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2 minute read
WDC squad has record number of runners
BY PETE MOHS Wadena Pioneer Journal
WADENA — The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines cross-country coach Mike Brunsberg anticipates having 36 total boys and girls in grades 7-12 this season, which he said would be the largest in program history.
That number includes six girls who competed in last year’s Class 1A state meet where the Wolverines finished 14th. Those girls are seniors Amber Collins and Noelle Spicer, juniors Cambrie Geiger and Lydia Oldakowski and sophomores Brielle Kern and Karly Haverkamp.
“Our girls’ team was solid last year,” Brunsberg said. “Lydia Oldakowski was the leader, with the rest of the ‘varsity pack’ running behind her. But our depth could be down. So health will be a critical factor in trying to replicate the same formula again this season. It’s a good group. Amber Collins has qualified for four state meets in her amazing career.”
Levi Nelson finished 72nd, Dominic Ray in 73rd, Matthew Collins in 116th and Alexander Weber in 127th.
Other letterwinners include senior Megan Hamelau and sophomores McKenna Brauch and Annika Spicer
The girls were second in the Park Region Conference and second at the Section 6A meet to qualify for state. The WDC boys team your battled injuries last fall, but finished third in the conference and fifth at the section meet.
Danya Spicer led WDC’s junior high girls with a 27th-place time of 15:10. Madison Hunke placed 62nd, Kylie Damlo 65th, Katelyn Reinke 83rd and Amara Geiger 85th. Verndale’s Charlie Johnson paced the Pirates to 11th place in the varsity race. He finished in 21:40.0 followed by Jayden Herner in 78th. Angelica Arroyo finished 47th to lead the Verndale girls. Boys Black results Team scores: 1-Hawley 49, 2-Thief River Falls 82, 3-Wadena-Deer Creek 103, 4-Pelican Rapids 123, 6-St. Cloud Cathedral 147, 7-Lake Park-Audubon 149, 8-Ottertail Central 161, 9-Barnesville 242, 10-Bagley-Fosston 261, 11-Verndale 316 Individual winner: Charlie Larson (Pelican Rapids) 16:45.0 Verndale results: 45-Charlie Johnson 21:40.0, 78-Jayden Herner 25:47.0, 87-Logan Lamphere , 89-Kristian Larsen, 91-Jordan Bittner Wadena-Deer Creek results: 5-Grant Nelson 17:29.1, 22-Owen Anderson 19:47.0, 27-Brenan Simmons 19:55.5, 29-Cooper Damlo 19:57.0, 32-James Seelhammer 20:15.5, 43-Tayton Lehmann 21:14.1, 52-Evan Schmidt 22:04.0 Girls Black results Team scores: 1-St. Cloud Cathedral 31, 2-Riverside Christian 76, 3-WadenaDeer Creek 82, 4-Thief River Falls 96, 5-Hawley 102, 6-Pequot Lakes 160, 7-Northern Frazee 199, 8-Montevideo 202, 9-Pelican Rapids 222 Individual winner: 1-Katelyn Woldoch (St. Cloud Cathedral) 20:24.1 Verndale results: 47-Angelica Arroyo 26:28.1, 80-Amiyah Herner 36:32.8 Wadena-Deer Creek results: 12-Amber Collins 21:44.6, 13-Karly Haverkamp 21:56.5, 17-Cambrie Geiger 22:35.1, 19-Noelle Spicer 19, 23-Brielle Kern 22:46.1, 25-Lydia Oldakowski 23:13.1, 28-Annika Spicer 23:31.1 Next: Wadena-Deer Creek hosts Johanna Olson Invite at Whitetail Run Golf Course 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3.
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“The boys overcame injuries at the tail end of last season to peak well for both the conference and section meets,” he said. “They’ve been in a gradual building cycle for the past two seasons and hope to keep the trend going. Junior Grant Nelson not only made it as a state individual (placing 95th) last year, he also qualified in two running events in track (800 meters and mile).”
Other letterwinners besides Nelson are senior Tayton Lehmann, juniors Owen Anderson, Trevin Kern, Charles
Peterson and Evan Schmidt, sophomore Cooper Damlo and freshman Brennan Simmons.
Other boys who could contribute are junior James Seelhammer, freshman Jack Halverson-Bucholz and eighthg rader Lane Kaufman. Brunsberg is starting his 12th year as head coach. He is assisted by Terry Olson, who is a member of the state Cross-Country Coaches Hall of Fame.
The Wolverines were scheduled to open the season at Perham Saturday, Aug. 24, and then host the W-DC Memorial Invitational at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Schedule August
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