2 weeks Ago By Michael Lyne
FALCON HEIGHTS —Willmar’s Sully Anez placed in the top 10 in an impressive field at the 38th Roy Griak Invitational cross-country race Friday. Anez, a senior, placed ninth of 442 finishers in the boys’ championship 5-kilometer race. He had a time of 16 minutes, 15.
3 seconds on Friday at Les Bolstad Golf Course. Roseville’s Robert Mechura, who is top-ranked in Class AAA by the Minnesota Cross Country Coaches Association, was first in 15:35.0.
Minnetonka’s Sean Fries (15:52.4) and Ankeny High School of Iowa’s Ethan Zuber (15:58.3) followed Mechura’s winning time.
Along with Anez, there were three more Class AA runners who were in the top 10. Perham’s Bjorn Anderson finished fourth (16:05.0), Annandale’s Sal Wirth was eighth (16:14.
2) and Orono’s Owen Chapman placed 10th (16:18.2). In the latest polls by the MNCCCA, Wirth is the top-ranked runner in Class AA.
Anderson is No. 2, Anez is No. 3 and Chapman is No.
4. Willmar’s Lauren Eilers also competed at the Griak. The senior was 57th of 415 finishers in the girls’ championship 5-kilometer race with a time of 20:35.
0. Ella Hagen, from Summit High School in Breckenridge, Colorado, repeated as champion. The senior completed the 5K in 18:02.
9. Her winning time was 17:55.7 in 2023.
Libby Castelli of O’Gorman High School (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) placed second in 18:11.1 and Ciara Hartman of Bloomer High School (Bloomer, Wisconsin) finished third in 18:30.3.
Wayzata’s Maddie Gulickson was the top girl from Minnesota. She was fourth (18:44.5).
Dowling Catholic High School of West Des Moines, Iowa was the top boys’ team with 162 points. Lincoln High School of Sioux Falls, South Dakota (172) and Stevens Point Area Senior High of Stevens Point, Wisconsin (186) were second and third. The top three teams for the girls’ race were Cardinal Gibbons High School of Raleigh, North Carolina (94), Wayzata (124) and St.
Paul Highland Park (238)..
