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Area cross-country runners prep for state

File photo by Steve Muscatello St. Mary’s/Sleepy Eye/New Ulm Cathedral cross-country runner Clare Fischer competes at a recent cross-country event. She will make her first trip to state this year.

NORTHFIELD — Five Class A area runners will look to bring home gold as they compete in the Boys’ and Girls’ Cross-Country State Meet this Saturday at St. Olaf College.

The Class A girls will begin the 5K race at 1 p.m., while the Class A boys will run at 2 p.m.

FISCHER REPRESENTS ST. MARY’S/SLEEPY EYE/NEW ULM CATHEDRAL

Sophomore Clare Fischer will represent the St. Mary’s/Sleepy Eye/New Ulm Cathedral cross-country team at state for the first time in her career. She qualified for state after posting a season-best, career-best and program-record time of 19:47.4 at the Section 2A Meet in Blue Earth, which was good for sixth place.

SM/SE/NUC head coach Lisa Hagen said that this is the first time in six years that the SM/SE/NUC program has sent someone to state, and she is hoping to see a new PR set by Fischer at state.

“Clare is a very determined and hard-working athlete, she also encourages her teammates and has a very positive attitude,” Hagen said. “She shares ideas of new things to try in workouts or for team bonding, with the goal of helping us grow the cross-country program and make sure the year is full of fun things for the athletes to do, as well as good challenges. Clare has been a delight to work with. Our goal at state is to end the year on a new PR for Clare.”

BUERKLE, MCCONE REPRESENT SPRINGFIELD/CEDAR MOUNTAIN

For Springfield/Cedar Mountain, senior Mitchell Buerkle will represent the boys in his third trip to state, while sophomore Lilly McCone will represent the girls by making her first trip to state. Buerkle qualified after placing fourth (17:02) at the Section 3A Meet in Madison, MN, while McCone qualified by placing 10th (20:13).

Buerkle finished 38th at state last season and 115th in 2017. His career-best time was a 16:29 in Olivia earlier this October, while McCone’s 20:13 time at the 3A meet was her career best.

“Both Mitchell and Lilly have been tremendous leaders for our team,” Springfield/CM cross-country head coach Luke Amsden said. “They do a great job of pushing themselves and their teammates to get better every day. Both have been extremely consistent and intentional in their training, preparation, and lifestyle throughout the season, which has led to their success. They’re not only great runners but great people as well.”

Buerkle has a goal of placing in the top 25 this season at state, while McCone is looking to have another solid time of under 20:30.

FEDER MAKES SECOND CONSECUTIVE TRIP TO STATE FOR GFW

Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop junior Grace Feder will make her second consecutive trip to state after finishing second at the Section 2A Meet in Blue Earth last week with a time of 19:24, just a few seconds off of her personal-best time. After finishing at state last year in 33rd place while batting a stress fracture in her toe, Feder is healthy this year and looking to climb into the top 25 and finish as an All-State runner.

“This year Grace emerged as a real leader of the team, starting with summer-team workouts all the way through the end of the season,” GFW cross-country head coach Mark Leitheiser said. “She is a more mature runner this year than last year and more consistent with her times, generally running around 19:30-19:40 in most races. Grace has had an outstanding season and we look for her to run very well Saturday at the state meet.”

HAVEN REPRESENTS RABBITS AT STATE

Wabasso senior Chloe Haven will make her first appearance at state this year after qualifying with a time of 20:20 at the Section 3A Meet last week, good for 11th place. Her best time this year was a 20:07 at the Sleepy Eye Invitational this year, and she’s run several races this season at 20:30 or faster.

“The thing that sticks out most about Chloe is that she loves and enjoys her teammates,” Wabasso cross-country head coach Joel Dudgeon said. “She also loves running. She’s extremely dedicated to her sport and has put in a lot of hours in preparing for the season and has done the extra things to put herself in a position to find success. She’s a model student/athlete. She’s a three-time All-Conference performer and was Honorable Mention one year. She’s got our school-best [times] at 4,000 and 5,000 meters.”

Dudgeon said that he believes Haven can be in the top 100 placing this year and possibly even the top 75, depending upon how the race shakes out.

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