Left: Thee members of the girl’s cross country team, (L-R) Morgan Wyrens- Welch, Abigail Seipke and Maya McHugh are one year older and stronger then they were when this picture was taken last fall. Below: (L-R) Will Seaton, Sean McDonell, and Nate Carlson all look to be strong runners for the 2013 boys’ varsity cross country team.
Cook County High School Head Cross Country Coach April Wahlstrom said her boys’ and girls’ teams will be young this year, but “They were motivated to run this summer, maybe not every day, and some just once a week, but it’s the most motivated group I’ve had. It’s really nice to see.”
The boys’ team will be led by senior captain Joey Chmelik and two sophomores, Will Seaton and Sean MacDonell, while girls’ co-captains senior Audrey Summers and sophomore Matea Acero and an eighth-grader, Maya McHugh, look to lead the girl’s team—at least early on, said Wahlstrom.
“We need to appoint one more captain for the boys’ team, but we won’t do that until school starts,” Wahlstrom said.
Practice opened last week with a four-day training camp at Tuscarora Lodge on the Gunflint Trail. “We had 18 kids attend camp. We ran in the mornings and did aqua jogging in the afternoons or played games. …we did some good bonding. At the end of camp we ran a time trial. Kids ran a 5k or 4k or ran 1½ miles depending on where they will race,” Wahlstrom said, adding, “The parents were great. They came up and cooked meals and helped a lot.”
Also on the girls’ team are Sophie Honeder, Danielle Hansen, Mel Stoddard, Abigale Seipke, Ruby Walsberg, Morgan Weyrens-Welch, Marin Hay, Julia Larsen, Alyssa Martinson, Jasmine Swenson, Molly Thomas, Linnea Hendrickson, Daphne Lacina and Lynden Blomberg.
Besides the top three boys, other members include Drew Christiansen, Owen Cruikshank, Nate Carlson, Rusty Day, Everett Hommes, Roman Schnobrich, Pete Summers, Jake Bilben, Kiviok Hight, Andy Kern, Ezra Lunde, Caleb Phillips, Finn Garry, Jake Paron and Will Ramberg.
Once again, because Two Harbors doesn’t have a varsity team, several runners from the Agate City will compete with Cook County. Wahlstrom said Two Harbors’ runner Kiviok Height, an eighthgrader, will start out running in junior high races but, “It wouldn’t surprise me if he moves up to varsity. He’s really talented,” she said.
Currently seven volunteer coaches are assisting Wahlstrom: Beth Shield, Ethan Sheburt, Chris and Anne Hegg, Jay Arrowsmith-Decoux, Jennifer Nelson and Keri Bilben, and at least one other person has indicated they want to help out, said Wahlstrom.
At press time the Vikings were at their first meet at Pincushion Mountain on Thursday, August 29, with results to follow next week. The cross country team has a race every week with the next home meet, the Polar League Conference meet, held at Pincushion on Wednesday, October 9. The first race will begin at 1 p.m.
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