(KWAD) – Minnesota’s top high school distance runners are preparing to compete for state championships as the 2026 MSHSL State Cross Country Meet brings together the best teams and individual qualifiers from across the state. After battling through competitive section meets, runners from Class A, AA and AAA will take on the state’s biggest stage, with individual titles, team championships and season-long bragging rights on the line. The state meet is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at Majestic Oaks Golf Course in Ham Lake, a new championship venue following the closure of the Les Bolstad Golf Course. Here is a section-by-section breakdown of who will be competing at next weekend’s state meet:
Section 6A @ The Vintage Golf Course in Staples:
The boys teams from Sauk Centre and Wadena-Deer Creek and the girls teams from New London-Spicer and Sauk Centre are headed to the Minnesota State Cross Country Meet after capturing team championships at the Section 6A meet on Thursday, October 29. The Sauk Centre boys edged Wadena-Deer Creek by four points for the section championship, while New London-Spicer pulled away from the field to claim the girls championship. Sauk Centre senior Logan Wiehoff led the way for the Mainstreeters, winning the boys 5,000-meter race in 15 minutes, 53.9 seconds. Wiehoff was the only runner to break the 16-minute mark, finishing more than 44 seconds ahead of the field. Freshman Karsten Saltmarsh added a sixth-place finish in 16:49.0, helping Sauk Centre secure the team championship with 45 points.
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Wadena-Deer Creek made it a close race, finishing just four points behind the Mainstreeters with 49 points to claim the section runner-up spot and a trip to state. Sophomore Lane Kaufman led the Wolverines with a fifth-place finish in 16:40.4, while junior Noah Stroeing placed eighth in a personal-best 16:54.1. Bertha-Hewitt had two runners earn individual state qualifying spots. Freshman Vance Lockwood finished second overall in 16:38.0, while fellow freshman Nolan Rach took seventh in 16:52.6. Minnewaska Area sophomore Dietrich Reidenbach placed third in 16:38.5, followed by New London-Spicer senior Landon Eliason in fourth at 16:39.9. West Central Area senior Michael Girard finished ninth with a personal-best 16:56.9, while Ottertail Central sophomore Drew Robinson rounded out the top ten in a personal-best 16:58.7. Both earned individual state qualifying spots. West Central Area finished third in the team standings with 111 points, followed by Minnewaska Area with 114 and Benson/KMS with 148. In the girls race, New London-Spicer turned in a commanding performance in the girls race, placing two runners in the top four and finishing with 59 points to capture the section championship. Sophomore Kyla Vick led the Wildcats with a third-place finish in 19:25.3, followed closely by junior Hazel Vetsch in fourth at 19:28.8. Sauk Centre finished second with 119 points to earn the other team qualifying spot at state. Wadena-Deer Creek narrowly missed a team berth, finishing third with 130 points, followed by Ottertail Central with 143 and Ashby-Brandon-Evansville with 148. Border West sophomore Karissa Anderson claimed the individual Section 6A championship, completing the 5,000-meter course in an impressive 18:31.0. Anderson finished more than 17 seconds ahead of runner-up Kendra Miller of Bertha-Hewitt, who crossed the line in 18:48.4.
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Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta sophomore Anna Boyle placed fifth in a personal-best 19:32.7, earning an individual state berth. Wadena-Deer Creek senior Karly Haverkamp also qualified individually, finishing sixth in 19:34.8. Parkers Prairie junior Kaylee Vogt followed in seventh with a personal-best 19:39.2, while Benson/KMS eighth-grader Kayla Tollefsrud placed eighth in 19:41.6. All three earned individual state qualifying spots.
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Section 7A @ Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Coleraine
The Crosby-Ironton girls cross country team is headed back to state after capturing the Section 7A championship on Thursday, October 29, while sophomore Peter Bartels punched his ticket to state with a runner-up finish in the boys race. The Rangers turned in a dominant performance in the girls 5,000-meter race, placing three runners among the top seven finishers to claim the section championship with 49 points, comfortably ahead of section runner-up Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin, which finished with 69 points. Eighth-grader Lia Stokman led the way for Crosby-Ironton, finishing second overall in 19 minutes, 34.1 seconds. Fellow eighth-grader McKenna Severson also delivered a strong performance, placing fifth in 19:53.6. The Rangers’ depth proved to be the difference, with their five scoring runners recording team scoring places of first, fourth, sixth, 18th and 20th. Crosby-Ironton finished 20 points ahead of Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin and 64 points ahead of third-place Esko. Cromwell-Wright freshman Ari Dahl captured the individual section championship with a time of 19:24.2, finishing just under ten seconds ahead of Stokman. McGregor-Aitkin senior Ashley Asmus finished third in a personal-best 19:44.2, while Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin junior Taylor Covier took fourth in 19:46.0. The Crosby-Ironton boys also enjoyed a strong showing, finishing fourth in the Section 7A team standings, only two points out of a state berth in one of the closest races of the day. Sophomore Peter Bartels finished second overall in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 16:35.4, just 5.3 seconds behind individual section champion Anders Erickson of Carlton-Wrenshall, who won in 16:30.1. The Rangers finished with 108 points, tying Ely for third in the team standings before the tiebreaker placed Ely third and Crosby-Ironton fourth. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin captured the boys team championship with 51 points, placing three runners among the top seven. Stella Maris Academy finished second with 107 points to earn the other team berth at state.
