C/M runners cap season
Despite the limitations and guidelines put on the cross country season, Canby/Minneota Coach Allyson Pesek was still pleased with the way her runners performed.
"What a season," she remarked after the Section 3A meet capped the season on Thursday in Luverne.
"Truly, what a season. One for the books in so many ways, but even with all the craziness of COVID and more. It is one that has been truly fantastic."
The section meet was decided to be the final cross country event of the season with no state meet scheduled due to the pandemic.
The Canby/Minneota girls finished third among 17 teams, while the Canby/Minneota boys were fourth among 18 teams.
The C/M girls had three medalists. Grace Drietz placed fourth individually in a time of 18:53.96, Braelyn Merritt finished seventh in 20:17.51, and Claire Stoks was 14th in 20:48.71.
The Luverne girls Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd boys were the team champions.
Ashley Overgaauw of Murray County Central/Fulda was the girls winner in 18:20.57, narrowing beating her twin sister Amanda Overgaauw, who finished in 18:20.75. Jayson Peyerl of Redwood Valley was the boys winner in 16:45.62.
Blake Stoks was the top Canby/Minneota boys finisher, placing fifth in 17:46.91, while Kolton Duis came in seventh with a time of 17:52.03. Those two were medalists.
"We are super sad to lose our seniors and wish McKenzie (Ruether), Rachel (Wollum) and Isaac (Bach) the very best," Pesek said. "It has come to an end and I am sad. But today was a perfect ending. Our 14 runners represented out program very well."
Besides its impressive third-place finish, the Canby/Minneota girls earned a Gold Academic award with a GPA average of 3.93.
And the boys team also earned the Gold Academic award with an average GPA of 3.86.
"All three of us coaches are so proud of our teams and look forward to next year," Pesek said. "The future is bright for C/M cross country."
GIRLS TEAM SCORING
(1) Luverne 40 (2) Murray County Central/Fulda 49 (3) Canby/Minneota 112 (4) BOLD/Buffalo Lake-Hector 168 (5) Windom 171 (6) Redwood Valley 172 (7) Springfield/Cedar Mountain 178 (8) Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton 200 (9) Pipestone 217 (10) Wabasso 237 (11) Mountain Lake Area/Red Rock Central/Comfrey 251 (12) Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd 274 (13) Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 327 (14) Adrian 407 (15) Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 479 (16) Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield 491 (17) Yellow Medicine East 532
GIRLS INDIVIDUAL TOP 20
(1) Ashley Overgaauw, MCC/Fulda, 18:20.57 (2) Amanda Overgaauw, MCC/Fulda, 18:20.75 (3) Morgan Gehl, MCC/Fulda, 18:44.40 (4) Grace Drietz, Canby/Minneota, 18:53.96 (5) Tenley Nelson, Luverne, 19:42.94 (6) Jenna DeBates, Luverne, 19:46.62 (7) Braelyn Merritt, Canby/Minneota, 20:17.51 (8) Brooklyn VerSteeg, Luverne, 20:25.46 (9) Kaylee Walkin, Windom. 20:28.18 (10) Brooklyn Conrad, Ortonville, 20:29.80 (11) Regan Feit, Luverne, 20:34.59 (12) Elizabeth Wagner, Luverne, 20:37.01 (13) Lilly McCone, Springfield, 20:41.37 (14) Claire Stoks, Canby/Minneota, 20:48.71 (15) Gracie Bucher, Windom, 20:49.65 (16) Emmie McCone, Springfield, 21:01.73 (17) Kristi Kottke, BOLD/BLH, 21:02.69 (18) Taylor Post, Pipestone, 21:04.73 (19) Rachel Kottke, BOLD/BLH, 21:11.60 (20) McKenzie Ruether, Canby/Minneota, 21:19.25 .... Other Canby/Minneota results: Natalie Stoks 23.53.45, Hannah Fadness 24.03.18, Lillie Wollum24:36.68
BOYS TEAM SCORING
(1) Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd 24 (2) Mountain Lake/Red Rock Central/Comfrey 129 (3) Redwood Valley 132 (4) Canby/Minneota 134 (5) Luverne 161 (6) Windom 164 (7) Jackson County Central 174 (8) Pipestone 192 (9) Ortonville 205 (10) Springfield/Cedar Mountain 220 (11) Murray County Central/Fulda 322 (12) Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield 343 (13) Adrian 386 (14) BOLD/Buffalo Lake-Hector 410 (15) Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton 418 (16) Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 441 (17) Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 454 (18) MACCRAY/Renville County West 484
BOYS INDIVIDUAL TOP 20
(1) Jayson Peyerl, Redwood Valley, 16:45.62 (2) Zeke Sather, LQPV/Dawson-Boyd, 16:53.81 (3) Darius Fenske, LQPV/Dawson-Boyd, 17:10.57 (4) Kaiden Allpress, LQPV/Dawson-Boyd, 17:46.23 (5) Blake Stoks, Canby/Minneota, 17:46.91 (5) Hunter Martinson, LQPV/Dawson-Boyd, 17:50.80 (7) Kolton Duis, Canby/Minneota, 17:52.03 (8) Camden Janiszeski, Luverne, 17:52.43 (9) Payton Sterud, LQPV/Dawson-Boyd, 17:54.38 (10) Sam Pidde, Mt. Lake Area/RRC/Comfrey, 17:55.88 (11) Mason Clark, Redwood Valley, 17:57.64 (12) Seth Lingen, Pipestone, 18:04.30 (13) Kody Wassman, Mt. Lake Area/RRC/Comfrey, 18:06.24 (14) Evan Hegland, LQPV/Dawson-Boyd, 18:06.47 (15) Andrew Boyum, Jackson County Central, 18:08.88 (16) Evan Paplow, Jackson County Central, 18:09.77 (17) Chance Elness, Windom, 18:13.24 (18) Ethan Schwankl, Lakeview, 18:17.17 (19) Kie Anderson, Jackson County Central, 18:18.89 (20) Caden Strasser, Pipestone, 18:21.42 ... Other Canby/Minneota results: Zach Ourada 18:36.16, Blake Giese 19:25.75, Colton Ruether 19:32.97, Tristan Bierschenk 19:42.83, Isaac Bach 20:06.53