Area cross country: Bierman, Trost earn all-state honors

NORTHFIELD -- Cannon Falls eighth-grader Kaia Bierman exceeded almost everyone’s wildest expectations and finished sixth at the Class A girls championships Saturday on the campus of St. Olaf College. She crossed the line in 15 minutes, 26.1 seconds.

Teammate and fellow eighth-grader Emi Trost also had a strong race: She placed 25th to capture the final all-state spot. Trost finished in 15:55.8.

“I can’t stress enough -- I’m so happy with the way things turned out,” Bombers coach Ben Schopp said.

To put Bierman’s finish in perspective, consider that she started the season running junior high meets and she placed fifth at the Section 1A meet Oct. 29. Schopp said he had hoped both girls would finish in the top 40.

“I started counting the people in front of me (at about 1 1/2 miles) -- I could see them lined up -- and then I was like, ‘Whoa! What am I doing up here?’” Bierman said.

Trost moved into the top 25 by passing Petra Nelson, a senior at Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin, in the straightaway leading to the finish. Trost beat Nelson by .2 seconds.

Perham senior Maddie McClellan won the race in 14:55.2.

For more information on Bierman and Trost, pick up the Wednesday edition of the Red Wing Republican Eagle.

Tags: cross country, cannon falls, emi trost, kaia bierman, sports, bombers