Wayzata sweeps on a big day for Minnesota at NXR Heartland

By Doug Binder and Paul Schmitz of DyeStat

YANKTON, S.D. -- A banner year for girls in Minnesota resulted in a dominant afternoon Sunday at the Heartland Nike Cross Regional meet. 

Girls from Minnesota took the top eight spots in the regional championship as well as the top three team spots. Wayzata and Edina earned the automatic team qualifying slots.

Wayzata put six runners across the finish line at 18:22 or better on a fast 5,000-meter track that had frozen overnight. One-two punch Emma Atkinson and Caroline Sassan placed fifth and seventh in 17:15 and 17:17.

Ahead of them, Minnesota state champions from Class A (Tierney Wolfgram of Math & Science Academy) and Class AA (Emily Covert of Washburn) dueled for the regional title. Wolfgram pulled away late and dipped under the meet record with 16:48. Covert was second in 16:55. Anna Fenske of Farmington MN was third in 17:05 and seventh-grader Lauren Ping of Cotter MN was fourth in 17:07. Grace Ping, Lauren's older sister, is injured and did not run. Lauren Peterson of Farmington got the last individual qualifying spot.

Edina MN was nearly as impressive as Wayzata in securing the second automatic team berth. Emily Kompelien finished between Wayzata's top two. Edina's scoring five all ran 18:31 or faster. 

Covert's Washburn team, which didn't qualify for the state meet because it was aced out by Wayzata and Edina at regionals, finished third in the Heartland. 

The No. 5-ranked Wayzata boys went out hard but trailed Pleasant Valley IA at the mile. Led by Khalid Hussein, Wayzata asserted itself in the second mile and went on to take the victory as expected with 114 points.

Middleton WI surged up into second place but Jack Radar, a team leader who has been injured much of the year, lost about 20 spots in the final kilometer. But Radar had done enough, and Middleton got the second auto berth (134 points), ahead of Dowling Catholic IA (Maroons XC 153 points) and Edina MN (168 points).

Wisconsin D1 state champion Drew Bosley of Homestead overtook Wayzata's Hussein with more than 100 meters left and won the regional title in 14:53.6. Hussein, who made a bold move and took the lead from 800 out, faded a bit at the end and South Dakota champion Derick Peters slipped by him just before the finish chute. Wesley Schiek of Oshkosh North WI was the fourth runner under 15 minutes, in 14:59.8. 

Matthew Meinke of Neenah WI and Acer Iverson of Roseville MN were fifth and sixth to earn qualifying spots to NXN.