Lincoln girls nip BV for Metro title; boys take 3rd

By: 
Jill Meier, Journal editor

Wilma Kirkeby/For the Journal 

(Above) BV senior Ben VanDeBerg leads the Lynx boys as they take off from the starting line. 

Six slim points stood between the Lady Lynx and the Metro Conference cross country hardware last week, as Sioux Falls Lincoln relied on race medalist Ali Bainbridge to lead them to the top. Bainbridge stepped across the finish line 18:97.84, while Harrisburg’s Soren Weeg won the boys’ varsity race with a time of 16:49.96.

Brandon Valley coach Tony Thoreson said the girls’ hard work is now paying dividends.

“It’s paying off more and more each team, and we hope they realize how much better they are getting with each race,” Thoreson said.

Mia Wentzy led the way for BV on the home course Thursday, and Addison Scholten followed her across the line 10 seconds later for fourth and sixth, respectively. Wentzy turned in a time of 19:24.39 and Scholten clocked in at 19:34.45.

A trio of Lady Lynx also posted top-15 race times. Shelby Bergan stepped across the line in 20:25.40 for 11th place. Sarah VanDeBerg and Lilian Rude paced themselves to 13th and 14th place finishes behind their respective runs of 20:41.79 and 20:44.91.

“The girls ran pretty smart,” Thoreson summed up.

The Lynx boys captured third in the seven-team league, and Thoreson said they did it by running a much better race than they did the week before.

“We gained some confidence there,” Thoreson said.

Just as he has all season, Ben VanDeBerg led the parade of BV runners. The Lynx senior registered a time of 17:27.51 to snag fifth place in the 56-runner race.

Sophomore Paul Kern put up a time of 17:34.02 for ninth place.

The Lynx wrap up their 2021 seasons Saturday at the Class AA State Cross Country Championships at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls. The girls step up to the line at 1 p.m. and the varsity boys’ race is tagged for a 2:30 p.m. start.

Thoreson said the Lady Lynx are hungry to win it all, and with their most recent performance, the BV coach says they just may get the job done.

“In a larger field like the state meet, that will help us a little bit,” Thoreson said. “They are (hungry), and it’s kind of fun because they see the improvements we’ve made coming closer and closer to being in the hunt with other teams.”

The Lynx boys have their mindset on a podium-worthy finish, and Thoreson said this team has the ability to do that “if they run smart again.”

This week, Thoreson said, the focus is clearly on the state meet. The Lynx went through a fairly hard workout on Monday and Tuesday took a lighter approach. They’ll cap off their week of training for state with a “tune-up,” Thoreson said, “something that isn’t too taxing.” 

The Lynx coach also wants to thank everyone who helped with the ESD and Metro conference races, both of which were run at McHardy Park in Brandon.

“It was two really well-attended events,” he said.

 

Metro Conference

Championships

Oct. 14 • McHardy Park, Brandon

Varsity girls’ team scores: 1.) SF Lincoln 42; 2.) Brandon Valley 48; 3.) O’Gorman 71; 4.) Harrisburg 75; 5.) SF Washington 117; 6.) SF Jefferson 149. 

 

Lady Lynx varsity results (5K, 49 runners): 4.) Mia Wentzy 1:24.39; 6.) Addison Scholten 19:34.45; 11.) Shelby Bergan 20:25.40; 13.) Sarah VanDeBerg 20:41.79; 14.) Lilian Rude 20:44.91; 32.) Kylie Foss 21:35.50; 39.) Hannah Sprecher 22:12.05; 40.) Chantel Bickler 22:16.54; 42.) Haley Bergan 22:26.99.

 

Varsity boys’ team scores: 1.) Harrisburg 48; 2.) SF Lincoln 54; 3.) Brandon Valley 79; 4.) SF Jefferson 88; 5.) SF Washington 130; 6.) O’Gorman 142; 7.) SF Roosevelt 184.

 

Lynx varsity boys’ results (5K, 56 runners): 5.) Ben VanDeBerg 17:27.51; 9.) Paul Kern 17:34.02; 20.) Camden Coughlin 17:57.75; 22.) Mikah Peters 17:58.03; 23.) Cole Borchardt 18:00.16; 24.) Jeremiah Donahoe 18:00.26; 29.) Tyler Groen 18:08.16; 32.) Eli Woidyla 18:16.90; 38.) Dakota Dutson 18:51.85.

 

JV girls’ team scores: 1.) Brandon Valley 32; 2.) Harrisburg 45; 3.) SF Washington 47.

 

Lady Lynx JV results (5K, 32 runners): 1.) Maggie Reekers 21:55.41; 12.) Emmaline Gough 23:55.76; 13.) McKenzie Gjoraas 24:06.74; 18.) Lillian Dirksen 25:11.24; 25.) Rachael Spencer 26:29.91; 31.) Morgan Beck 29:29.50.

 

JV boys’ team scores: 1.) SF Lincoln 35; 2.) Brandon Valley 37; 3.) SF Jefferson 84; 4.) SF Washington 95; 5.) Harrisburg 114; 6.) SF Roosevelt 176.

 

Lynx JV boys’ results (5K, 3 runners): 2.) Colton Padgett 18:40.44; 4.) Tate Roberts 18:47.66; 6.) Jakson Santi 18:53.38; 7.) Ryley McKeown 18;57.15; 22.) Logan Brakke 19:37.54; 26.) Bergen Irey 19:53.90; 38.) Shawn Harris 20:31.43; 42.) Isaac Anderson 20:40.65; 43.) Alex Kauffman 20:41.01; 45.) Kurtis McArthur 20:47.10; 45.) Brady Tidemann 20:49.13; 53.) Elkin Saddler 21:14.78; 55.) Brian Schneider 21:16.46; 68.) Michael Leidholt 22:05.87; 73.) Blake Engelsman 22:59.04; 75.) Ryan Presler 23:12.82; 81.) Mason Beck 27:22.83; 82.) Rylan Roberts 27:33.05; 83.) Isaiah Ehli 29:49.56.

 

BV 8th grade girls’ results: 28.) Brianna Reese 15:39.79; 35.) McKenzie Ehli 16:05.27; 36.) Mia Schmidt 16:05.83; 30.) Madison VanDyke 16:14.16.

 

BV 8th grade boys’ results: 13.) Manny Siemonsma 12:14.00; 21.) Elias Michailidis 12:37.32; 26.) Benjamin Gough 12:57.07; 33.) Vandon Engeltjes 13:12.74; 34.) Archer Johnson 13:16.78; 35.) Lander Elkin 13:18.48; 36.) Gage Morris 13:20.53; 46.) Jacob Fiscus 14:11.15; 47.) Gabriel Sarges 14:18.48; 60.0 Kai VanEs 15:47.85.

 

BV 7th grade girls’ results: 3.) Leanna Galero 13:17.76; 5.) Tyann Balsdan 13:24.38; 21.) Kendall Clayton 14:33.13; 24.) Kamryn Santi 14:35.73; 41.) Annika Henson 15:24.79; 49.) Kayla Davis 15:52.27; 51.) Elizabeth Holmquist 15:58.49; 71.) Riley Schmidt 19:02.80.

 

BV 7th grade boys’ results: 13.) Otto Winters 12:36.78; 22.) Bradley Waldon 13:17.01; 31.) Chase Peterson 13:37.73; 61.) Corbin Sorenson 14:40.66; 69.) Joe Kirkeby 15:07.27; 79.) Peyton Schneider 15:42.44; 82.) Charlie Figura 15:45.49; 98.) Jacob Frost 17:02.12.

 

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The Brandon Valley Journal

 

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