By Les Knutson
Sports Reporter
This year’s high-powered Section 3A high school cross country meet will be held Thursday (October 25) at the course west of Luverne’s school building.
A total of 21 teams will be competing with the top two advancing to the state meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield next Saturday, November 3.
After knocking on the door for a state-team qualification with both the boys and girls the past several years, the Murray County Central / Fulda Rebels are well positioned to make another bid this time.
The boys finished sixth last year — after three straight third-place finishes, including 2015 when Redwood Valley nipped the Rebels by a mere point, 110-111, for second-place honors.
State-ranked Lac qui Parle Valley / Dawson-Boyd, paced by individual favorite Mike Kvaal, is likely favored to repeat its team championship Thursday, while Luverne, Redwood Valley and the Rebels, along with defending runner-up Mountain Lake Area should contend for second.
MCC / F is senior dominated with Nate Everson, Spencer Wajer, Jack Pierson and Cameron Kresko providing plenty of depth and experience, while two-time state-meet qualifier Justin Clarke, a junior, has been the Rebels lead runner in every meet this season. Sophomores Maverick Beckmann and Isaiah Kathman have also been top performers for Coach Dominick Damm’s varsity squad this fall.
The girls have been steadily moving up in the team standings after placing 15th in 2014, the Rebels were ninth the next year, improved to sixth in 2016 and finished fifth in last year’s section meet.
Individually, sophomore Morgan Gehl has enjoyed remarkable success and is the defending champion. Eighth-grade twin sisters Ashley and Amanda Overgaauw, freshman Ryanna Schreier, seventh-grader Brylei Schreier, sophomore Josie Harms and freshman Ella Stapek give this year’s Rebels great balance and the potential to challenge Lac qui Parle Valley, the state’s ninth-ranked team, for second place honors. Defending champion Luverne is ranked third in Class A and is a clear favorite for the team title.
The boys will race first Thursday, beginning at 4 p.m. with the girls race over the same 5,000-meter course following at 4:45 p.m.
Individually, the top eight finishers who are not on one of the two qualifying teams earn state-meet advancement.
