Above: The Crusader varsity boys work through the crowd at Norwood on Tuesday.
Tuesday it was all the way to Norwood for the Mankato Loyola/Cleveland Crusaders, but on Friday they were comfortably back on their home turf for the Crusader Invite.
“The meet Friday went very well,” said head coach Dale Compton. “Over half of our varsity athletes ran their personal best times. We were worried with the rain Friday morning that the course might be wet, but it turned out to be just fine.”
Behind TCU by 11 points, the Crusaders boys varsity team took second place at their own meet. With a 59, three points more than the Crusaders, Norwood-Young America was third. Martin County West was fourth with a 75, and St. Peter was fifth with a 121.
Nathan Strobel was fifth among the 47 runners with an 18:35.1 finish. The winning time was 17.12.5. Rounding out the Crusader top five were James Younge in ninth place with an 19:11.0, Jorden Rossow in 13th place with a 19:28.8, Sam Vetter in 14th place with a 19:30.0, and Corbin Deichman in 15th place with a 19:33.8. TJ Waldron was 20th with a 20:14.3.
Behind NYA with 66 points and GFW with 69 points, the Crusader girls were third with 79 points. St. Peter was fourth with 81, TCU was fifth with 87, and MCW was sixth, also with 87.
Molly Koester was first in for the Crusaders with a 23:09.1 finish for ninth place. Following directly behind her were Kathryn Huisken (23.33.1) and Grace Monson (23:44.5). Jewel Factor finished in 23rd place with a 26:18.7. Cora Koester rounded out the Crusader top five with a 26:47 finish for 26th place. There were 36 runners, and the winning time was 20:26.1.
In the junior high boys 3200 race, Thomas Soupir was first among the 14 runners with a 14:13. Matthew Soupir was third with a 14:26.3, and Mitchell Buboltz was fourth with a 14:26.6. Elijah Mons was sixth with a 15:02.7, Jack Sullivan was 10th with a 16:46.0, and Charlie Maxfield was 12th with a 17:44.6.
In the junior high girls 3200, Charlotte Kirshner was third with a 15:52.2, Valentina Rohlfing was fourth with a 16:37.9, and Anika Sathoff was sixth with a 17:55.0.
“Most of our junior high athletes ran their first 2-mile race ever, and they all had great days,” Compton said.
At Norwood
At the NYA Lions Invite, the Crusader varsity boys finished in sixth place of 17 teams. Individual results were as follows: Strobel (37th, 19:15.2), Rossow (38th, 19:15.6), Younge (39th, 19:20.2), Carter Zimmerman (44th, 19:35.6), Vetter (64th, 20:02.8), Andrew Buboltz (75th, 20:44.9) and Waldron (78th, 21:05.9). There were 120 runners, and the winning time was 15:45.10.
The Crusader varsity girls didn’t have enough for a team, but the individual results were as follows: Monson (48th, 24:10.91), Factor (91st, 27:37.78) and Koester (92nd, 27:37.82). There were 107 competing, and the winning time was 19:07.73.
For the JV boys, exchange student Oleguer Costales was second with a 19:11.97. The winning time among the 85 runners was 19:07.23.
In the junior high boys mile race, the Crusaders were fourth of six teams. Results: Soren Kelly (fourth, 5:47.2), Matthew Soupir (13th, 6:12.0), Mitchell Buboltz (21st, 6:22.0), Thomas Soupir (22nd, 6:25.0), Mons (25th, 6:36.8), Isaac Coudron (33rd, 7:32.9), Maxfield (35th, 7:51.9). The winning time among the 66 runners was 5:31.
In the junior high girls race, there were two complete teams, and the Crusader girls were second. Individual results were as follows: Kathryn Huisken (third, 6:37.5), Molly Koester (fourth, 6:41.4), Rohlfing, (seventh, 7:07.3), Charlotte Kirschner (eighth, 7:08.2), Sathoff (ninth, 8:05.4), Hannah Coudron (10th, 8:11.0). The winning time among the 35 runners was 6:23.01.
“The team is progressing well and we are getting ready for two races this week,” Compton said.
Today (Tuesday), the Crusaders travel to New Richland and Saturday, they participate in the populous Milaca Mega Meet.
Elijah Mons took sixth in the junior high boys race at Norwood.
Jewell Factor runs on the Loyola course on Friday.
Nathan Strobel was fifth at the Crusader Invite.
Jorden Rossow (right) was 13th at the Crusader Invite.
TJ Waldron on the Crusader course on Friday.
Valentina Rohlfing took seventh place overall at the Crusader Invite.
Charlie Maxfield runs on the Loyola course on Friday.
Anika Sathoff competes in the junior high race at the Crusader invite.