The North Shore Storm girls’ cross country team had a great section meet, placing fourth out of 16 teams. Because of COVID-19 there will be no state cross country meet this year. Based on her place at sections, Senior Cedar Gordon would have qualified as an individual for state. Staff photo/Brian Larsen
Head Coach April Wahlstrom called the Section 7A cross country results “bittersweet,” because her team ran so well but finished fourth in a very competitive and close team race.
Still, in an email to her team, Coach Wahlstrom noted, “You gals ran great! You were ahead of several teams that were supposed to beat us!”
The section meet was held Monday, October 12, at the Cloquet Country Club.
When each of the teams’ first five runner places were added up, Pequot Lakes led all cross country squads with 101 points. Nipping right on their heels was Proctor, who finished with 105 points. Virginia placed third with 116, and only two points back was the “Storm,” with 118 points.
The North Shore Storm managed to beat 12 teams in the meet, which was no easy feat!
Calia Chaney, a ninth-grader from Pequot Lakes, was the individual winner. Calia’s winning effort was 18:48, and she finished almost one full minute ahead of runner up Keegan McAuliffe of Marshall.
Leading the North Shore Storm was senior Cedar Gordon, who placed 12th. Her time for the 5k (3.1 miles) was 21:00.4. Autumn Smith, a junior, finished 14th, seven seconds behind Cedar and Lamar Gordon, Cedar’s younger sister, crossed the line in 16th place with a time of 21:20. Steadily improving ninth-grader, Olya Wright ran 22:19 to earn 37th place, and Louise Ramberg, a senior, was the North Shore Storm’s fifth runner, finishing the race in 22:24 to take 39th place.
The North Shore Storm’s sixth runner was senior Malin Anderson, who clocked 23:01 to finish 54th, and Anna Hay, a junior, was the team’s seventh runner. Anna crossed the line at 25:58 to place 94th.
Although the sixth and seventh runners don’t score for their teams, if they beat any other team’s top five runners, it improves their team’s chances of scoring higher in the meet.
Because of COVID-19, there will be no state meet this year. If there had been a state meet, Cedar Gordon would have qualified as an individual. Just qualifying, however, is an honor and great tribute to this hard working senior.
Varsity Boys
The next day, Head Coach April Wahlstrom took her varsity boys’ team back to the Cloquet Country Club to run the boys’ half of the section meet.
Once again, Pequot Lakes won the team title, finishing with 67 points. The North Shore Storm placed fifth with 170 points in a field of 23 teams.
Two-time defending state cross country champion Geno Urban had little trouble with the competition, running away from the field and winning with a time of 15:58. Sophomore Cameron Stocke from Virginia was second, clocking 16:28.
Isaac Swanson led the North Shore Storm with his 16th place finish. Isaac ran the 5K distance in 17:57. Nate Bilben was right behind Isaac, finishing 19th in 18 minutes. Ian Thrope clocked 18:44 and placed 34th while Tate Crawford crossed the line in 19:01 and finished 46th. Clay Thorpe, an eighth-grader, finished in 55th place with a time of 19:19. Seniors Kevin Viren (19:58) and Jack Willis (20:06) placed 70th and 76th.
“We had another amazing day today,” said Coach Wahlstrom. “Our boys put forth a wonderful effort! We have a very good section, and our team competed well.”
“Congratulations to both the boys and the girls for a wonderful season! It was a success in so many ways!”
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