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The North Shore Storm Girl’s cross country team poses for a fun team picture following sections. Starting on the bottom left to right: Olya Wright, Lexi Surbaugh, Jocelyn Carr, Lamar Gordon. Middle: Sierra Geatz, Brianna Monson, London Smith. Top: Ryleigh Thorpe. Photo courtesy of Greg Wright
Two girls, Olya Wright and Lamar Gordon, and two boys, Ian Thorpe and Cyrus Myers, qualified to run at the state cross country meet next week, but North Shore Storm Head Coach April Wahlstrom called the Section 7AA state qualifying meet “bittersweet” for a good reason.
The boys’ and girls’ teams placed third in the competition, with the top two teams qualifying for state.
For the boys, it was by the narrowest of margins.
“Our boys finished in 3rd place (by 1 point) behind Rock Ridge and Grand Rapids. . .” said Coach Wahlstrom, adding, “Our girls finished in 3rd place behind Hibbing and Rock Ridge.”
Still, Olya Wright ran her fastest time of the year for the 5k (3.1 miles) and finished in third place. Olya crossed the finish line in 19:45.2, only ten seconds behind first place. Lamar Gordon placed 10th with a time of 20:43.3 to also qualify for state. The North Shore Storms’ other finishers were Sierra Geatz, 21st (21:18.2); Jocelyn Carr finished 23rd (21:24.1); London Smith, placed 30th (21:59.1); Lexi Surbaugh was, 33rd (22:04.2) and Brianna Monson placed 46th with a time of 22:41.2.
Oyla Wright (9201) battles for the lead.
The Hibbing girls won the team title with 47 points. Rock Ridge was second with 51 points, and North Shore placed third with 87 points. North Shore finished above eight other large school teams in the Section 7AA race held on the Hibbing golf course on Thursday, October 27.
The state meet will be held at St. Olaf College on November 6.
Boys place third
One teeny-weeny point separated Grand Rapids and North Shore. If one of the North Shore boys’ first five runners passed one Grand Rapid runner in the race, the boys would be going to state, and Grand Rapids would be on the outside looking in.
North Shore’s Ian Thorpe, a senior, placed third with a time of 16:57.8 to earn a trip to state. Senior Cyrus Myers took 12th to also qualify for state. Cyrus ran the course in 17:45.2. Next, Elijah Smith placed 27th (18:26.7); Tristan Surbaugh took 29th (18:30.1); Brayden Schmidt placed 35th (18:49.2); Nick Swartz finished 36th (18:50.2), and Clay Thorpe finished 46th with a time of 19:06.3.
Rock Ridge ran away with the team title with 25 points. Grand Rapids placed second with 104, and the North Shore Storm finished third with 105 points. Rock Ridges star runner Cameron Stocke crushed the field by over a minute. Stocke ran the 5k course in 15:55.2 to beat Miles Fischer of Cloquet, who was second in 16:50.1.
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