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LUVERNE — Pipestone Area Schools’ junior runner Amelia Bucher continues to excel, and the Luverne Invitational was no different.
Bucher raced in with a sixth-place finish in a competitive field — clocking in at 22:29.74.
“Amelia really put herself out there, and ran a solid race,” PAS head cross country coach Mark Moeller explained. “She was within five seconds of her first and second miles. She makes running consistent like that look easy from week to week. She really hasn’t ran a bad race.”
Runners Amelia Bucher and Alivia Fruechte of Pipestone, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Summer Labrune and Luverne’s Summer Mollberg form a pack at the halfway mark of the varsity girls’ race. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Moeller said Bucher is in position to run a personal-best time at some point in the near future. A 21-minute finish isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Bucher’s result helped the Arrows place third as a team with 62 points, six behind runner-up Canby/Minneota and 16 off Luverne’s winning total.
Four other PAS runners attained upper 50 percent finishes in a field of 57: Rhaelee Heidebrink 12th (23:43.7), Alivia Fruechte 14th (23:47.31), Shiloh Post 24th (25:09.71) and Hadley Fruechte 28th (25:22.67).
Pipestone Area Schools’ Shiloh Post leads a pack of runners during the Luverne Invitational girls race. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
On the boys’ side, Ramon Macias posted yet another top finish, grabbing 10th in a time of 18:48.36.
The meet was beneficial for the Arrows considering Luverne High School will serve as the host site for the Big South Conference championships set for Tuesday, Oct. 14.
PAS swept the “C” division races with eighth-grader Bo Stogdill winning the boys’ 3,200-meter race in 13:44.76, and Barron Feste second. Seventh-grader Adeline Wrenn captured the top spot for girls (15:08.91).
Summer Labrune was Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s best girls finisher (ninth, 22:43.07) and Benjamin Labrune (boys, 35th, 22:13.22).
Pipestone Area Schools’ William Perez-Garcia and Collin Schulze of Russell-Tyler-Ruthton jockey for position down the wire at the Luverne Invitational on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Pipestone plays host role
“It was good training to get that last bit of overload stimulus before we start tapering for the season,” said Moeller, whose Arrows also competed in their own home meet three days earlier on Monday, Sept. 29 at Pipestone Country Club.
Heidebrink, Bucher and Fruechte all posted top-10 finishes among girls while Joshua Zupp and Macias accomplished the same among boys.
The PAS Invitational, the first cross country meet conducted here since 2021, featured a talented field. Races were combined due to heat-related issues that day.
Flandreau’s Faith Wiese, the 2024 South Dakota Class A state champion, was the overall top finisher in 18:01.39.
Southwest Minnesota Christian/Edgerton’s Jonah Uilk was the boys’ medalist (18:25.61).
SWC/E’s Hannah Masselink and RTR’s Summer Labrune were third and eighth, respectively, rounding out the regional local placements among girls.
“I definitely need to make improvements to it, which is expected,” Moeller said of the home meet. “But, overall, I was very happy with how it went and how all of the teams performed. It felt good to get this meet off the ground, and established for hopefully many years to come.”
Kinner is C-E medalist
COLMAN, S.D. — Elkton-Lake Benton’s Adam Kinner captured the top spot at the Colman-Egan Invitational on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at Sunrise Ridge Golf Course.
Kinner raced in with a time of 18:09.04, winning the boys’ side by more than 15 seconds over Mount Vernon/Plankinton’s Hudson Schmidt.
Sunrise Ridge also was to serve as the host site for the Dakota Valley Conference championships on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Luverne’s Marcus Papik and Liam Nielsen of Sioux Falls Roosevelt were the top-two finishers in the varsity boys race. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
INFORMATION
CROSS COUNTRY
Thursday, Oct. 2
At Luverne Invitational
Luverne High School
Team Scores
Boys
1, Windom Area, 29; 2, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 42; 3, Canby/Minneota, 72; 4, Adrian/Ellsworth, 125; 5, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove, 134; 6, Pipestone Area, 163; 7, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, 191
Girls
1, Luverne, 46; 2, Canby/Minneota, 56; 3, Pipestone Area, 62; 4, Adrian-Ellsworth, 78; 5, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, 114
Medalists
5,000 meters
Boys: 1, Liam Nielsen, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 17:16.68; 2, Marcus Papik, Luverne, 17:22.22
Girls: 1, Daniella Van Zee, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 21:29.42; 2, Khloe Visker, Luverne, 22:14.91
Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Daniella Van Zee was the overall girls’ medalist in 21:29.42. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
PAS results
Varsity boys
10, Ramon Macias, 18:48.36; 37, William Perez-Garcia, 22:41.72; 42, Joshua Zupp, 23:07.95; 55, Mikah Weets, 24:56.35; 61, Luis Ruiz-Perez, 27:15.76
Field: 71 runners
Varsity girls
6, Amelia Bucher, 22:29.74; 12, Rhaelee Heidebrink, 23:43.70; 14, Alivia Fruechte, 23:47.31; 24, Shiloh Post, 25:09.71; 28, Hadley Fruechte, 25:22.67; 36, Isabella Russell, 26:29.97; 41, Alyvia Caskey, 27:48.31; 48, Samantha Stokesbary, 28:37.14; 53, Joannacrystal Perez-Garcia, 30:13.65; 54, Makenley DeWilde, 30:21.39
Field: 57 runners
Adeline Wrenn won the “C” division girls race at the Luverne Invitational on Thursday, Oct. 2. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
“C” Division boys
3,200 meters
1, Bo Stogdill, 13:44.76; 2, Barron Feste, 13:51.65
“C” Division girls
1, Adeline Wrenn, 15:08.91; 10, Ellie Rieck, 16:21.50; 17, Lily Fruechte, 18:18.63
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton’s Taya Christensen finished 46th in the field. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
RTR results
Varsity boys
35, Benjamin Labrune, 22:13.22; 38, Collin Schulze, 22:42.84; 47, Jacob Nilles, 23:26.84; 59, Oliver Pagel, 26:03.90; 62, Ben Nilles, 27:46.17; 64, Truen Soderholm, 28:19.28; 65, Ian Erickson, 28:26.84; 66, Jonah Norgaard, 28:36.80; 68, Gavin Erickson, 31:39.07; 69, Locklin Matzner, 31:39.95; 70, Jayden Schreurs, 32:57.76
Varsity girls
9, Summer Labrune, 22:43.07; 26, Elsie Bedow, 25:21.59; 32, Ava Guida, 25:53.84; 38, Elizabeth Determan, 27:06.88; 46, Taya Christensen, 28:15.90; 49, Ruby Petersen, 29:03.43; 52, Clara Pagel, 29:38.88