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More than a decade of waiting came to an end for the Chisago Lakes boys cross country team Tuesday, Oct. 20, as the Wildcats put together a dominant performance to capture their first Mississippi 8 Conference championship in over 10 years at the North Branch Golf Course.

Chisago Lakes placed three runners among the top seven finishers and five in the top 19 to finish with just 48 points, easily outdistancing runner-up Cambridge-Isanti, which finished with 82. Host North Branch also put together a strong showing, finishing fourth in the nine-team field with 114 points.

The Wildcats' impressive depth was the difference, as their top three runners crossed the finish line within 15 seconds of each other, giving Chisago Lakes a commanding advantage near the front of the field.

Senior Remy Larsen led the charge for the Wildcats, finishing third overall in 16:43.6, just ahead of teammate Cian O'Halloran, who took fifth in 16:46.1. Junior Nash Cooksley wasn't far behind, crossing the finish line in seventh place with a time of 16:58.4.

Freshman Samuel Heaser continued his impressive first varsity season with a 14th-place finish in 17:26.8, while fellow freshman Zachary Yechout rounded out the Wildcats' scoring five in 19th place with a personal-best time of 17:48.5.

The tight grouping was particularly impressive considering the Wildcats had three runners finish in the top seven, putting Chisago Lakes in an excellent position before its fourth and fifth runners even crossed the finish line.

Jack Evans added a 21st-place finish in 17:55.7, while Lincoln Perry was 32nd in 18:33.0 to round out the Wildcats' seven scoring-eligible runners.

For North Branch, sophomore Caleb Rueter turned in one of the best individual performances of the afternoon, finishing runner-up in 16:28.8. Rueter was the only runner to finish within 40 seconds of individual champion Ryder Mold of St. Francis, who won in 15:49.4.

The Vikings also got a strong performance from junior Ethan Rueter, who finished 18th in 17:45.7. Freshman John Steffen followed in 26th place with a time of 18:15.5, while seventh-grader Uriah Horn continued to show promise with a personal-best 18:26.9, good for 30th place.

Eighth-grader Patrick Damiani rounded out North Branch's scoring five with a 38th-place finish in 18:42.1, while Brooks Trampe finished 57th in 19:34.2.

The fourth-place finish was a solid showing for a young Vikings squad that featured three runners in eighth grade or younger among its six finishers.

Girls

While the Chisago Lakes boys celebrated a long-awaited conference championship, junior Annika Hall continued her outstanding season by adding another individual title to her growing list of accomplishments.

Hall was in complete control of the girls race, cruising to the Mississippi 8 Conference championship in 18:14.5. She finished 25 seconds ahead of the runner up/

Hall's victory highlighted a fourth-place team finish for Chisago Lakes, which totaled 104 points. Becker won the conference championship with 65 points, while Zimmerman was second with 74 and Monticello third with 86.

Behind Hall, junior Averiana Gellerman was the next Wildcat across the finish line, placing 20th in 20:48.9. Sophomore Mataya Malek followed in 24th place with a time of 21:06.3.

The Wildcats also got a pair of season-best performances from juniors Arianna Husfeldt and McKaylie Malek. Husfeldt finished 29th in 21:39.0, while Malek was right behind her in 30th place with a time of 21:43.6.

Chisago Lakes' younger runners also showed improvement, as eighth-graders Emelia Gellerman and Elliana Larson both recorded personal-best times. Gellerman finished 35th in 22:14.5, while Larson was 36th in 22:23.5.

North Branch finished seventh in the team standings with 193 points, led by freshman Lyla Stiner, who placed 16th overall with a time of 20:38.9.

Sophomore Lily Stelmack was the Vikings' second finisher, taking 34th in 22:07.7, while senior Ruby Hanson recorded a season-best time of 23:07.9 to finish 45th.

Junior Elizabeth Damiani placed 53rd in 24:24.6, and freshman Vayda Kester rounded out the North Branch scoring with a 57th-place finish in 25:28.5.

For the Wildcat boys, the victory was especially meaningful after more than a decade without a conference crown.

Both Chisago Lakes and North Branch will now turn their attention to section competition, which takes place Thursday, October 29 at Whitefish Golf Course in Pequot Lakes.

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