GLENWOOD, Minn (KWAD) – For the fourth-consecutive season, the Bertha-Hewitt Bears boys cross country team is headed back to state.

The Bears captured the Section 6A boys cross country championship Thursday evening at Minnewaska Golf Club in Glenwood, posting a team score of 51 to edge out Wadena-Deer Creek and Sauk Centre for the title. Senior Brady Rach continued his standout season by winning the individual Section championship with a time of 16:01.8, pacing Bertha-Hewitt’s top-five pack that averaged 16:53 and finished with a 1:53 spread. Senior Gunnar Barthel (7th, 16:47.5), eighth-grader Nolan Rach (8th, 16:48.6), and senior Henry Lockwood (11th, 16:54.6) joined him in the top 11, while Vance Lockwood (24th, 17:55.5) sealed the team victory.

“With eight total boys, it’ll be a test of determination if we can repeat as conference champions for the fifth year in a row and earn another trip to the state meet,” Miller told SportsCow at the beginning of the season. “We’ve got quality runners, but not much depth, so staying healthy will be the key.”

The Bears accomplished all three things this season: conference champs, another state berth, and staying healthy.

The Bears totaled 1:24:28 among their top five—narrowly ahead of Wadena-Deer Creek, which finished second at 65 points and also qualified for the state meet…the program’s first trip to state since 1993. Senior Grant Nelson led the Wolverines with a strong fifth-place run in 16:38.4, followed by seniors Owen Anderson (13th, 17:07.2) and freshman Lane Kaufman (14th, 17:12.1). Rounding out the scoring five were Noah Stroeing (16th, 17:26.3) and Brennan Simmons (17th, 17:28.5), giving WDC a team total of 1:25:52 and an impressive 50-second spread.

Sauk Centre finished third with 89 points, led by junior Logan Wiehoff, who placed runner-up in 16:08.1, and senior Jacob Drevlow (10th, 16:52.2). Ottertail Central took fourth with 132 points, and West Central Area rounded out the top five at 142.

Sauk Centre finishes third with 89 points. OTC was fourth, followed by West Central Area, Benson, New London-Spicer, Minnewaska, Staples-Motley, AE, Ortonville, Osakis, Morris Area, LPGE, Pillager and Border West.

Individually, Logan Wiehoff of Sauk Center finishes runner-up, he’ll head back to the state meet. As will Peter Newark of OTC, Cadyn Vanderwal of Ortonville, Alex Zurn of Benson/KMS, Landon Eliason of New London Spicer, and Jacob Drevlow of Sauk Centre. The top six individual runners not on a state-bound team qualify for the state meet.

In the girls’ race, New London-Spicer claimed the team title with 38 points behind a dominant front pack that included four top-11 finishes. The Wadena-Deer Creek girls earned second place with 103 points to secure another state berth…their third appearance in the last four seasons.

For the Wolverines, Karly Haverkamp led the way with an 11th-place finish in 20:04.4, followed by Lydia Oldakowski (19th, 20:38.4), Brielle Kern (26th, 20:55.7), Cambrie Geiger (27th, 20:59.2), and Cody Seelhammer (35th, 21:41.3). The team’s top-five average was 20:51, with a tight 1:36 spread.

Parkers Prairie finished just behind WDC a total team time of 1:46:49. The Panthers’ balanced scoring lineup featured Norah Froslee (16th, 20:31.6), Kaylee Vogt (17th, 20:32.5), Chloe Patrick (21st, 20:42.6), Sophie Pfeffer (29th, 21:11.6), and Izabella Vogt (66th, 23:51.0).

Senior Audrey Brownell of Staples-Motley, in her final section race, first place with a time of 18:24 as she looks for back-to-back State championships for the Cardinals. Three straight conference titles, now back-to-back section titles, and she’ll look to go back-to-back as State Champion next weekend. Staples-Motley finished fourth overall with 146 points.

Other area individual qualifiers for state include freshman Karissa Anderson of Border West, who finished runner-up behind Brownell. Nori Song of Minnewaska Area was fifth. Kendra Miller of Bertha-Hewitt, who battled injuries all season long will end her junior season with a trip to state after a sixth place finish at sections. Sophia Jannette of WCA was seventh, senior Miette Hansel of Bertha-Hewitt was eighth. She’ll join Kendra and the Boys team on the bus for a trip to State for the Bears to end her high school cross country career.

The Class A State Cross Country Meet is at the Les Bolstad Golf Course at the University of Minnesota on Saturday, November 1st. The boys race starts at 10:00 am, with the girls race at 10:45.

*Indicates individual qualifier to State meet