WILLMAR -- The Willmar Cardinals play host today to the Central Lakes Conference meet held at the Eagle Creek Golf Club.
Six races are scheduled with the focus on boys varsity (4:15 p.m. start) and girls varsity (4:40 p.m.). Junior Varsity runs start at 3:25 p.m. Middle schools races follow varsity.
The races will be on the back nine holes. Fans may use the Eagle Creek pro shop parking lot.
The Willmar boys have been runners-up the past two seasons -- to Alexandria last year and to Brainerd in 2007. The Cardinals won consecutive championships from 2004-2006, including a perfect score of 15 in 2006 before going on to win a second straight Class AA title.
Alexandria and Willmar should be at the front again. At the Alexandria Invite both teams finished with 133 points in fourth place. Willmar ranks 12th and Alex 13th in Class AA.
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The girls race will feature three rated individuals: Junior Heidi Peterson of Sartell in third, junior Jamie Piepenburg of Alexandria is fourth and senior Hannah Kellerman of Sartell at 12. Piepenburg, the Class AA 3,200-meter track and field champion, is two-time defending champion. Kellerman won in 2006.
The Willmar girls team took third last year behind first place Sartell and runner-up Brainerd. At the Alexandria Invite Oct. 10, Willmar finished well behind Alexandria and Sartell but four days later placed second at the St. Cloud Tech Invite and in front of four other CLC teams, including Brainerd.
-- Rand Middleton
