Runners get season ramped up with an unofficial race

Although it isn't an official meet, the annual races at Chub Lake mark the start of cross-country for area teams, who converge on the park in their favorite running clothes (or just their shorts) for a scenic run with teammates and future competitors.

Cloquet senior Jordan Allen dominated the preseason meet last Thursday, Aug. 22, coming in at least 40 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Cloquet junior Benjamin Bauer also finished in the top 10, taking sixth place, while a large group of Cloquet boys finished in the top 20, including senior Dennis Osvold, sophomores Cale Prosen and Sam Buytaert, juniors A.J. Maijala and Josh Sanders, and freshman Miles Fischer. Senior Jessie Bahen didn't run, but he's expected to contribute.

"It is fun and it's a great experience, especially for the middle school runners, who learn about cross-country, what goes on during a meet, how to warm up, and what the flags mean," said first-year head coach Chandra Allen.

The girls team will look to three-time state runner Lauren Cawcutt to lead, but will have a mix of both experienced and new runners on the team, with junior Kellie Martin, freshman Charlotte Ripp and senior Phoebe Beiri returning with experience.

At Chub Lake, sophomore Harmony Tracey was the first Cloquet girl across the line, followed by fellow sophomore Amelia Allen. Both girls are relatively new to cross-country, but have hit the ground running.

The Lumberjack boys team will be trying to make it back to the state tournament for the fourth straight season. That will come with challenges this year, as Cloquet lost Blaine Bong and Aiden Ripp to graduation.

Cloquet's first official meet is Thursday, Sept. 5 at Nemadji when grades 9-12 will compete in the Dan Conway classic.

"It's going well," coach Allen said of her first time coaching the Cloquet team. "It's been a lot of fun. We have a lot of kids out again."

Carlton/Wrenshall

This year's boys and girls cross-country teams from Carlton and Wrenshall are looking forward to a fun and exciting 2019 fall season. "We have a lot of returning runners that have a lot of experience, which should really be a benefit for us this season," coach Brenda Knudsen said.

In its second year as a combined squad, Carlton-Wrenshall will feature several runners from a season ago with a lot of experience.

Four seniors will lead the boys team this year, including Kaden Olesen, Tim Swenson, Ben Talarico and Spencer Hoeffling, with Hoeffling leading the senior group. He finished 15th in the fun meet at Chub Lake last Thursday.

Olesen was the top runner on last year's team, finishing 41st in the 7A Sectional meet in Cloquet, with Hoeffling and sophomore Trent Bagne close behind.

"This team has fun together. They work hard and truly want to see every member do well," head coach Erik Holter said. "The biggest strength is having our veterans be the leaders they are for our younger and first-time runners. They've really stepped up in that role."

Bagne placed seventh in the Chub Lake preseason meet. He will be one of two 10th-graders on the team, along with three juniors, James and Ben Hille and Seth Mlodozyniec.

"I think our biggest challenge is finding ways to convince our athletes to seek out their own potential and to push themselves to greater things beyond their expectations," Holter said. "The hope is that the mentality bleeds into all aspects of their lives."

The girls team will be without last year's head coach Dalyce Gustafson, who moved to California. Brenda Knudsen is the new head coach for the girls.

The girls team will feature three seniors, led by Ashley Hart (who finished 13th in the meet at Chub Lake), Alexis Schmidt and Leah Bethke. Three juniors should also have an impact on this season's team: Elizabeth Hey, Emma Cid and Sam Nyberg.

Emma Cid was the team's highest finisher in last fall's sectional meet followed by Morgan Laveau and Abby Cid.

Sophomores Maria Hille, Abbie Resberg and Laveau, and freshman Abby Cid will also contribute this season. Abby finished in 14th place in the varsity preseason meet last week.

"This team has incredible potential for not only earning spots on the awards podium, but also aiding in bringing the two communities closer together through showing what can be accomplished when we work together."

Cromwell-Wright

With plenty of experience, coach Pete Koenig says the Cardinals expect a strong season.

Cromwell-Wright returns several key runners from last year's team, which finished fourth in the section meet, including seniors Micah Pocernich, a long-time team veteran, Cameron Dickey, who took fourth at the Chub Lake meet, and Ben Hansen, who ran in the state meet for track just last spring in the 400-meter dash. Ninth-grader Noah Foster, the top finisher for the Cardinals at Chub Lake last week, is also predicted to be a strong member of the team. Sophomore Nathan Eliason is also looking to make big strides from last year, and Gage and Garrett Jones are also expected to help lead the team.

The Cardinals girls team will have five returning letter winners on the girls' side of the program:

Aurora Gervais, Madison Running, Elisabeth Kachinske, Marcie Lind and Katie Bergin.

Emaleigh Olesiak, who took fourth at the Chub Lake meet, and senior Amber Collman are also expected to contribute to the team's success.

"This is probably the biggest group we've ever had" explained Koenig, who will have around 26 athletes on the team this year. Koenig highlighted the best part about having the big team is the depth and flexibility it gives him. "With our experience, I think that we have a strong shot at a place down at the state meet."

Esko

Esko will look to replace four seniors from a year ago, including three-time state participant Sam Rengo.

Jeremiah Foucault, Jonah Randah, Nate Rengo and Dylan Edlund will be four of the leaders on the boys' side, along with Zach Erkilla and Michael Cornell, while the girls' program will feature one of the youngest squads in the area.

The girls' program will have sophomores Grace Hrabik and Grace Shingledecker, eighth-graders Simone Anderson and Sophie Juntunen and four junior runners with Haley Mullen, Madelyn Haapala, Allison Thornton and Kaitlyn Salmela all expected to contribute.