Cross-Country: NLS Wildcat girls fend off Minnewaska Lakers for the win

MELROSE — New London-Spicer held off Minnewaska to win the girls championship at the Melrose Invitational in cross-country action Tuesday at Meadowlark Country Club. The Wildcats girls finished with 40 points, beating Minnewaska’s 66 and Wadena-Deer Creek’s 72. Litchfield was fifth with 151.

NLS had the top two finishes in the girls’ race. Kyla Vick won the 5-kilometer race in 19 minutes, 46.2 seconds.



Behind her was teammate Stella Moline at 20:30.5. Litchfield’s Elsa Helstrom placed third at 20:35.

3. Minnewaska had three top-10 finishers in Nori Song (sixth, 21:00.9), Jillian Deutsch (eighth, 21:24.

7) and Maia Larson (ninth, 21:25.2). Sauk Centre secured the boys team title with 42 points, besting Wadena-Deer Creek’s 103 and New London-Spicer’s 114.

Minnewasa was fourth with 126. Sauk Centre’s Jacob Drevlow won the boys’ race at 16:42.3.

Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg’s Alex Zurn had the area’s top finish. He placed fifth at 17:37.6.

Minnewaska’s Ian Mills (sixth, 17:53.5), Paynesville/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa’s Taylor Nelson (seventh, 17:58.6) and NLS’ Landon Eliason (eighth, 18:02.

0) all placed in the top 10. Melrose Invitational.