SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Willmar cross-country team got to compete in one of the biggest meets in South Dakota on Saturday and did well.

The Willmar girls finished fourth and the Cardinal boys took seventh in the Nike Heartland Preview.

“There was very good competition with many highly ranked teams,” Willmar head coach Eric Hjelden said. “Being that we were coming off a meet Thursday, Willmar runners competed very well.”

Minnetonka won the girls’ race with 45 points. Willmar had 120. The Skippers are ranked second in Minnesota in Class AAA. Sioux Falls O’Gorman took second with 66 points. O’Gorman is ranked fifth in the Heartland region.

Lauren Eilers led Willmar by finishing in 17th place with a time of 19 minutes, 25 seconds.

The boys scored a 196. Rapid City Stevens of South Dakota took first with 67 points. Minnetonka was second with 96.

Willmar’s Sully Anez finished fifth overall with a time of 16 minutes, 34 seconds. Colin O’Farrell was 19th overall for the Cardinals with a 17:07.

Nike Heartland Preview

Boys

Team scoring

(1) Rapid City (S.D.) Stevens 67 … (2) Minnetonka 96 … (3) Harrisburg (S.D.) 113 … (4) Sioux Falls (S.D.) Christian 127 … (5) Sturgis (S.D.) Brown 158 … (6) Sioux Falls (S.D.) Jefferson 171 … (7) Willmar 196 … (8) Worthington 202 … (9) Sioux Falls (S.D.) O’Gorman 212 … (10) Benilde-St. Margaret’s 254 … (11) Spearfish (S.D.) 263 … (12) Douglas (S.D.) 279 … (13) Sioux Falls (S.D.) Washington 310 … (14) Huron (S.D.) 317 … (15) Northwestern (S.D.) 407 … (16) Freeman Academy/Marion (S.D.) 414

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Simeon Birnbaum, Rapid City Stevens, 15:33.98 … (2) Isaac Davelaar, SF Christian, 15:35.61 … (3) Nick Gilles, Minnetonka, 15:45.95 … (4) Keenan Urdiales, Spearfish, 15:54.84 … (5) Sully Anez, Willmar, 16:34.46

WILLMAR — (5) Anez 16:34.46 … (19) Colin O’Farrell 17:07.89 … (48) Brandon Zepdeda 18:08.80 … (67) Ryan Kuhlman 18:25.60 … (80) Kory Behm 18:50.77

Girls

Team scoring

(1) Minnetonka 45 … (2) Sioux Falls (S.D.) O’Gorman 66 … (3) Rapid City (S.D.) Stevens 98 … (4) Willmar 120 … (5) Hill City (S.D.) 157 … (6) Sioux Falls (S.D.) Christian 182 … (7) Spearfish (S.D.) 203 … (8) Harrisburg (S.D.) 218 … (9) Sioux Falls (S.D.) Washington 236 … (1) Chamberlain (S.D.) 253 … (11) Benilde-St. Margaret’s 264 … (12) Sturgis (S.D.) Brown 269 … (13) Kimball/White Lake (S.D.) 292 … (14) Worthington 416.

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Alea Hardie, O’Gorman, 17:42.53 … (2) Libby Castelli, O’Gorman, 18:03.41 … (3) Peyton VanDeest, Spearfish, 18:36.30 … 94) Brionna Holso, Rapid City Stevens, 18:44.33 … (5) Ella Graham, Minnetonka, 18:45.79

WILLMAR — (17) Lauren Eilers 19:25.77 … (23) Erin Eilers 19:48.58 … (25) Nina Dawson 19:55.36 … (33) Lyndi Koosman 20:36.71 … (41) Madi Engstrom 20:47.94

Milbank Grandstay Invite

The Minnewaska girls came home with first place at the Whetsone Creek Golf Course north of Milbank, South Dakota.

The Lakers scored 26 points to beat host Milbank, which had 33. Lac Qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd took sixth with 85 points.

Minnewaska’s Olivia Danielson finished fifth overall with a time of 19 minutes, 57.40 seconds. She was followed by teammates Lauren Ankeny in sixth place (20:16.57) and Sydnie Chevalier in seventh (20:52.42).

LQPV/D-B took second in the boys’ race, scoring 47 points. Milbank took first with 22. Minnewaska was fifth with an 81 and Montevideo was ninth with a 139.

LQPV/D-B’s Payton Sterud was the top area finisher, taking fourth overall with a time of 17:31.94.

Boys

Team scoring

(1) Milbank (S.D.) 22 … (2) Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd 47 … (3) Madison (S.D.) 60 … (4) Flandreau (S.D.) 65 … (5) Minnewaska 81 … (6) Breckenridge/Wahpeton 99 … (7) Border West 102 … (8) Tri-State 126 … (9) Montevideo 139 … (10) Great Plains Lutheran (S.D.) 176

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Nick Batchelor, Milbank, 15:55.87 … (2) Kaleb Foltz, Tri-State, 17:14.01 … (3) Dylan Gerdes, Madison, 17:30.54 … (4) Payton Sterud, LQPV, 17:31.94 … (5) Payton Brown, Milbank, 17:33.46.

