Left: Kieran Scannell conserved energy for a strong finish at Swain, completing the hilly course with a personal best of 17:17.
The Swain Invitational Cross Country meet is the classic cross-country event in the Northland. It was started by John Swain, dean of Duluth high school running, and is celebrating its 59th anniversary. I remember watching it when I had barely heard of Grand Marais and Viking Cross Country was years in the future. Now the team was headed to the Swain for its 11th consecutive year, joining 80 teams and 2,500 runners from throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. The weather was typical Swain weather – cold, windy and rainy. At least it wasn’t snowing, as it has numerous years. We piled on the bus in the dark at 6:00 a.m., and our high school students soon stretched, trying to make up for the sleep they hadn’t gotten the night before at the homecoming dance. Most of the varsity runners slept on the bus until almost noon – I’m always amazed how they can sleep like that, curled up on the short, hard bus seats.
Our junior high kids didn’t have any such problems. They were wound up from 6:00 on. Even racing on the toughest, hilliest course in the state (except maybe our course at Pincushion), didn’t slow them much. Joey Chmelik led our young boys, placing 44th out of 150 in the three-kilometer (1.8 mile) race, with a fine time of 12:19. Daniel Ahrendt was next in 12:42, an improvement of almost two minutes from last year. Pete Summers was close behind in 13:02, Joe Rauzi next in 13:49, Ben Resek running 14:08 and Roman Schnobrich and Will Seaton running comfortably together in 16:25. Theyended up finishing 10th out of the 40 teams represented in the race.
Photos by Tom Peterson Above left: Molly Rider and Shelby Ahrendt encouraged one another in the girls’ varsity race.
Our young girls were off and racing soon after the boys. Rose Ingebrigtsen led them again, with a time of 14:19 for a solid top half finish. Steadily improving Audrey Summers was next in 15:01, with Kara Ramey a short way behind in 15:30. Mara MacDonell worked hard to stay with Kara, finishing in 15:44.
Our varsity and junior varsity runners had a bigger challenge than the younger kids. Theyhad to do laps on the course, both with two big climbs each lap. Encouraging our girls on the first lap, I missed Amber Fletcher, who periodically runs varsity for us. I wasn’t looking far enough up toward the leaders. As I spotted her on the second lap she had moved up to seventh place. She was passed in the finish by three runners rom Norwood-Young America, but still held on for 10th, earning a rare medal for us and running 19:26 for the tough 2.5 mile races, 1:30 faster than last year. Amber Todd was next in 22:18, a minute ahead of Katrina Axtell who also had a big improvement from last year. Sarah O’Phelan was next for the girls in 25:04, and Cheyenne Sorlie completed the girls’ team, running 27:39. The girls finished fifth in the JV team competition.
Above right: Sisters Ailee and Signe Larson moved through the pack of runners together at the Swain Invitational Cross Country meet on Saturday, October 3. Photo by Kelly Rauzi
Alex Ditmanson again led our JV boys, running 22:13 for 3.1 miles. His brother Daniel worked very hard to keep Alex in sight, and was rewarded with a 23:13 time, an improvement of two minutes from last year. Sebastian Schnobrich continued his steady improvement in his first year of running with a 27:22 finish.
As the varsity boys were warming up on the course, we discussed strategy. Watching the rest of the races, it was clear almost everyone was starting out too fast, putting themselves in big oxygen debt before they completed the first big hill about a half mile into the race. Our boys agreed to take the first climb easy and pick it up after they reached the top of the course.
Some of the parents and friends were pretty concerned when team leader Kieran Scannell came up the hill in about 50th place, behind the first four runners from Polar conference rival Esko. The rest of the varsity was similarly back in the pack. Everyone was a lot more relieved when Kieran came by on the second lap, having moved up to about 15th.
Then it got even better, as he set up a perfect finishing kick to pass everyone from Section 7A, including three guys that he had never beaten, to finish ninth in a personal best of 17:17, number four on our all-time list behind Reed Lehto, Dan Schield and Noah Prinsen, all of whom ran at state.
Meanwhile David Bergstrom and Drew Holmen worked together on the hills, and moved way up in the field. Drew nipped David at the finish in 19:00, a 45 second personal best. David was eight seconds behind, with teammate Josh Ensign recording a best of 19:34. Leif Gilsvik completed our team scoring, running 20:49, although freshman Ben Seaton pushed him with an excellent time of 21:15. Theboys finished a solid 12th in the 33-team field.
Finally, we woke up the last of our sleeping beauties, and we were ready for the girls’ varsity race. Among the other 30 teams entered was Esko, our major rival in the Polar League and in the Section 7A qualifier for State. And it looked like they had all their top girls in the varsity race, except their number four girl who also competes in soccer.
Up the first hill, freshman Signe Larson led teammates Ailee Larson and Sonja Peterson at a relatively conservative pace, like the boys had done. Michelle Weitz, Anna Schield, Shelby Ahrendt and Molly Rider were back in the middle of the pack.
Esko had its top four in front of us, but we knew that would change. As the Larson sisters moved up through the pack, Sonja hung tough a short distance back. Michelle and Anna were working together up the climbs, while Shelby faded a little back to Molly, who looked determined and in control.
At the finish, Esko was #1, ahead in 15th, with the Larson sisters a short way back in 18th and 19th. Thenit was Esko in 25th and 33rd, with Sonja 40th. Esko’s fourth runner was next in 78th, and we were behind at that point. Michelle and Anna came in together 20 seconds later to seal our best ever eighth place finish in the 30+-team event, right ahead of rival Esko.
It should be a real barnburner when they have all their best running, probably at the Polar League meet at Pincushion on Wednesday, October 14th at 1:00. Come on up and cheer your Viking runners on.
Come cheer
our Vikes!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:00 PM ·
Hom E Pincushion Mountain Polar Conference Meet
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