PREP CROSS COUNTRY: Adrian puts four runners among top six, but Cardinals win by 10

LUVERNE — Both Luverne and Adrian had four girls finish among the top eight Thursday afternoon at the annual running of the Cardinal Invitational high school cross country meet at the athletic-field complex west of the Luverne school buildings.

The host Cardinals also put three more runners among the next eight finishers and utilized that exceptional balance to win the varsity girls’ team title on their home course with a low score of 31 points (1-2-7-8-13).

Adrian (3-4-5-6-23) took runner-up honors with a fine score of 41, while Worthington (75), Tracy-Milroy-Balaton (106) and Pipestone Area (107) also fielded complete teams. Flandreau (South Dakota) Indian School was incomplete with just three finishing runners.

Leading Luverne’s victory was the consistent 1-2 punch of eighth-grader Madison Schandelmeier and junior Makayla Hohn, who both ran the 4,000-meter course under 16 minutes and combined for just three points by earning the top two places.

Schandelmeier was clocked with a winning time of 15:44.3, while Hohn entered the chute with a fine time of 15:56.

Senior veteran Jordin Kopplow paced Adrian with a third-place time of 16:04 and junior Nicole Slater (16:22), senior Megan Sauer (16:22.6) and sophomore Morgan Sauer (16:35.3) gave the Dragons places four, five and six, respectively.

LHS countered with the next two places as junior Anna Tofteland (seventh, 16:47.7) and eighth-grader Mariah Aukes (eighth, 16:55.1) evened out the score.

Worthington runners Meredith Moore (16:58.3) and Alicia Darling (16:58.9) completed the top-10 individuals, followed by PA eighth-grader Livia Wallace (11th, 17:05.4) and T-M-B freshman Elodie Tholen (12th, 17:12.9).

Moore, a freshman, and Darling, a sophomore, have run consistently well for Worthington all season and did so again Thursday.

“Meredith and Alicia continue to lead us and run together stride for stride, each giving us a pair of finishes near the front in meet after meet,” praised Worthington head coach Ken Henkels about the performances of his two lead runners. “I was pleased with all the girls Thursday, we ran good times considering the weather (windy and cool) and didn’t let the conditions affect us.”

Luverne eighth-grader Zayna Hutoft wrapped up the team victory for the Cardinals by finishing 13th (17:24.9) and WHS senior Stephanie Jaycox was close behind, placing 14th with a time of 17:28.8.

Luverne freshman Madilyn Oye (17:34.6) completed the top 15, giving the Cardinals six runners among the upper third of the 46-finisher field.

LHS eighth-grader Bergin Flom (16th, 18:03.9), PA freshman Morgan Hazelton (17th, 18:11.5), PA seventh-grader Angel Martins (18th, 18:21.3) and T-M-B freshman Kendra Nelson (19th, 18:27) also finished among the top 20.

Junior Ariana Lopez (21st, 18:36.1) and seventh-grader Jessica Darling (23rd, 18:36.7) completed the scoring for Worthington, while freshman Rachel Koller (29th, 19:30), sophomore Kacey Contreras (30, 19:33) and sophomore Hope Reeves (42, 22:13) also ran in the varsity race for the Trojans.

Seventh-grader Anna Serrao (24, 18:40), seventh-grader Hannah Bullerman (26, 18:50) and freshman Jada Elias (27, 19:15) were Adrian’s fifth, sixth and seventh runners, respectively.

Tags: tracy-milroy-balaton, sports, prep, luverne, trojans, adrian, pipestone