Trost finishes second at Class A state meet

NORTHFIELD — Competing against in the state brought the best out of Cannon Falls sophomore Emi Trost Saturday at the Class A state cross-country meet at St. Olaf College.

Trost turned in a season-best time of 14 minutes, 34.7 seconds on the 4-kilometer course to finish second overall in her third state meet. Trost achieved the highest finish in school history for the Bombers.

“I run against really good athletes all the time but there hasn’t been a lot of girls that go out there and push me like there is at the state meet,” Trost said.

Blake’s Clare Flanagan won the meet in a time of 14:21.7 and Trost finished nearly 11 seconds faster than third-place finisher and defending state champion Marisa Shady.

She got out early and she knew she had to because she was in Lane 24 and she had to make that right-hand corner,” Cannon Falls head coach Ben Schopp said. “She had to get at least equally to everyone or slightly ahead so she wouldn’t be cut off coming around that corner.”

Trost also set a personal best time by nearly 10 seconds at the state meet. Schopp credited her start as a reason for the drop in time.

“I think she got out well and she thought, ‘I feel good,’” Schopp said. “That’s what she’ll say: ‘If I get out good and I feel good, I’ll stay up there. I don’t care who’s running, she says.’”

Trost passed Flanagan at one point but couldn’t overtake her for good. Trost and Flanagan ran near each other through the early part of the race.

“She threw out all of her going for her times and she did run with the best today,” Schopp said.

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