LQPV/D-B — (4) Sterud 17:31.94 … (7) Kaiden Allpress 17:41.12 … (16) Eli Hegland 18:37.39 … (24) Gavin Stulz 19:25.08 … (32) Tygan Allpress 19:58.38

MINNEWASKA — (12) Maeson Tank 18:20.22 … (19) Nick Ankeny 18:45.04 … (25) Zach Palmer 19:31.04 … (27) Jace Kovarik 19:34.34 … (42) James Ward 20:45.85

MONTEVIDEO — (18) Brady Andrews 18:40.34 … (36) Connor Walz 20:20.32 … (43) Zakariya Carson 20:48.77 … (48) Ethan Andresen 21:43.02 … (61) Landen Vorvick 22:59.77

Girls

Team scoring

(1) Minnewaska 26 … (2) Milbank (S.D.) 33 … (3) Great Plains Lutheran (S.D.) 58 … (4) Breckenridge/Wahpeton 70 … (5) Flandreau (S.D.) 76 … (6) Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd 85 … (7) Border West 115

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Ashlynn Batchelor, Milbank, 18:46.97 … (2) Halle Bauer, Great Plains, 19:04.19 … (3) Madison Zirbel, Dakota Hills, 19:26.90 … (4) Faith Wiese, Flandreau, 19:49.51 … (5) Olivia Danielson, Minnewaska, 19:57.40

LQPV/D-B — (15) Taylor Shelstad 21:58.45 … (19) Anika Fernholz 22:20.65 … (33) Mya Conroy 23:54.08 … (35) Kendall Johnson 24:05.28 … (39) Reese Ochsendorf 24:22.40

MINNEWASKA — (5) Danielson 19:57.40 … (6) Lauren Ankeny 20:16.57 … (7) Sydnie Chevalier, 20:52.42 … (12) Kiearra Wilmes 21:29.95 … (17) Elsey Hagen 22:06.90

Girls Swimming

Bemidji Lumberjack
Invitational

Willmar finished third Saturday at the Bemidji Lumberjack Invitational, scoring 462 points. Moorhead won the event with 800 points and Grand Rapids was second with 591.

Willmar’s lone first-place finisher was Ava Brogren in the 100-yard breaststroke. The senior finished in 1 minute, 12.03 seconds to edge Moorhead junior Abs Ishaug, who had a 1:12.64.

TEAM SCORES – (1) Moorhead 800 … (2) Grand Rapids 591 … (3) Willmar 462 … (4) Bemidji 354 … (5) Warroad/Roseau/Greenbush/Middle River 97

200 MEDLEY RELAY – (1) Moorhead 1:53.66 ... (2) Grand Rapids 1:54.59 … (3) Willmar (Natalie Arends, Ava Brogren, Aubrey Schueler, Shelby Reed) 2:01.67

200 FREESTYLE – (1) Anna Hoff, M, 2:02.50 ...(2) Sophia Verke, GR, 2:05.22 … (7) Cate Brogren, W, 2:12.94

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – (1) Arod Rodgers, M, 2:17.94 … (2) A. Brogren, W, 2:20.40 … (6) Schueler, W, 2:33.53

50 FREESTYLE – (1) Layna Janke, M, 25.96 … (2) Reed, W, 26.36 … (3) Rowan Krueger-Barth, GR, 26.41

DIVING – (1) Addie Albrecht, GR, 501.30 ... (2) Mady Schmidt, B, 431.30 … (3) Jaci Forthergill, GR, 391.45

100 BUTTERFLY – (1) Janke, M, 1:01.43 ... (2) Syd Olson, M, 1:02.60 … (5) Schueler, W, 1:06.99

100 FREESTYLE – (1) Abs Ishaug, M, 56.98 ... (2) Hannah Rauzi, GR, 57.10 … (3) Reed, W, 57.57

500 FREESTYLE – (1) Anna Hoff, M, 5:37.88 ... (2) Neddy Olson, M, 5:45.36 … (4) C. Brogren, W, 5:49.92

200 FREESTYLE RELAY – (1) Grand Rapids 1:45.08 ... (2) Moorhead 1:45.34 … (5) Willmar (Grace Bjur, Ana Hernandez, C. Brogren, Noelle Becker) 1:54.58

100 BACKSTROKE – (1) Rodgers, M, 1:02.61 ... (2) Syd Olson, M, 1:05.76 … (8) Arends, W, 1:14.89

100 BREASTSTROKE – (1) A. Brogren, W, 1:12.03 … (2) Ishaug, M, 1:12.64 … (3) Chloe Petersen, GR, 1:16.07

400 FREESTYLE RELAY – (1) Moorhead 3:49.90 ... (2) Willmar (Reed, Schueler, Becker, A. Brogren) 3:56.72 … (3) Grand Rapids 4:06.92