead pack for the entire race and finished with a win and a new course record of 15:30.80.  Ali won the maroon race in 2012 with a time of 16:17.00.  There was a battle for second place with Madison West's Olin Hacker just edging out Addison Dehaven, Brookings, SD, posting times of 15:33.40 and 15:33.80 respectively.

Minnesota's male runners finshed wtih an impressive 9 athletes in the top 20 in a very strong field.  Connor Olson (Wayzata) finished in 5th place with a time of 15:41.70, leading Wayzata to a team championship.  He was followed by Keeghan Hurley (Perham) in 6th place with a 15:48.30; Ian Torchia (Rochester Lourdes) - 10th, 16:00.80; Matt Lumbar (Edina) - 14th, 16:09.70; Sam Carlson (Bemidji) - 15th, 16:10.80; Shane Streich (Waseca) - 16th, 16:11.10; Zack Benning (Hastings) - 17, 16:11.20 and Logan Ramlet (Edina) - 19th, 16:17.60.

Wayzata edged out Edina for the team championship, 116 points to 159 points respectively - rounding out Wayzata's top 7 wre Jaret Carpenter - 24th place, 16:21.10; Ian Eklin - 28th place, 16:27.30; Aaron Breyer - 38th place, 16:39.60; Nicholas Shaleen - 48th place, 16:46.80; Jack Prazich - 50th place, 16:48.00 and Connor Eastman - 69th place, 16:59.30.

Girl's Gold Race

While the weather didn't cooperate for much of the day, the rain subsided just as the girl's gold race began.  This year's Griak girl's gold race saw 64 female athletes post sub-20 minute times for the 5k, even wtih several of the athletes typically running 4ks throughout their seasons.  In 2012, only 36 athletes matched this feat!

Our Minnesota female runners had a great showing wtih 12 runners finishing in the top 20, including team champion Wayzata's top 6 runners (their 7th runner was 24th!).  Anna French (Wayzata) improved on last year's 16th place finish and was Minnesota's top finisher, coming in 2nd with a time of 17:59.9, just 12 seconds off the winning time of 17:47.20 set by Jordyn Colter of Cherry Creek, COWayzata, 4th in 2012, posted an impressive team win with 58 points to sweep the gold races, followed by Cherry Creek (CO) in 2nd with a total of 162 points. Rounding out Wayzata's top 7 were Annika HalvErson (11th place, 18:52.20), Michaela Keller-Miller (13th place, 18:57.00), Annika Lerdall (14th place, 18:58.40), Mary Franke (19th Place, 19:12.10), McKenna Evans (20th place, 19:12.40), and Alayna Sonnesyn (24th place, 19:19.30).

Other top Minnesota finishers include Jenna Truedson (Bemidji) - 6th place, 18:35.90; Bethany Kozak (White Bear Lake) - 7th place, 18:39.90; Vivian Hett (Burnsville) - 9th place, 18:49.00; Tess Misgen (Shakopee) - 12th place, 18:55.60; Emma Benner (Forest Lake) - 16th place, 18:59.70; Emi Trost (Cannon Falls) - 17th place, 19:00.90.

Boy's Maroon Race

Trent Powell (River Falls, WI) won the boy's maroon race wthi a time of 16:20.00, bettering his 40th place finish from last year, and shaving nearly 2 minutes off of his time!   Elk River's Lucas Trapp took 2nd wtih a tiem of 16:29.00.  Trapp caught Powell just as they turned to enter the finish straightaway but couldn't hold on as Powell kicked to the finish line.  Mike Destache (St. Paul Academy and Summit) finished in 3rd place with a 16:32.00 and Sam Sinkler (Minneapolis Southwest) finished in the 5th spot in 16:36.00 to put 3 Minnesota athletes in the top 5.

Other top Minnesota finishers include Reed Parent (Rogers) - 6th place, 16:45.00; Andrew Sell (Minneapolis Washburn) - 8th place, 16:49.00; Nick Sokolowski (St. Louis Park) - 9th place, 16:52.00; Micah Mather (St. Paul Highland Park) - 10th place, 16:56.00; Martin Donovan (Minneapolis Washburn) - 11th place, 16:56.00; Hamza Ali (Minneaplis Washburn) - 13th place, 17:01.00; Michael Mitchell (The Blake School) - 16th place, 17:13.00; Alex Ilyushev (Minneapolis Southwest) - 18th place, 17:15.00; and Alex Liu (Henry Sibley) - 19th place, 17:15.00.

Minneapolis Washburn posted a 10 point victory over Minneapolis Southwest, 125 to 135 and placed four runners in the top 25 with Alex Streitz rounding out that group (21st place, 17:16.00).

Girl's Maroon Race

The story of the girl's maroon race unfolded from the start when 7th grader Emily Covert of Minneapolis Washburn took the lead and never really relinquished it.  Covert won the maroon race with a time of 19:00.00 - 10 seconds ahead of Morgan Florsheim (Shorewood) who repeated last year's 2nd place finish with a time of 19:10.  Minnesota runners took 4 of the top 5 spots wtih Mary Naas (St. Paul Academy & Summit) finishing in 3rd in 19:19, Elowyn Pfeiffer (St. Paul Highland Park) finishing in 4th in 19:23 and Martha Hubbell (Visitation) finishing in 5th in 19:25.

Other top Minnesota finshers include Hannah Oscarson (Minneapolis Washburn) - 7th place, 19:29; Anna Ryden (Minneapolis Southwest) - 9th place, 19:36; Molly Eastman (Holy Family Catholic) - 10th place, 19:39; Erin Guse (Spring Lake Park) - 14th place, 19:54; Laura Bestul (Eastview) - 15th place, 19:59; Mary Miles (St. Paul Como Park) - 19th place, 20:16 and Maria Eastman (Holy Family Catholic) - 20th place, 20:16.

Notre Dame Academy repeated as team champion this year while St. Paul Highland Park had the top Minnesota team finish in 4th place with 237 points.