by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
Thief River Falls freshman Curtis Griffin ran his way to a 77th place finish in the Class AA Boys Race at the 2024 Minnesota State High School League Cross Country State Meet held Saturday, Nov. 2 at the University of Minnesota Golf Tournament.
“The MSHSL Cross Country State Meet was a beautiful day with surprising team finishes and great runs and finishes by all the individual runners,” said Thief River Falls Head Coach Natasha Reierson. “This was Curtis’ first year qualifying for the state meet. Curtis ran a 17:00.2 for the 5K, coming in 77th and top half of the AA race, placing better than he was seeded.”
Griffin is in rare company qualifying for state as a freshman.
“I am not sure the last time TRF has had a freshman qualify for the state meet,” Reierson said. “When Brenden [“Beezer”] Skime, who was one of the best runners ever to run for Thief River Falls, was running for Prowler Cross Country, the first year he qualified was as a sophomore, where he ran 17:01. The future is bright for Curtis and Prowler Cross Country. We are extremely Prowler Proud of Curtis and what he has been able to do in the last couple of years.”
Reierson noted that Griffin has gradually lowered his person record time over the past three years. In 2022, Griffin had a PR of 18:54. In 2023, it was 17:25, and this season, his PR was 16:48.
“The Boys team was so young this year and made such great strides with placing and times,” Reierson said. “It will be fun to see what they can do as a team in the future.”
Section 8AA was well-represented in the team standings. In the girls race, Section 8AA runner-up Alexandria pulled ahead of section champion Perham with the teams finishing second and third, respectively, behind St. Paul Highland Park.
The boys race was won by Marshall, which finished eight points better than Section 8AA boys team champion Perham, 73-81. Section 8AA boys runner-up Fergus Falls finished 11th.
Class AA State
Cross Country Meet
Girls Results
• Top 10 – 1. Grace Lewis-Mosher, Saint Paul Highland Park, 18:11.80; 2. Claire Vukovics, Saint Paul Highland Park, 18:22.30; 3. Macy Hanson, Fairmont, 18:24.30; 4. Annika Hall, Chisago Lakes Area, 18:25.80; 5. Lauren Eilers, Willmar, 18:28.50; 6. Cassie Wellman, Fergus Falls, 18:31.10; 7. Zili Lenzner, Saint Cloud Apollo, 18:37.10; 8. Keira Friedrich, Saint Peter, 18:39.30; 9. Mya Werner, Delano, 18:45.00; 10. Tara Hertling, Hibbing, 18:46.60.
• Team scores – 1. Saint Paul Highland Park 53; 2. Alexandria 86; 3. Perham 93; 4. Northfield 128; 5. Delano 189; 6. Saint Peter 192; 7. Hibbing 198; 8. Marshall 211; 9. Chisago Lakes Area 223; 10. Waseca 254; 11. Blake School (The) 262 ; 12. Becker 327; 13. Zimmerman 335; 14. Mound-Westonka 356; 15. Saint Anthony Village 388; 16. DeLaSalle 394.
Boys Results
• Top 10 – 1. Salvador (Sal) Wirth, Annandale, 15:15.00; 2. Bjorn Anderson, Perham, 15:16.40; 3. Owen Chapman, Orono, 15:21.20; 4. Sully Anez, Willmar, 15:37.50; 5. Jack Leuer, Big Lake, 15:50.00; 6. David Obst, Kasson-Mantorville, 15:54.00; 7. Charlie Loth, Saint Paul Como Park, 15:54.40; 8. Matt Jorgenson, Perham, 15:54.40; 9. Sam Deutz, Marshall, 15:54.70; 10. Henry Lemke, Eden Valley-Watkins, 16:04.60.
• TRF places – 77. Curtis Griffin 17:00.20.
• Team scores – 1. Marshall 73; 2. Perham 81; 3. Mankato East 109; 4. Saint Paul Como Park 137; 5. Winona 145; 6. Orono 154; 7. Becker 219; 8. Big Lake 233; 9. Saint Paul Highland Park 237; 10. Rockford 245; 11. Fergus Falls 254; 12. Blake School (The) 283; 13. Northfield 291; 14. Cloquet 305; 15. DeLaSalle 373;
16. Grand Rapids 389.
Class A Girls
• Top 5 Individuals – 1. Audrey Brownell, Staples-Motley18:17.20; 2. Charlotte Meyer, Mankato Loyola18:24.00; 3. Sonja Semling, Cotter Schools, 18:49.80; 4. Margaret Duffy, Saint John’s Preparatory School, 19:04.00; 5. Valerie Quast, Mankato Loyola, 19:05.10; 6. Sophia Stencel, Maple River, 19:07.50; 7. Olivia Pascuzzi, Chisholm19:09.70; 8. Anjalie Aho, Menahga,19:15.60; 9. Autumn Rakosnik, Lanesboro 19:29.90; 10. Kendra Swanson, Northwest Nighthawks, 19:30.80.
