Can they overcome?

Allyson Pesek isn’t overwhelmed as she takes on the Canby-Minneota Cross Country teams this year. “I have been assistant coach for six years, so there are not a lot of changes in taking over,” she says. Further more, she ran for this team as a high schooler and says, “It’s a team with good history.” “They have the depth if they can pull it together and put in the work,” she said.

For the girls, it won’t be easy. Two of the teams ahead of them last year, Luverne and Lac qui Parle Valley, will return plenty of talent.

So it will take a lot of hard work if they want to pull into the top two and get the team into state. They certainly have the leader in Grace Drietz. As an eighth grader she ran to 17th in state last year and in track placed in two distance events. “Grace has the heart.

She works hard, does a nice job and is a great leader for the girls,” said Coach Pesek. And all of that from a ninth grader.

“Our strength is that we have all our girls back except one,” said Pesek. McKenzie Ruether also was in the state last year.

It was her second individual trip to the state. And Faith Traen, although didn’t finish the sectionals last year as she dehydrated in extremely cold weather, will be back and usually finishes on or near the top three.

The others will have to fill the shoes of Kalli Jelen, who graduated and was consistently in the top five for C-M.

Kameron King, Makenzie Hemish both came on strong last year and youngster RyAnn Hansen showed her talents in track and could be a nice surprise for the girls this year.

It won’t be easy, but if you count on heart, this bunch of girls will give it their all. Don’t count them out, says Coach Pesek.