Section 8A @ Twin Pines Golf Course in Bagley
Park Rapids Area is headed to the Minnesota State Cross Country Meet after winning the Section 8A boys championship for the first time in 31 years on Friday, October 30, while Barnesville claimed the girls team title. Park Rapids Area turned in an impressive performance in the boys 5,000-meter race, placing three runners among the top seven to capture the Section 8A championship with 49 points, just four ahead of runner-up Hawley. Senior Christian Thorson led the Panthers, winning the individual section championship in 16 minutes, 3.4 seconds. Junior Jack Mitteness was right behind him, finishing second in 16:06.8 to give Park Rapids a commanding one-two finish. The Panthers also received a strong performance from junior Cesar Quixan Gutierrez, who finished seventh overall in a personal-best 17:17.2. Park Rapids’ five scoring runners finished first, second, seventh, 14th and 25th in the team scoring, giving the Panthers just enough to hold off Hawley, which finished with 53 points.
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Hawley junior Drew Knecht placed third individually in 17:01.0, helping the Nuggets secure the section’s other team qualifying spot. Warroad finished third in the team standings with 129 points, followed by Nevis with 136 and Ada-Borup-West with 188. Nevis had two runners earn individual state qualifying spots. Sophomore Liam Gustafson finished ninth overall in a personal-best 17:21.9, while junior Brennyn Ott placed tenth in a season-best 17:30.0. Frazee freshman Coltyn Pender also qualified for state with an eighth-place finish in a personal-best 17:21.3. Other individual state qualifiers included Warroad senior Tyson McKeever, who placed fourth in 17:03.5, Barnesville junior Levi Cossette in fifth at 17:12.7, and Lake of the Woods/Rainy River freshman Isaiah Youso in sixth with a personal-best 17:12.8. Barnesville captured the Section 8A girls championship with 59 points, finishing 29 points ahead of runner-up Hawley, which scored 88. Sophomore Jovie Marshall led Barnesville with a fifth-place finish in a personal-best 19:22.5. The Trojans placed all five scoring runners among the top 19 in the team scoring to secure the championship. Hawley earned the other team qualifying spot with a balanced performance, placing its five scoring runners between 14th and 24th in the team scoring. Riverside Christian finished third with 111 points, followed by United North Central with 151 and Roseau with 187. Park Rapids Area finished seventh in the team standings with 207 points, but sophomore Greta Galzki earned an individual trip to state with an outstanding fourth-place finish in a personal-best 19:17.6. The girls individual championship came down to a photo finish, with Riverside Christian freshman Emelia Arntson edging Fertile-Beltrami freshman Kaylee Nelson by just half a second. Arntson crossed the finish line in a personal-best 18:45.3, while Nelson finished in 18:45.8. Pelican Rapids seventh-grader Jemma Januzewski finished third in a personal-best 19:16.3, just ahead of Galzki. Ada-Borup-West sophomore Brianne Myers also earned an individual state berth with a sixth-place finish in a personal-best 19:35.1, while Riverside Christian senior Ella Arntson placed seventh in 19:38.8.
Section 8AA @ Thief River Golf Club in Thief River Falls
Perham dominated the Section 8AA Cross Country Championships on Thursday, October 29, capturing both the boys and girls team titles and earning another pair of trips to the Minnesota State Cross Country Meet. The Yellowjackets turned in commanding performances in both races, with the girls sweeping the top three individual spots and the boys placing six runners among the top 15 finishers. Perham left little doubt in the girls 5,000-meter race, finishing with 41 points to claim the Section 8AA championship, 25 points ahead of runner-up Rocori. Eighth-grader Adeline Werner captured the individual section championship with a time of 18 minutes, 45.7 seconds, narrowly edging teammate Tilly Mathies, a freshman, who finished second in 18:46.0. Just three-tenths of a second separated the two Yellowjackets at the finish line. Sophomore Rory Kaldor completed Perham’s sweep of the top three positions, finishing third in 19:04.4. The Yellowjackets’ five scoring runners placed first, second, third, 17th and 18th, giving Perham a comfortable victory over Rocori, which finished second with 66 points to earn the section’s other team berth at state.
