The Wadena-Deer Creek Girls cross country team ran out in front at the Park Region Conference Championships on Oct. 8 at the Whitetail Run Golf Course.
The Wolverines were all over the top 10 and cruised to the team title. They finished with 25 points, well ahead of the next closest competitor, Ottertail Central. The Bulldogs were second with 61 points. Pillager came in third with 98 points, while United North Central was fourth and Ashby/Brandon-Evansville came in fifth.
This year’s conference meet took on a new look due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Minnesota State High School League’s guidelines. This year’s race was run in three different waves of three teams to limit the amount of numbers on the course competing at once. The results were compiled after the final wave.
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The Wolverines had five runners receive Park Region All-Conference honors and another received honorable mention honors. The top 10 runners receive All-Conference, while the next five receive honorable mention honors.
United North Central’s Anjalie Aho finished first overall. She finished with a time of 19 minutes and 54.0 seconds. Wadena-Deer Creek’s Kira Sweeney returned to varsity competition with a second place finish. Sweeney finished with a time of 20:20.0 and led a trio of Wolverines across the line.
Amber Collins followed behind Sweeney with a time of 21:09.6 for third place. Johanna Brunsberg was right behind in fourth place. Brunsberg finished with a time of 21:14.7. New York Mills’ Bella Bauck rounded out the top five at 21:25.4.
Britta Sweeney earned All-Conference honors with a seventh place finish. She crossed the finish line at 22:38.6. Emma Mehl joined her teammates with an All-Conference ninth place finish. Mehl came in with a time of 22:46.7.
Emma Ries followed in 15th place, securing honorable mention honors. Ries finished with a time of 23:16.3.
Lily Parker rounded out the field for the Wolverines with an 18th place finish. She finished with a time of 23:24.6.
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Brunsberg, Mehl and Britta Sweeney set career personal records in the meet on their home course.
The Wolverines will compete in the Section 8A Championship on Oct. 14 in Bagley. The meet will be run in six waves. The first wave will begin at 11:15 a.m. and the final wave will run at 4:15 p.m. The times that each team will be competing have yet to be announced.
Park Region Conference Championships
Girls Team Results
Wadena-Deer Creek 25, Ottertail Central 61, Pillager 98, United North Central 101, Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 173, Parkers Prairie 180
Individual Top 10 and Wadena-Deer Creek Results
1 Anjalie Aho, UNC, 19:54.0; 2 Kira Sweeney, WDC, 20:20.0; 3 Amber Collins, WDC, 21:09.6; 4 Johanna Brunsberg, 21:14.7; 5 Bella Bauck, NYM, 21:25.4; 6 Jada Goeson, NYM, 21:52.5; 7 Britta Sweeney, WDC, 22:38.6; 8 Faith Fisher, OTC, 22:42.2; 9 Emma Mehl, WDC, 22:46.7; 10 Ady Tysdahl, 22:49.0; 15 Emma Ries, WDC, 23:16.3; 18 Lily Parker, WDC, 23:24.6.
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