• Team scores – 1. Cotter Schools 116; 2. Redwood Valley 121; 3. Rochester Lourdes 150; 4. Menahga 157; 5. Hawley 164; 6. Saint Cloud Cathedral 165; 7. Staples-Motley 225; 8. Heritage Christian Academy 229; 9. Carlton 234; 10. Trinity School at River Ridge 235.
Class A Boys
• Top 10 Individuals – 1. Erik Semling, Cotter Schools 15:23.50; 2. Will Ahrens, Redwood Valley, 15:35.80; 3. Kilen Cilek, Redwood Valley, 15:49.50; 4. Eddie Snider, Mounds Park Academy, 15:50.40; 5. Lev Dougherty, Heritage Christian Academy, 16:01.10; 6. Ryan Littlefield, Cotter Schools, 16:02.80; 7. Kellen Groth, Cotter Schools, 16:03.00; 8. Charlie Larson, Pelican Rapids, 16:05.80; 9. Owen Winter, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 16:11.40; 10. Jacob Pfotenhauer, Heritage Christian Academy, 16:12.60.
• Team scores – 1. Redwood Valley 86; 2. Luverne 91; 3. Cotter Schools 122; 4. Lewiston-Altura 146; 5. Heritage Christian Academy 159; 6. Northwest Nighthawks 160; 7. Nova Classical Academy 198; 8. Sauk Centre 231; 9. Hawley 242; 10. Greenway 249; 11. Litchfield 260; 12. Mankato Loyola 281; 13. South Ridge 282; 14. Bertha-Hewitt 295; 15. Mountain Lake Area 303; 16. Park Rapids Area 338.
Class AAA Girls
• Top 5 Individuals – 1. Norah Hushagen, Forest Lake Area, 17:32.30; 2. Maddie Gullickson, Wayzata, 17:48.30; 3. Anna Vanacker, Forest Lake Area, 17:52.80; 4. Linnea Ousdigian, Mounds View, 18:00.50; 5. Lila Golomb, Wayzata, 18:04.80; 6. Layla Vennink, Prior Lake, 18:25.30; 7. Lyla Drayna, Edina, 18:26.40; 8. Avery Marasco-Johnson, Minnetonka, 18:27.50; 9. Evie Malec, Minnetonka, 18:32.80; 10. Jazleen Malherek-Osorio, Wayzata 18:37.30.
• Team Scores – 1. Wayzata 42; 2. Forest Lake Area 76; 3. Prior Lake 111; 4. Minneapolis Southwest 146; 5. Minnetonka 189; 6. Mounds View 201; 7. Saint Michael-Albertville 209; 8. Duluth East 229; 9. Roseville Area 260; 10. Farmington 266; 11. Eastview 276; 12. Brainerd 284; 13. White Bear Lake 304; 14. Eagan 324; 15. Saint Paul Central 330; 16. Owatonna 399.
Class AAA Boys
• Top 5 Individuals – 1. Robert Mechura, Roseville Area, 15:03.70; 2. Sean Fries, Minnetonka, 15:06.50; 3. Jace Haerter, Edina, 15:20.30; 4. Will Weber, Wayzata, 15:30.60; 5. Casey Poppler, Mounds View, 15:30.90; 6. Dylan Riniker, Stillwater, 15:46.10; 7. Elijah Donaldson, Eden Prairie, 15:47.40; 8. Alexander Haag, Wayzata, 15:48.60; 9. Caleb Dickel, Minneapolis Washburn, 15:51.20; 10. Owen Stuwe, Shakopee, 15:53.40.
• Top 10 Teams – 1. Edina 106; 2. Wayzata 112; 3. Minnetonka 119; 4. Mounds View 124; 5. Rosemount 129; 6. Stillwater 141; 7. Two Rivers 210; 8. Roseville Area 226; 9. Eden Prairie 229; 10. Lakeville South 250; 11. Bloomington Jefferson 268; 12. Duluth East 274; 13. Buffalo 275; 14. Blaine 293; 15. Lakeville North 346; 16. Saint Michael-Albertville 395.