SPORTS WRAP
The Owatonna High School girls cross country team needs a top two finish at sections later this month to make their third straight trip to state. But make no mistake about it, they would love to catch Farmington for the championship.
The Tigers have won the section crown – on Owatonna’s Brooktree Golf Course – the last nine years. Both squads return most of their varsity lineup.
The Huskies have run well this season says senior captain Sophia Qualley. “We’ve had a lot of new people get really high up. We’ve done really well at our past meets, winning a few, getting places where we’ve done better than past years,” she said.
That includes a third-place finish at the elite Griak Invite. “That was amazing. That was very impressive. Something that our coach expected us to do,” said Qualley.
Qualley was happy to witness teammate Gracie Randall set the school record. “That was just incredible. Being with her during that moment was just awesome. She’s a really fast runner and a really strong runner, so it’s not surprising. It’s just phenomenal for the team.”
The accomplishment didn’t surprise coach Tasheena Cooke. “That’s what her goal was this year. I had no doubt that she would do it. I guarantee she’s hungry to break that one…She is so driven.”
The Huskies are cresting the hill, if you will, of building up to their peak mileage. That’s followed by tapering for Big Nine Conference and sections. Ella Seykora, a senior captain, says it takes teamwork to get through. “It’s definitely relying on your teammates to stay motivated. Making sure all of you come with positive attitudes into every practice. And relying on the workouts you did in the summer.”
Working together is never more important than race day. “The main thing is going to be pack running… If they go, you all go. And we all follow and pass those next couple girls in front,” said Seykora.
Senior captain Ava Cox points out bonding happens all the time. “You can’t always run with people based on paces, and some people are faster than others. But at spaghetti suppers you can talk to anybody and you can play games,” she said.
Cox says many runners appreciate Brooktree’s terrain. “It’s a relatively flat course. Compared to Mayo where it’s really hilly. It’s kind of a blessing to be able to have a flat course and not have to exert the energy going up a hill.”
Owatonna hosts the annual Ev Berg cross country meet on Thursday, Oct. 8. The Big Nine Conference meet is Oct. 20 and the Section 1AAA meet is Oct. 29, both at Brooktree.
Boys too
The OHS boys joined the girls at state last year, inspiring a summer of piling up miles.
Senior Kaiden Struss reached 510 miles. “It takes a good chunk of time. Captains practice every morning. I really wanted to hit that 500-mile mark. That was my main goal this summer. And come into my senior pretty fast. I’m happy with it,” he said.
Struss credits summer running over his career with taking him from the slowest runner on the team in seventh grade (27-minute 5k) to the number four varsity runner as a junior at 16:50.
He called this summer the biggest commitment level he’s seen. “Last year we got our taste for state…But this year we’re a lot more hungry. We want to take top five in the state. It’s going to be a strong push to get there. But we’ve been working at it,” Struss stressed.
Captain Grayson Slotsve is confident. “We know that we are capable. But every year it gets more difficult as the teams around us also improve. But we know that we can do better and be better than all the other teams in the section and make it to state.
“We’re serious about this goal. We all are understanding that we all want this goal and we’re all willing to put in the work,” he said.
Slotsve says the team waited out uncertainty at the conclusion of the tight 2025 section race. “When we saw that we came in second and we saw that we were going to state, we were all ecstatic.”
The Huskies graduated two of their top runners, Ayoub Farah and Dawson Levy. Senior captain Lowell Schultz stated, “We knew that if we wanted a chance to (go) back to state we’re going to have to get serious. That means putting in a lot of work. I think in past years we treated the summer as that team bonding time. This summer we said we’re not going to be doing that. We’re here for business.”
Coach Luke Holt commends the runners. “They adapted by having a team growth mindset where a lot more guys put in a lot of quality summer mileage. They are working as a pack to continue to improve.”
Holt says, “Andrew Jacott has been our top runner for each race the first half of the season and has taken a big step forward from last year.”
Schultz says there must be belief. “What we say to the guys is you have to want to win. You have to want it more than the person you’re running against.” He thinks Owatonna needs all five runners under 16:30.
Holt concurs, “The entire team must continue to get faster as a pack.” He considers Mankato East and Winona as the teams to catch in the conference and Lakeville North and Farmington in the section.
OHS took second place in their division at the Griak in September. Slotsve proclaimed, “It was a very fast course and it gave us a taste of running against some of the best people in the Midwest.”
Schultz was an alternate for the state meet last year. “Everybody there is elite. But also, if you’re there, that means you’re also elite. That’s what people have to remember,” he said.
First-timers
Running a marathon takes support. Preston Meier completed the Twin Cities Marathon Sunday, his first. “Everywhere there are people on their lawns, out in the streets cheering you on. Made it a little bit easier.”
Madi Bruessel ran her second, teaming with her sister Kaitlin, who was doing her first. “We were both just pushing each other. Especially, toward the end, my sister was struggling a bit. Then it was something where we could work together. Then we were, like, let’s hold hands through the finish.”
Meier (OHS, Class of ’22) and Madi Bruessel (Class of ’21) were both multi-sport athletes at Owatonna and said a marathon was on their bucket list. They are part of a local running group that gets together each week.
Meier ran through “the wall” that many marathoners encounter, “Around mile 20 or 21. I was cruising. Maybe going a little faster than I should but it all felt good and I was in a groove.”
At that point it was the farthest he had ever run and the course inclines. “It was a shock to my body, and it was definitely tough getting to the finish line.”
He achieved his goal time, finishing in 3:26. “I’m definitely happy with it. It felt smooth for the most part. And I had fun.”
Bruessel was pleased with her time of 4:19. “I think it’s really inspiring that people who aren’t big runners also sign up for marathons. Even looking through (Instagram) and seeing people that I graduated college with that signed up and ran it today too.”
Both plan to apply for the Chicago Marathon for next year.
Another first-timer
My daughter also completed her first marathon on Sunday. She enjoyed the experience of all the people lining the course and the scenery of the fall colors emerging.
Cynthia said she got into a trance during the middle as the miles ticked off. At the time she encountered the wall, a friend appeared and took her mind off that hurdle.
She lives in Colorado now and believes training at higher elevation helped her conquer the 26.2 miles faster than she expected to. Cynthia’s initial reaction was that she will do it again.
OwatonnaHuskies play-by-play schedule
Thursday, Oct. 8:
OHS boys soccer vs. Northfield, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9:
OHS football vs. Northfield, 7 p.m. (simulcast on 1170AM/106.3FM) pregame at 6 p.m.