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Little Falls finished third with 77 points, followed by Fergus Falls with 109 and Albany with 126. Fergus Falls sophomore Carsyn Lill narrowly missed breaking up Perham’s top-three sweep, finishing fourth in 19:04.8, just four-tenths of a second behind Kaldor. Lill earned an individual state qualifying spot, along with teammate Cassie Wellman, a senior who finished tenth in 19:28.5. Little Falls also qualified two runners individually. Junior Rose Jarnot finished eighth in 19:23.0, while eighth-grader Haddlie Dobis placed 11th in 19:39.1. Albany freshman Ella Lipinski earned an individual state berth with a 12th-place finish in 19:41.3. The Perham boys were equally impressive, placing four runners among the top seven and all five scoring runners among the top 12 to capture the Section 8AA championship with just 31 points. Willmar finished second with 52 points to earn the other team qualifying spot, while Fergus Falls placed third with 109 and Detroit Lakes fourth with 127. Sophomore Brody Freeland led the Yellowjackets with a third-place finish in 15:42.9, followed by sophomore Ethan Johnson in fourth at 16:00.4. Junior Bryce Brown finished fifth in 16:11.3, while junior Ben Mathiason placed seventh in 16:20.2. Junior Parker Hendrickx rounded out Perham’s five scoring runners with a 12th-place finish in 16:49.0. The Yellowjackets also received strong performances from sophomore Zeke Morris, who finished 14th in a personal-best 16:55.6, and senior Ethan Haataja, who placed 15th in 17:09.2. Detroit Lakes junior Connor Malecka captured his second-consecutive individual section championship, completing the 5,000-meter course in an impressive 15:24.9. Malecka finished nearly 16 seconds ahead of Willmar senior Zach Engstrom, who placed second in 15:40.7. Malecka’s victory earned him an individual trip to state despite Detroit Lakes finishing fourth in the team standings. Other individual state qualifiers included Rocori junior Jack Skanson, who finished ninth in a season-best 16:24.1, Melrose Area freshman Cooper Wolff, who placed tenth in a personal-best 16:38.1, and Thief River Falls junior Curtis Griffin, who finished 11th in 16:45.9. Little Falls sophomore Bryce Lewellyn also qualified individually with a 13th-place finish in 16:54.7, while Fergus Falls senior Brody Nelson earned a state berth with a 17th-place finish in 17:18.8.
8AAA @ Bluestem Amphitheater in Moorhead
Brainerd edged Alexandria by just two points to capture the Section 8AAA boys cross country championship Thursday, October 29, while St. Michael-Albertville dominated the girls competition. Both Brainerd teams earned trips to the Minnesota State Cross Country Meet.
The Brainerd boys finished with 43 points, narrowly defeating Alexandria, which scored 45. In the girls race, St. Michael-Albertville swept the top three individual positions to finish with 30 points, while Brainerd secured the second state qualifying spot with 87 points. Brainerd senior Jonathan Cowell led the Warriors, capturing the individual section championship with a personal-best time of 15 minutes, 36.3 seconds in the 5,000-meter race. Cowell finished 3.7 seconds ahead of St. Cloud Tech junior Judah Beck, who placed second in 15:40.0. Alexandria answered with two runners in the top four. Sophomore Cohen Lussenden finished third in a personal-best 15:46.8, while junior Jakin Miller took fourth in 15:53.7. Brainerd sophomore Taiden Meier placed fifth in 15:59.5, giving the Warriors two runners among the top five. Alexandria junior Tyler Jahner finished eighth in 16:10.2, followed by Brainerd junior Beckett Miller in tenth at 16:13.5. Alexandria senior Kyle Jahner added a 12th-place finish in 16:13.8, but Brainerd responded with junior Nolan Kalthoff in 13th at 16:19.1 and freshman Eli Kotsmith in 14th at 16:20.6. All five of Brainerd’s scoring runners finished among the top 14, with each recording a personal-best time. The Warriors’ scoring places of first, fifth, tenth, 13th and 14th added up to 43 points, just enough to defeat Alexandria’s 45. Both teams advance to the state meet. Bemidji finished third with 102 points, followed by St. Michael-Albertville with 114 and Moorhead with 127. Bemidji junior William Ames earned an individual state qualifying spot with a seventh-place finish in a personal-best 16:06.3. Moorhead junior Kade Polomny also qualified individually, placing ninth in 16:11.5. Other individual state qualifiers included St. Cloud Tech’s Judah Beck and Landon Lowe, Elk River’s Jackson Carlson, and Sartell’s Will Perius.
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The Brainerd girls also punched their ticket to state, finishing second in the Section 8AAA team standings with 87 points. St. Michael-Albertville captured the championship with just 30 points, placing its top three runners first, second and third overall. Freshman Mackenzie Myran won the individual section championship in 17:34.4, followed by sophomore Sophie Miller in a personal-best 18:17.5 and senior Abigayle Vossen in 18:29.4. Brainerd eighth-grader Audreanna Hines led the Warriors with a seventh-place finish in a personal-best 19:01.9. The Warriors’ five scoring runners placed seventh, 12th, 17th, 24th and 27th, securing second place and a trip to state. Moorhead finished third with 106 points, followed by Alexandria with 112 and Bemidji with 125. Bemidji junior Chloe Derby turned in an outstanding performance, finishing fifth individually in a personal-best 18:42.5 to qualify for state. Moorhead junior Sophia Johnson also qualified individually, finishing sixth in a personal-best 18:46.0. Alexandria freshman Avery Warzecha earned a state berth with a tenth-place finish in a personal-best 19:08.2. Other individual qualifiers included Monticello’s Kylie Lindberg and Lauren Rengel, along with Sartell’s Grace Steele.