Jerzie Finstad is state meet-bound. The Thief River Falls freshman extended her 2016 high school cross country season Thursday with a qualifying run in the Section 8AA girls race at Little Falls.
She finished 16th in a field of 108 runners. The top two teams and the top eight individuals not on those teams earned state meet spots. 
Finstad was the eighth of the eight individual qualifiers.
The Class A and AA boys and girls state cross country meet will be held Saturday, Nov. 5, at St. Olaf College in Northfield.
Section 8AA team titles went to the Willmar girls and Bemidji boys. It was the fourth championship in a row for the Cardinals and the second straight crown for the Lumberjacks.
Seniors Sophie Schmitz of Willmar and Tyler Moore of Little Falls were the individual winners.
The top three finishers in the girls race were all Willmar runners as the Cardinals finished with a whopping 21-101 spread over second place Brainerd.
Bemidji and Sartell St. Stephen tied atop the boys standings with 81 points each, but the tie-breaker went to the Lumberjacks. Top five runners produce the team point total, with the team’s No. 6 runner used to break ties.  
Senior Collin Smith was the No. 1 runner for the Thief River Falls boys with a 77th place run in a field of 112.
While the Prowlers finished back in the pack team-wise in both races, Thief River Falls coach Natasha Reierson was more than happy with the performances, reporting that personal-best times were turned in by Morgan Espe, Kathryn Kruta, Abigail Semanko, Brooklyn Brouse, Elainia Ballard, Blake Boen, Sam Mosbeck, Jayce Lizakowski and Smith.
“Nice work by our team today and this season,” said Reierson. “Thanks for everyone’s support.”
 
Section 8AA Girls
n Team totals – Willmar 21, Brainerd 101, Monticello 125, Becker 147, Alexandria 166, Sartell-St. Stephen 170, Moorhead 174, Bemidji 220, Rocori 232, St. Cloud Tech 262, Thief River Falls 330, St. Cloud Apollo 346, Detroit Lakes 351, Fergus Falls 364, Sauk Rapids-Rice 372, Little Falls 466.
n Top five individuals – 1. Sophie Schmitz, Willmar, 18:27; 2. Jessa Hanson, Willmar, 18:35; 3. Kayla Rudie, Willmar, 18:46; 4. Ingrid Buiceag-Arama, Sartell-St. Stephen, 18:54; 5. Sadie Hamrin, Bemidji, 18:55.
n Individual state qualifiers –  4. Buiceag-Arama; 5. Hamrin; 7. Bethany Miller, Alexandria, 18:57; 8. Allison Hendrickson, Becker, 19:00; 12. Aleah Miller, Alexandria, 19:13; 13. Lexi Dehmer, Becker, 19:20; 15. Colette Jemming, Sartell-St. Stephen, 19:23; 16. Jerzie Finstad, TRF, 19:23.
n Other TRF places – 43. Brooklyn Brouse, 20:49; 89. Abigail Semanko, 22:39; 90. Elaina Ballard, 22:42; 93. Kathryn Kruta, 22:47; 94. Morgan Espe, 22:50; 109. Maryssa Mehrkens, 29:08.
Section 8AA Boys
n Team totals – Bemidji 81, Sartell-St. Stephen 81, Detroit Lakes 128, Willmar 129, Alexandria 138, Little Falls 153, Moorhead 178, Rocori 188, Brainerd 204, St. Cloud Apollo 217, St. Cloud Tech 330; Becker 348, Sauk Rapids-Rice 362, Monticello, 378, Fergus Falls 414, Thief River Falls 450.
n Top five individuals – 1. Tyler Moore, Little Falls, 16:04; 2. Isaac Berg, Bemidji, 16:04; 3. Keaton Gruber, Alexandria, 16:24; 4. Ryan Fernholz, Sartell-St. Stephen, 16:25; 5. Alex Nemeth, Sartell-St. Stephen, 16:26.
n Individual state qualifiers –  1. Moore; 3. Gruber; 6. Hunter Zupko, Little Falls, 16:26; 7. Aaron Johnson, Detroit Lakes, 16:29; 9. Brent Heinen, Rocori, 16:34; 10. Mason Wendt, Willmar, 16:35; 11. Matt Cherne, Brainerd, 16:36; 12. Eric Gibbons, Moorhead, 16:37.
n TRF places – 77. Collin Smith, 18:25; 80. Sam Mosbeck, 18:28; 84. Jayce Lizakowski, 18:26; 100. Blake Boen, 19:26; 111. Cooper Sorvig, 19:52; 112. Brody Jesme, 19:52.