The long road to excellence

The Willmar cross country team rolls south along township roads on a raw Tuesday afternoon during a moderate 4.5-mile training run. Over 30 student-athletes continue to train daily, though only nine will compete Saturday at the Class AA State Meet in Northfield. After placing fifth a year ago, the Cardinal girls are ranked No. 1 but will need a supreme effort to edge out No. 2 Wayzata, the two-time defending state champion and Nike national champion in 2013, and  No. 3-ranked Edina. Read the complete story in the Willmar Notebook.