Wingers face tough field at Lions Invite in Chaska

The Red Wing cross-country teams got a taste of what a state meet feels like Tuesday at the Victoria Lions Invitational in Chaska.

The boys field included 10 of the 12 ranked runners in Class AA and three top 12 ranked teams. The field included No. 1-ranked Stillwater, No. 3 Wayzata and No. 5 Edina as well as the Nos. 1-3 ranked runners in the state.

Red Wing finished 11th as a team with 344 points in the 24-team field and senior Christian Leitner led the team with a 19th-place finish. Leitner finished the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 23 seconds and ran among the top 10 until the final half mile, Wingers head coach Jesse Nelson said.

“If we figure out how to run well at big meets like this we’ll handle smaller meets better,” Nelson said.

The large field and high quality of competition created an overwhelming feeling for Red Wing, Nelson said. It was the first time the Wingers have run in the meet.

Sophomore Aiden Winn finished 60th in 17:27, senior Jordy Hassemer placed 70th in 17:44 and Trent VanLoon placed 80th in 17:54. Sophomore Joe Partington took 105th in 18:22.

Stillwater won the meet with 82 points, Burnsville finished second with 110 and Wayzata took third with 114 points.

Girls take 16th

The Red Wing finished 16th at the 24-team meet with 428 points in a meet that featured just as many top-ranked teams as the boys field.

Five top 12 ranked teams competed at the meet, including No. 2 Lakeville South, which won the meet with 110 points, No. 3 Eden Prairie, which finished fourth with 146 points, No. 5 Wayzata, which placed third with 124 points, No. 7 Edina, which finished fifth with 158 and No. 10 Shakopee, which finished second with 113 points.

The field also included No. 1-ranked Maria Hauger from Shakopee, who won the meet in 14:07, No. 4 Katlyn Larson from Lakeville South and No. 9 Vivian Hett from Burnsville.

Wingers junior Kelsee Anderson led the team with a 37th-place finish in the 4-kilometer race. Anderson finished in 15:57 while senior Cori Fairbanks finished 79th in 16:36, sophomore Lindsay Scribner took 85th in 16:40, sophomore Shayna Ramstad took 105th in 17:00 and seventh-grader Elise Leise finished 123rd in 17:25.4.

“I thought the girls got out and competed well but we kind of faded in the last half mile,” Nelson said.

Tags: red wing, sports, prep, cross-country