SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Willmar junior Nadir Yusuf won the boys 5K race to help the Cardinals collect the team title and the Cardinal girls dominated the 5K race to also win the team title at the Nike Heartland Preview Saturday at Yankton Trail Park.
Only three schools fielded a complete team in the girls 5K race, but Willmar had six runners place in the top seven. Jeralyn Poe, a three-time state champion and a NCAA Division I recruit from Lincoln, Nebraska, easily won the race, beating Willmar sophomore Sophie Schmitz by 49 seconds.
The Cardinals then had senior Samantha Hanson place third, sophomore Jessa Hanson fourth, sophomore Kayla Rudie fifth, eighth-grader Heidi Schmitz sixth and eighth-grader Serena Monson seventh.
The Willmar boys totaled 61 points by having Yusuf finishing first, junior Ian Thompson third, eighth-grader Cael Carlson 20th, junior Jack Erickson 21st and eighth-grader Harley Anez 28th.
Willmar will be in Cold Spring on Thursday to compete in the Rocori Invite at River Oaks Golf Club.
BOYS
Team scoring
(1) Willmar 61 (2) Harrisburg 79 (3) Sioux Falls O’Gorman 89 (4) Lincoln North Star 91 (5) Rapid City Central 96 (6) Garretson 114 (7) Parkston 168 (8) Madison 190
Individual
TOP FIVE - (1) Nadir Yusuf, Wil, 17:02.83 (2) Greyson Zamora, Har, 17:15.68 (3) Ian Thompson, Wil, 17:26.88 (4) Shane Herman, Custer, 17:38.75 (5) Alex Auch, Har, 17:39.94
WILLMAR - (1) Yusuf (3) Thompson (20) Cael Carlson 18:23.49 (21) Jack Erickson 18:25.09 (28) Harley Anez 18:50.87 (33) Jared Ruter 19:02.98 (36) Kyle Knofczynski 19:15.97 (39) Dakota Tjaden 19:21.42 (48) Ibrahim Ismail 19:38.43 (51) Ahmed Awalie 20:03.58
GIRLS
Team scoring
(1) Willmar 20 (2) Lincoln North Star 53 (3) Rapid City Central 62
Individual
TOP FIVE - (1) Jeralyn Poe, LNS, 18:31.36 (2) Sophie Schmitz, Wil, 19:20.36 (3) Samantha Hanson, Wil, 19:32.95 (4) Jessa Hanson, Wil, 19:39.89 (5) Kayla Rudie, Wil, 19:49.54
WILLMAR - (2) S. Schmitz (3) S. Hanson (4) J. Hanson (5) Rudie (6) Heidi Schmitz 19:58.36 (7) Serena Monson 20:16.58 (12) Courtney Hanson 21:24.50 (15) Savannah Anez 22:25.32
