The Britton-Hecla cross country season is already winding down with just one regular season meet remaining prior to the Region 1A meet in Webster next week Wednesday.
The local runners competed at Sisseton on Thursday and hosted the Eastern Coteau Conference Meet on Monday. Coach Stephanie Symens’ crew will run in the Northeast Conference Meet in Webster on Thursday as a tuneup for the regional on the same course on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
“It is crazy that we are wrapping up another cross country season,” said Symens. “The runners are hitting their stride and we are in a great spot to finish the season strong. At Sisseton all 11 of our runners placed and it was great for our sixth grade runners to all place during their last race. The ECC meet was also a great day with Livia Knecht and Joseph O’Brien both placing. We are right where we want to be at this point in the season.”
O’Brien placed third in the boys varsity bracket at the ECC meet with a 19:52 clocking over the 5,000-meter course and Knecht was seventh in the girls varsity race at 23:40.3. Grace Folkman was third in the JV girls race over the 3,000-meter course in 14:40.6 and Avery Leonard was eighth with a 17:38.7 effort.
Great Plains Lutheran was the only boys team that fielded a full squad to take the ECC crown, while Florence-Henry topped the girls field with 10 points, followed by Tri-State at 15 and Great Plains Lutheran at 21.
At Sisseton O’Brien as 11th in the boys varsity race with a time of 19:50.8. In the girls varsity event Knecht was 10th in 23:24.6 and Lillian Boyko 15th in 28:20.6.
Deuel took the boys varsity title with 11 points, followed by Sisseton with 15, Sargent Central-Lidgerwood-Oakes 37, Webster Areaa 38, and Tri-State 53. In the girls varsity race Florence-Henry was tops at 12, Sargent Central-Lidgerwood-Oakes 19, Deuel 25, Tri-State 34, and Webster Area 35.
Folkman was sixth in the JV girls r ace with a 23:05.4 effort and Leonard was ninth in 25:39.6.
The middle school boys placed second with 18 points behind Sisseton’s 17. Tri-State was third at 27 and Webster Area 29. Jase Stelzer placed second at 12:59.4, Hezekiah O’Brien fifth in 13:07.1, Reeve Knecht 14th in 14:41.1, Tripp Hagen 16th in 15:55.2, Mark Folkman 18th in 17:09.7, and Leo Schuller 19th in 17:30.7.
