FOLEY, Minn. (KWAD) — The Staples-Motley cross country teams brought grit and balance to the Foley Falcon Invitational on Thursday, September 25, at Foley Public Schools, squaring off against a competitive Section 6A/5A field that included Mora, Pierz and host Foley.

The Cardinal boys placed fourth with 80 team points, leaning on a tight front trio and important depth through their 4-5 runners. Sophomore Andrew Dobson set the tone early, hammering the opening mile and holding form for 6th place in 19:00.9. Just seconds back, sophomore Gage Bjerga crossed 7th in 19:08.7, his fastest 5K of the season. Freshman Garrett Bjerga rounded out a powerful 1-2-3 punch at 11th place in 19:34.9, giving Staples-Motley three in the top 11. Those low sticks kept the Cardinals in contention against Mora (39 points), Foley (58), and Pierz (72).

The scoring five closed out with senior Gabriel Kroll placing 28th in 20:59.9 and freshman Jackson Odden 29th in 21:16.7, both fighting through a crowded middle pack to protect the team total. Key displacement came from sophomore Seth Cossentine (37th – 22:03.4) and seventh-grader Reed Leach (38th – 22:05.2), ensuring no late points slipped through.

The Staples-Motley girls finished with three inside the top 15, highlighted by a pair of sub-24-minute efforts. Junior Suhaila Mikhaeil kept the lead group honest from the gun, finishing 2nd overall in 22:55.4, only 21 seconds off sophomore Chloe Skwira of Pierz. Eighth-grader Elise Trif continued her strong rookie campaign with a 6th-place run of 23:18.3. Seventh-grader Lizzie Kroll clocked 24:31.4 for 10th, giving the Cardinals a trio of underclass scorers well inside the top third of the field. Junior Maddie Kist finished 15th in 25:36.5.

The Cardinals next race will be the Alexandria Lion’s Meet of Champions on Saturday, October 4th.

Boys Team Standings

Girls Team Standings