Plenty to celebrate at State run

On a beautiful Saturday morning, hundreds of Minnesota's top high school cross country runners raced across the University of Minnesota Les Bolstad golf course as part of the Minnesota State High School Cross Country Meet. With the temperature in the 50s, it was the perfect day for running and spectators, said Carlton/Wrenshall coach Brenda Knudsen.

But the rolling hills of the course created some challenges.

"There were not a lot of PRs (personal records) with all those hills. It's not a fast flat course," Knutson said.

Her girls team had their best finish in their fourth trip to State, taking ninth place out of 16 teams, their first top 10 finish.

"I was really excited about that," Knudsen said.

Cloquet sophomore Evan Rothamel was the top Carlton County runner at the state meets Saturday, coming in 27th place in Class AA. In his second trip to State in only two years of cross country, Rothamel came in 43 places higher and a minute and 25 seconds faster than last year, running the 5K in 16 minutes, 22.7 seconds.

The Cloquet sophomore was almost a minute, nine seconds behind Saturday's champion,

Annandale senior Sal Wirth, who finished in 15:15.

Rothamel, who switched from football last year, said he started this season in better running shape. "Last year I was just trying to get used to running and chemistry with my team," he said.

He started this season in better shape and with more confidence to run his own race each time - which generally means pacing just behind the top two runners and saving some kick for the end. He improved his best time in a race by 15 seconds at State.

It helps that he is strong on hills and knew how to tackle the State course after last year's race.

"State is very intense with the bigger crowds and kind of nerve wracking," Rothamel said. "I just tried to block out the noise and run my own race."

Cloquet junior Andrew Shepherd also ran a strong race, finishing in 57th place in 16:43.5.

Shepherd also recorded his best time at State. Experience is definitely a bonus in a race like that, said Cloquet head coach Chandra Allen.

"Everybody is fast, it's much more crowded, but [Evan and Andrew] were able to get out and get in a good position and hold it," Allen said. "Some of our other runners kind of got squished in. It's hard to regain momentum when it's such a tightly packed race."

Rothamel missed being an All-State runner by only a

couple places, she said.

Other Cloquet runners finished in the following order (only the top five count toward the team score) at State, which had a field of 159 runners:

111th: Junior Ellis Allen (17:25.9)

129th: Junior Ethan Lavan (17:45.6)

148th: Senior Mike Kruse (18:26.2)

150th: Senior Ian Berube (18:30.2)

Sophomore Jase Bell did not finish.

Coach Allen said the future is bright for Cloquet. The boys team graduates four seniors: Kruse, Berube, Gage Allen (an alternate on this year's team) and Ace Vang.

"Most of our team is returning, which is exciting," she said.

Class A girls

Cromwell-Wright seventh grader Ari Dahl had a banner day on her first trip to State, placing 39th in the girls Class A meet Saturday with a time of 20:04.8. Dahl was the top Carlton County girls finisher Saturday.

Staples-Motley junior Audrey Brownell was the Class A champion, winning in a time of 18:17.2.

Carlton/Wrenshall runners finished the race in the following order (the top five count toward the team score) in the 159-runner field:

57th: Junior Ruth Sandstrom (20:29.1)

59th: Junior Isabel Riley 28 (20:31.9)

60th: Sophomore Brielle Simula (29 20:33.7)

111th: Senior Sara Cid (21:44.6)

135th: Senior Shealee Gunderson (22:40.3)

139th: Sophomore Teagen Tessier (22:53.3)

145th: Junior Nadia Tessier (23:25.7)

Raptors coach Knudsen said Ruth and Isabel ran "cool and solid." Her top three runners from the section finished in the same order at State, and very close together.

"They didn't have any PRs, but they ran close to their best times, very solid races. Brielle and Sarah have been consistent in scoring for the team in both sections and state the last four years - that is exclusive to those two," Knudsen said. "Great consistency."

She also called out Gunderson and the Tessier sisters for running strong races.

"I was proud of them all," Knudsen said.

That goes for the two Raptors boys, too. Senior David Tuttle - who finished the section race in ninth with a sprained ankle - placed 94th in a time of 17:43.9. Ninth-grader Anders Erickson came in 67th place in a time of 17:26.8.

"The first time at State is overwhelming. It's just huge," said Knudsen, adding that both boys "kept their cool and raced solid."

Knudsen said the race was bittersweet, as it was the last for her daughter, Sarah Cid, and other seniors. She called Tuttle "one of the hardest working, most humble" kids, and a leader who encourages others.

"He pushed Anders to be his best and get section runner up," she said of Tuttle. "That's a special relationship and David is a true leader."

While she will miss her seniors enormously, Knudsen is excited for next year's possibilities.

"It is my honor to coach this team," she said. "These kids and their parents are the best. I love coaching them."