While the both Clipper football team and volleyball team are both hoping to clinch a state tournament berth, as members of the Loyola-Cleveland-St. Clair Crusader cross country teams, Cleveland students Charlotte Meyer and Griffin Rutz have already punched their ticket to a state meet.
Casey Olson’s Crusaders celebrated their state trip with a pep fest in the new gym this afternoon.
As decisive winners of the section meet, which was held in Norwood-Young-America last Thursday, Meyer and the entire Crusader girls team qualified for state. In seventh place, Rutz’s seventh-place finish earned him the right to race as state.
Leading up to state, the girls team was 10-0 against Class A teams and overall winners in seven of the 10 meets. Breaking it down, the Crusaders beat 89 teams over the 10 meets and lost to seven, all Class AA or AAA schools. They were 59-0 against Class A teams.
This is the Crusader girls fourth-in-a-row trip to state. Last year, they finished third, their best placing ever. Meyer, their top runner was fourth overall.
The girls are ranked third this year, and Meyer fourth overall.
The state meet, which will be held on Saturday (November 7), has a new venue this year: Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake, MN. The Class A girls race starts at 12:15 p.m. while the boys race starts at 1:00 p.m.
Above: Competing in the state cross country meet on Saturday will be Crusader girls team members Charlotte Meyer, Brooks Waagner, Riley Quigley, Lila Quast, Kaitlyn Anderson, Gisele McCabe, Reese Mueller and alternates Lily Phillips and Charlotte Kirschner and, representing the Crusader boys, Griffin Rutz.
Head coach Casey Olson introduced the Crusaders and talked about their success this season.