Placing all five scoring runners, including individual champion Morgan Gehl, among the first 19 finishers last Wednesday (August 28), the Murray County Central Warriors impressively earned the team championship of Mountain Lake’s Paul Metcalf Invitational.
The 14-team early-season meet was held on the challenging slopes and hills of the Mountain Lake Golf Course and was run under nearly ideal weather conditions in the morning sun.
Notching scoring places 1-6-8-9-14 among 48 finishers from complete teams, the Warriors had a low score of 38 points — good enough for an impressive 17-point victory over perennial power Fairmont, which tallied 55 points (2-7-10-11-25).
Martin County West had exceptional balance (4-5-17-18-20) and finished a close third with 64 points, while Worthington (96), Mountain Lake Area / Comfrey (119), Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial / Nicollet (162) and United South Central (165) also had complete scores.
Seven others — Adrian, Windom, Jackson County Central, St. James, Madelia, Blue Earth Area and Heron Lake-Okabena — were incomplete (without five finishers) in the varsity meet.
Pacing the Warrior victory was Gehl, who came from behind down the final slope to edge Fairmont sophomore Laura Thompson at the wire with a 5,000-meter time of 19:29.1.
