SAUK RAPIDS — Colin O’Farrell admitted he felt terrible physically. Running your first cross-country race in 10 months will do that to you.
“Honestly, I feel pretty horrible,” the Willmar junior said after competing in the St. Cloud Apollo Triangular on Thursday. “I thought I’d feel better.
“I forgot how it feels.”
O’Farrell felt good enough to finish second in the Cardinals’ season-opener at Mayhew Creek Park next to Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
St. Cloud Apollo senior Sam Brewer won with a time of 17 minutes, 9.8 seconds on the 5-kilometer course. Apollo won the team title with 26 points.
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Willmar was second with 32. O’Farrell was the Cardinals’ top runner in 17:25.7. Apollo senior Sam Brewer won in 17:09.8.
Willmar’s girls swept the top five spots in their race, scoring a perfect 15. Fergus Falls (59) was second and Apollo (60) was third.
The race was run at Mayhew Creek Park because Apollo’s normal home course, the Veteran Administration Hospital in St. Cloud across the street from Apollo, is unavailable because of coronavirus pandemic concerns.
“I’ve been training a long time for this,” O’Farrell said of the race.
He and many of the Cardinals have been training seven months, to be precise. O’Farrell and the rest of the state had track and field season called off in mid-March because of COVID-19 precautions.
His time, he said, was about 20 seconds faster than last year’s first race. That was something he agreed he could build on. He started feeling poorly when he tried to keep up with Brewer. He couldn’t.
Willmar head coach Jerry Popp was delighted with his team’s results.
“This was a really good first run for us,” Popp said. “The boys ran well.
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“Apollo raced last last week and that’s an advantage right now. When you consider only two of our guys ran varsity before, this was a nice showing.”
Willmar eighth-grader Sully Anex finished fifth in 18:00.4. Senior Andrew Flolo was fourth in 17:59.5.
The Cardinals were missing senior Fuad Bashir, who was expected to be their No. 1 and one of the top runners in the state, not to mention Section 8AA. Bashir is not out for the team.
Willmar eighth-grader Lauren Eilers won the girls’ race in 19:56.7. Twin sister Erin Eilers was second in 20:05.3.
The Cardinals next run at 4 p.m. next Thursday at Sauk Rapids for another triangular with Apollo as the host. Sartell also is scheduled to compete.
Apollo Triangular
Boys
Team scoring
(1) St. Cloud Apollo 26 (2) Willmar 32 (3) Fergus Falls 74
Individual
TOP FIVE — (1) Sam Brewer, A, 17:09.8 (2) Colin O’Farrell, W, 17:25.7 (3) Tucker Tenvoorde, A, 17:54.3 (4) Andrew Flolo, W, 17:59.5 (5) Sully Anez, W, 18:00.4
WILLMAR — (2) O’Farrell (4) Flolo (5) Anez (10) Kory Behm 19:01.7 (11) Ryan Kuhlman 19:05.7
Girls
Team scoring
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(1) Willmar 15 (2) Fergus Falls 59 (3) Apollo 60
Individual
TOP FIVE — (1) Lauren Eilers, W, 19:56.7 (2) Erin Eilers, W, 20:05.3 (3) Lyndi Koosman, W, 21:00.8 (4) Nina Dawson, W, 21:07.09 (5) Hannah Quinn, W, 21:08.4
WILLMAR — (1) L. Eilers (2) E. Eilers (3) Koosman (4) Dawson (5) Quinn
Melrose Triangular
The Minnewaska girls cruised to a first-place finish at the Melrose Triangular, scoring 18 points to beat Melrose (56) and Morris/Chokio-Alberta (70)
The Lakers’ Sydney Hagen led the way, recording a time of 21:49 to edge teammate Keirra Wilmes, who had a 21:50.
In the boys’ race, Melrose edged Minnewaska, 30-33. Morris/CA was third with 63 points.
The individual champ was Tyler Pohlmann, who had a time of 18:35. Minnewaska’s Maeson Tank was second at 18:49 and the Lakers’ Logan Maanum was third at 19:01.
Charles Hanson took eighth in 19:49 for Morris/CA.
Boys
Team scoring
(1) Melrose 30 (2) Minnewaska 33 (3) Morris/Chokio-Alberta 63
Individual
TOP FIVE — (1) Tyler Pohlmann, Mel, 18:35 (2) Maeson Tank, Min, 18:49 (3) Logan Maanum, Min, 19:01 (4) Dominic Kerzman, Mel, 19:05 (5) Nick Ankeny, Min, 19:08
MINNEWASKA — (2) Tank (3) Maanum (5) Ankeny (10) Zach Palmer 20:11 (13) Noah Danielson 20:16
MORRIS/CA — (8) Charles Hanson 19:49 (9) Thomas Tiernan 19:52 (11) Gavin Stallman 20:13 (17) Matthew Giese 21:03 (18) Pierce Richards 21:11
Girls
Team scoring
(1) Minnewaska 18 (2) Melrose 56 (3) Morris/CA 70
Individual
TOP FIVE — (1) Sydney Hagen, Min, 21:49 (2) Kiearra Wilmes, Min, 21:50 (3) Maria Hinnenkamp, Mel, 21:59 (4) Sydnie Chevalier 22:08 (5) Elsey Hagen 22:13
MINNEWASKA — (1) Hagen (2) Wilmes (4) Chevalier (5) Hagen (6) Kenzie Luetmer 22;15
MORRIS/CA — (12) Caryn Marty 22:57 (13) Kaylie Raths 23:03 (14) Kelly Berlinger 23:04 (15) Hailey Werk 23:25 (16) Isabel Fynboh 23:46
