LoW Cross Country runners begin season

News Release
LoW High School

Bemidji Cross Country Meet
Friday, September 8 @ Maple Ridge Golf Course, Bemidji

Varsity Girls (4000 meters)
Madie Heinrich, 14th, 16:36
Jennie Buegler, 42nd, 19:10
Katie Laugtug, 44th, 19:11
Jennifer Blodgett, 50th, 19:32* (-18 sec PR)
Jamie Mollberg, 53rd, 20:27* (Auto PR)
Karlie Eaton, 57th, 22:46
Becca Ney, 58th, 22:47* (Auto PR)
60 Total Runners
Varsity Girls Team Score
Brainerd, 36
Bemidji, 39
Grand Rapids, 51
Crosby-Ironton, 130
United North Central, 144
LWRR, 163
Bagley-Fosston, INC

Varsity Boys (5000 meters)
Timo Brielmann, 40th, 20:30
Kevin Gubbels, 42nd, 20:35* (Auto PR)
Taylor Poole, 53rd, 21:26
Jason Kratzke, 66th, 21:57* (Auto PR)
Brandon Knutson, 71st, 22:25
76 Total Runners
Varsity Boys Team Scores
Brainerd, 25
Bemidji, 43
Grand Rapids, 69
Crosby-Ironton, 102
LWRR, 157
United North Central, 164

Coaches Comments:
Near-perfect weather conditions, sunny, mid-60s, light breeze.
It’s no surprise senior Madie Heinrich lead the Bears with her top-15 finish, placing 14th with a time of 16 minutes, 36 seconds. Although slower than 2005‚s end-of-the-season race on the same course, she ran more than a minute faster than this time last year and is ready to keep pushing toward that sub-16 barrier. Fellow senior Jennifer Blodgett picked up where she left off last season by logging an 18-second personal record, PR, in her first race of the year. She finished 50th in 19:32.
“As captains, these two really showcased their talents and proved they can lead by example. It”s going to be fun to watch the improvements throughout the season.”
Freshmen Jamie Mollberg and Becca Ney survived the first of many 4000-meter races, recording automatic PRs for the distance.
Junior Canadian Timo Brielmann paced the boys with a 40th place finish in 20 minutes, 30 seconds - almost two minutes faster than this time last year. Sophomore Taylor Poole followed his captain‚s lead by recording a time nearly three minutes faster than his first race last season. Seniors Kevin Gubbels and Jason Kratzke turned in respectable first-time performances, as well.
“We only had five boys racing today, so to already put in faster times than early last year and to get a race under the new boys‚ belts - was a great start.”
Felicia Schmutz, Andrew Friesen, Dylan Davis, and Ryan Cooper will join the team in Warroad Cross Country Meet
Monday, September 11 @ Warroad Estates Golf Course, Warroad

Boys Junior High (3200 meters)
Ryan Cooper, 33rd, 15:52
No Team Score

Varsity Girls (4000 meters)
Madie Heinrich, 6th, 16:51
Jennie Buegler, 18th, 18:53
Katie Laugtug, 19th, 18:54
Felicia Schmutz, 24th, 19:19 (Auto PR)
Jennifer Blodgett, 30th, 19:51
Jamie Mollberg, 35th, 20:42
Becca Ney, 43rd, 21:31 (-1:16 PR)
Varsity Girls Team Score
Grafton (ND), 33
International Falls, 73
LWRR, 97
Warroad, 102
Roseau, 111
3 Incomplete Teams

Varsity Boys (5000 meters)
Andrew Friesen, 4th, 17:32
Dylan Davis, 6th, 18:05
Timo Brielmann, 23rd, 20:26
Taylor Poole, 24th, 20:27 (-2 second PR)
Kevin Gubbels, 26th, 20:41
Jason Kratzke, 32nd, 21:53 (-4 second PR)
Brandon Knutson, 33rd, 22:30
Varsity Boys Team Scores
Warroad, 30
International Falls, 52
LWRR, 83
East Grand Forks, 98
Grafton (ND), 99
Two Incomplete Teams

Coaches Comments:
Sunny, clear and hot.
Eighth grader Ryan Cooper came within 30 seconds of his personal record (PR) in Warroad, finishing nearly three minutes faster than this race last season ˆ 15 minutes, 52 seconds ˆ in the boys junior high race.
Junior Andrew Friesen paced the Bears to a third place team finish in the boys varsity race. He placed 4th in 17:32 - 9 seconds faster than this race last year . Senior Dylan Davis proved he put in his summer miles by running most of the race with Friesen, finishing 6th in a time of 18:05. Davis‚ time was faster than any race last year and an excellent start to the new one.
Junior Timo Brielmann pulled sophomore teammate Taylor Poole to a new PR Monday, and the duo finished just one second apart in 20:26 and 20:27. Poole‚s time was almost three minutes faster than his 2005 Warroad race. Senior Kevin Gubbels was only 14 second back, in 20:41.
Senior Madie Heinrich‚s top-ten finish in Warroad helped the girls capture third place team honors, as well. She finished 6th in 16:51. She and Jennifer Blodgett were the only varsity girls to have run this course last year, Blodgett improving her time by almost 2 minutes. Our group of freshman girls is making great early-season strides, with Jennie Buegler and Katie Laugtug working together to come in under 19 minutes, and Jamie Mollberg and Becca Ney testing out new race strategies. Newcomer Felicia Schmutz‚s 19:16 finish put her solidly in the team‚s top five in her first varsity race.
This is the closest we get to a home meet for the year, so it was nice to see so much improvement since this time last year and from the new runners out for the team this year.
Seniors Rosie Boucha, Libby Swenson, and Vincent Scott will join the team the Bagley meet Tuesday, Sept. 19.