Roy Griak Invitational – Les Bolstad Golf Course, U. of Minnesota, St. Paul MN – Sept 29, 2012

Results at gophersports.com

HIGHLIGHTS

** BOYS GOLD Indiv.: US#3 Bismarck ND sr Jake Leingang outkicked Brookfield Central WI sr Carl Hirsch, a 4:08 1,600 runner, by a 15:42.37 to 15:43.32 margin to repeat as individual champ. Hudson WI sr Ryan Kromer was 3rd in 15:50.07. Cretin-Derham Hall MN sr Kevin Docherty (16:01.67), the Maroon race champ in 2011, edged Blue Springs sr Simon Belete (16:01.72) for 4th. Brookings SD jr Addison DeHaven was 5th in 16:04.72.

** BOYS GOLD Teams: US#18 Dowling Catholic IA (Marc Bloom’s Super 25) packed its first three runners – Spencer Clark, Jeff Derocher, and Jason Thomas – together in 15-17-18 and tallied 124 points for a decisive win against the 44-team field. DC, the Heartland Region’s #3 team coming in, was 63 points better than HL#2 and US#17 Bismarck ND.

Jake Leingang edges Carl Hirsch for the boys title. Photo by Darrell Anderson.

** GIRLS GOLD Indiv.: US#18 Shakopee MN sr Maria Hauger won a good duel over US#12 Alli Cash, the Shawnee Mission West KS sr, 17:50.0 to 17:55.4. Hauger was both an NXN and Foot Locker finalist last fall. It was Cash’s first loss of the season and Hauger also avenged an earlier loss to MN small-school rival Clare Flanagan, the US#13 Blake junior who was 7th. Eagan MN sr Danielle Anderson was 3rd in 18:17.5, followed by fast-rising Waverly-Shell Rock IA sr standout Anna Holdiman (18:23.9), Warwick Valley NY frosh Megan Reilly (18:38.7), and Bemidji MN soph Jenna Truedson (18:48.8;also an NXN finalist).

** GIRLS GOLD Teams: US#15/MW#3 Naperville North IL got it done with 151 points in the 44-team field, led by Maria McDaniel in 8th and scoring its top six in the first 51 scorers. California power Redondo Union was 2nd with 171 and Eagan MN was 3rd with 186. HL#6 Eagan beat Heartland teams ranked ahead of them in Dowling Catholic IA (5th) and Bismarck ND (10th).

** MAROON races: Individual winners were White Bear Lake MN jr Bethany Kozak in 19:08 and Richfield MN jr Obsa Ali in 16:17. Top teams were Notre Dame Acad. WI girls (151 pts.) and Monticello MN boys (207).